The Neuroscience of Shaping Your Brain for Success

Faithful on the Clock is a podcast with the mission of getting your faith and work aligned. We want you to understand Who you're serving and why so you can get more joy and legacy from every minute spent on the clock. Thanks for joining us and taking this step toward a more fulfilling job and relationship with God!Want to join us on social media? We'd love to have you stay up-to-date with the show on all our platforms!TwitterFacebookPinterestInstagramLinkedInYouTubeIn this episode...The Neuroscience of Shaping Your Brain for Success https://faithfulontheclock.com/the-neuroscience-of-shaping-your-brain-for-success The brain has incredible neuroplasticity — it can change over time. Episode 118 of Faithful on the Clock explains why intentionally directing the way your brain shifts contributes to your professional and spiritual effectiveness.Timestamps:[00:04] - Intro[00:42] - The ideas that you can become better and hack the brain are widespread in the professional world. But you can intentionally shape your brain to be better, not just hack it.[01:54] - What neuroplasticity is and how it works[03:33] - God’s brain and neuroplasticity design is not accidental[04:26] - The inherent neutrality of neuroplasticity and why we have to intentionally choose to direct it[06:13] - Most people don’t make the best use of their time, which negatively influences their brain development.[06:58] - Why continuously thinking about God and behaving according to His will is necessary to develop our brain for good professional and spiritual work[08:48] - The importance of repetition in neuroplasticity [09:35] - The need for “mental dirt shovelers” (supportive people) who can help you through the neuroplasticity process[10:58] - Prayer[11:45] - Outro/What’s coming up nextKey takeaways:The concepts of improving yourself and “hacking” the way your brain works are widespread in the professional world. But you can do more than just hack — you can intentionally shape the brain.Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change over time. Neural cells will build stronger, faster connections the more they fire together. It’s similar to the way a path gets built up over time into a faster highway.God’s brain design is intentional. Romans 12:2 can be viewed in the context of neuroplasticity and our responsibility to direct our own brain development to be able to serve God well.Neuroplasticity is going to happen regardless, influenced by our everyday micro-experiences and micro-elements. Unless we want negative development that’s not helpful to us, we have to be intentional about shaping the brain toward good health and function.The intentionality required in neuroplasticity means that we have to be constantly training the brain toward God and what’s good so we don’t get buried by the dark of the world and Satan.Repetition is your best friend when trying to shape your brain. Building new pathways takes time. Seeking out mental dirt shovelers — counselors, friends, etc. who can help you break old pathways and build new ones — is essential.Dr. Austin Perlmutter - Balancing Neurological Pathways to Heal Trauma (Transcript)Faithful on the Clock Episode 117: Shattering Negative Thoughts With Biblical TruthsThe Dangerous Paradox Hidden in Becoming Your Best SelfWanda Thibodeaux on LinkedIn: The Danger of the Become-Your-Best-Self MessageCTAs:Identify one habit or thought you engage in frequently that isn’t helpful. Find at least three verses you can call to mind when you are tempted toward that habit or script.Identify 1 - 3 motivating reasons for maintaining neural-building practices (e.g., reading Scripture). Repeat these to yourself when you encounter challenges.What’s coming up next:We all have bills to pay — paychecks matter. But Faithful on the Clock Episode 118 shares some nonfinancial elements to seek from your job when it comes to finding purpose and meaning.Support the show!Visit the Faithful on the Clock Patreon page to choose a tier plan and become a supporting member. You'll gain access to goodies like early episode access, newsletters, and more based on the plan that's right for you.patreon.com/faithfulontheclockWant to give a one-off tip or donation? Use our Captivate support page. You can become a member there with the same great tier options you'll find at Patreon, too.Support Faithful on the Clock