Farther to Go!: AtoZ April Challenge

I have known for a couple of weeks now that my post for the letter F would be about Farther to Go! The “brainchild” of Joycelyn Campbell, the big idea of Farther to Go! is that we can “learn how to use our brains instead of our brains using us.” She has developed a variety of materials, techniques, and courses that combine the best of what neuroscience has to offer about habits, consciousness, and creativity. It is impossible for me to do it justice in one blog post. It’s really important to check it out for yourself at her website: http://farthertogo.com.

I thought that maybe the best way to give you an idea of what is possible with Farther to Go! is to just make a (partial) list of how Joycelyn’s synthesis of neuroscience, habit, and story is changing my life. In no particular order, I offer my list: Ten ways that Farther to Go! has changed my life.

 

1. I now view interruptions in a different way. I don’t let them hijack me emotionally. Rather, I see them as opportunities to renew my focus.
2.  I look at my depression differently. I have learned to THINK about it differently, and that’s made a world of difference.
3. Related to #2: After more than twenty years on anti-depressants and several unsuccessful attempts to taper off of them, I am now medication free. (If this were the only benefit of Farther to Go!, I’d be sold, but it’s only the beginning.)
4. I intentionally develop habits that allow me to free up the conscious part of my brain for more important tasks.
5. For the first time in my life, I am maintaining an exercise program that works for me. I’ve learned a technique from Farther to Go!, involving IAP (Intention, Attention, and Perseverance), and it has made a huge difference in my life.
6. I have learned that I have a story about everything in my life. It’s normal. We’re wired for story. Knowing about how the brain constructs stories helps me see my life differently.
7. I’ve learned it’s possible to create my stories instead of just letting stories happen to me.
8. I have rediscovered the part of me that can make things happen. She is now the protagonist of the stories I will write create that will lead me to the life I want.
9. I have an opening scene for a story in which the protagonist (the part of me that can make things happen) is poised for action to get what she wants.
10. I now view life from a “get better” rather than a “good” mindset. With that mindset, I can try anything, because I don’t have to be good at it, I just have to be willing to get better.

Don’t get me wrong. I have a lot farther to go, but the changes I see in my life keep me going in the midst of setbacks and frustration. Stay tuned to find out what my newly resurrected protagonist takes on in her upcoming adventures. Almost anything is possible when I start using my brain, instead of letting it use me.