The ContraMind Code
Introduction
Welcome to The ContraMind Code.
The ContraMind Code provides you with a system of principles, signals, and ideas to aid you in your pursuit of excellence.
The newsletter shares the source code through quick snapshots for a systems thinking approach to be the best in what you do.
The Code helps you reboot and reimagine your thinking by learning from the best and enables you to draw a blueprint on what it takes to get extraordinary things done. Please share your valuable thoughts and comments and start a conversation.
Take a journey to www.contraminds.com. Listen and watch some great minds talking to us about their journey of discovery of what went into making them craftsmen of their profession to drive peak performance.
Mental Strength in Judo, Mental Strength in Life.
In this fascinating article by Cedric Chin, who likes to call himself a Word slinger, bug fixer, and operator, he writes about his reflections on his judo experiment and the lessons he learnt from this experiment.
Here are some key points that he makes about mental strength and how it impacts what we do and shows up all the time in how we approach things in life:
Your body language reflects your mental state. “If you’re hurt, don’t show it. If you’re tired, don’t show it. If you’re hungry, nobody should know.”
Most of the time, the problems we face are a matter of will, not of skill.
Change begins when you begin to know and accept, not deny - “The thing you must remember is that we are humans. We are not dumb animals. Unlike animals, we can change our nature. So it is good that you’ve learnt these things about yourself. Now you can change.”
Simulate really tough situations and prepare yourself because life will be harder than you imagine. “Well, life is hard! Life will crush you! Better to learn who you are in competition training rather than in life!”
Prepare yourself for discomfort - “I was simply not comfortable with discomfort.”
Work to expand your work capacity - “What differentiates professional athletes from amateurs is that the pros train way harder, for longer, at a more regular frequency.”
Read the entire article here.
Using AI As The Best Available Human.
Kevin Scott, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft is in conversation with Ethan Mollick, Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, who talks about his academic journey and his insights on the current AI revolution.
Here are some critical takeaways from this conversation:
AI is a booster for your job, unlike the hype that it will replace all jobs.
Use AI as the Best Available Human (BAH) for your life’s chores.
AI is a Universal Translator of Concepts - making it contextual and meaningful.
“How do you smash large companies?” - Building companies at AI scale( not more than 20 people companies) is the new shift and language in the startup and entrepreneurial world.
Being incremental is a horrible mistake you can make today.
Something you used to do which was valuable in the past, may not be valuable now. And the sooner you realise this, the better off you are.
There is a growing importance of the need for imagination in large companies.
Companies must remember automation is not cost-cutting.
Systems take much longer to change than technologies.
Talent is much more evenly distributed than opportunity, and our biggest cost is that.
Figure out what you're good at more than anything else and double down on that.
You can also listen to this entire episode on:
What I Learned From 100 Days Of Rejection.
Jia Jiang, Entrepreneur, Blogger, Author, and Speaker, talks about rejection and how he prepared for it.
Here are some key ideas for you to think about:
Rejection is normal and happens to everybody, but those who overcome rejection are the ones who reach the finish line of their dreams and aspirations.
The way to overcome rejection is to stay engaged and not run away out of fear.
If you raise the same doubts you have about what you are doing or feeling, it generates trust. Then, people will say ‘yes’ to you.
Don’t be afraid to ask, even if it means you may get a rejection.
Looking back at history, you will see that great people faced many rejections in their lives but never gave up. They embraced rejection, and that ended up defining themselves.
Click on the above video to watch it.
Improving Your Work Capacity.
“What’s my work capacity?” is an interesting question to ask yourself.
In sports, work capacity is defined as “an athlete’s ability to perform repetitive technically proficient sports skills and exercise without the onset of excessive fatigue.” If you use the same analogy in business for a professional like you, work capacity is, essentially, the total amount of work you can perform, recover from, and adapt positively to.
It’s not rare to hear people say these things when they are working:
“It was a tiring day today.”
“Last week was hectic and chaotic as we were in the midst of a new product release.”
“We had an escalation today, and I was drained out by the time I got things back to normalcy.”
“We are planning for an upcoming product launch, and there’s a lot of work to be done, which is moving at a hectic pace. I am just finding it hard to keep up.”
“I got zoned out after work yesterday. There was a lot of body pain, and I could not get out of my bed today.”
These statements resemble how an athlete feels after a race or a sportsperson feels after a game. Remember, you are a work athlete, and you need to improve your work capacity to perform at your peak. There will be varying levels of intensity of workdays in your life. Your mental strength to overcome them with ease and alacrity will define how your performance will be better than anybody you work with. Therefore, even cognitive work, not just physical work, requires loads of work capacity, which you need to prepare for.
You may have the potential, but if you don’t build your work capacity, you may not be able to perform at your best. However, even if you don’t have the potential, building an incredible work capacity can take you a long way and help you perform well and, most often, better than those with the potential. We have time and again seen this in sports, and it’s no different at the workplace, too.
How do you build your work capacity?
Being prepared mentally is vital. Build work routines that are tough and push yourself every day.
Proactively train for demanding, long days even when there is not one. Try new things and train for long, repetitive focus periods.
Change work routines and methods when things are going smoothly.
Develop new skills, and don’t be afraid to try and fail. Put these skills to work when there is no real pressure or need.
Don’t rest on your laurels. Constantly change the goalpost and aim higher. Remember the sports adage, “Records are meant to be broken.”
Collaborate and work with people with diverse skill sets and across industries.
Work with people with complementary skill sets and those with skills diametrically opposite to yours. Learn to handle the contradictions and volatility.
Keep improving your skills continuously. Get better at them. Remember, what made you good yesterday may not be good enough tomorrow.
Be ready to discard any skill that is no longer useful and valuable. Disrupt yourself often.
Think of yourself as a work athlete. Peak performance can only be achieved when your work capacity triumphs over your potential.
Some lessons we learnt from this week’s missions:
Your body language reflects your mental state. Change begins when you begin to know and accept, not deny.
Companies must remember automation is not a means to cost-cutting.
Rejection is normal and happens to everybody. Don’t be afraid to ask, even if it means you may get a rejection.
Peak performance can only be achieved when your work capacity triumphs over your potential.