Here’s a question I got asked during a Mindset & Clarity workshop I ran for my banking colleagues a few months ago:

(I’m going from memory, but this is the gist)

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I read a book recently called Caging The Chimp about the British Cycling Team. The book talked about how the team learnt to “cage their chimp”, which basically meant containing impulsive thoughts and trying to let the logical, rational part of the mind take control.

Have you heard about this? What do you think about this as a strategy for better performance?

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My answer?

This is a great example of how good intentions can lead people in totally the wrong direction.

The chimp model assumes you've got two minds. So there’s the chimp mind which is emotional, irrational and liable to chuck its toys out the pram. Then there's the human mind which is rational, sensible and more by the book.

Yes, it might be a neat and tidy way of thinking about things.

But no-one has two minds. And as soon as you think you do, you've created a full time job managing your minds as well as using them. Which is a bit like trying to ride a bike while reading a manual about how to ride a bike.

So the chimp idea creates the very problem it claims to solve.

But there's really no chimp lurking in your noggin waiting to ruin your presentation or your meeting. There's just thoughts when you're in a low state of mind and thoughts when you're in a higher one. 

So it’s not the mind that changes. What changes is the state that mind is in.

What I've noticed (in myself, and the people I coach) is that the best performers don't use fancy systems to manage their mind.

They just don't make a big deal out of how they feel or what's happening up top.

So sure, they feel frustrated, stressed or get caught up in their head sometimes. But it passes quickly because they don't latch onto it and try to fix a problem that was never a problem to begin with.

If you’d like 1:1 support with spending less time in your head, I can help with that.

All the info’s here:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com

To fulfilment,

Tom