Table Of Content.
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Cross-Train
Your Brain
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To my family, friends, and
colleagues, who always believed
I'd write this book.
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Cross-Train
Your Brain
A Mental Fitness Program for
Maximizing Creativity and
Achieving Success
Stephen D. Eiffert
AMACOM
American Management Association
New York • Atlanta • Boston • Chicago • Kansas City • San Francisco • Washington, D.C.
Brussels • Mexico City • Tokyo • Toronto
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This book is available at a special discount when ordered in bulk quantities. For information, contact
Special Sales Department, AMACOM, an imprint of AMA Publications, a division of American
Management Association.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject
matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal,
accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the
services of a competent professional person should be sought.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Eiffert, Stephen D.
Cross-train your brain : a mental fitness program for maximizing
creativity and achieving success / Stephen D. Eiffert.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8144-7994-4 (pbk.)
1. Creative ability. 2. Creative thinking. I. Title.
BF408.E395 1999
153.4—dc21
98-17348
CIP
© 1999 Stephen D. Eiffert.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of AMACOM, an imprint of AMA Publications, a division of American
Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
Printing number
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
IV
Contents
Preface
ix
Introduction Get Ready, Get Set …
xi
Chapter 1 We are all born creative but lose our creative drive over our
lifetimes.
1
Principle
1
Definition of Creativity
2
Value of Creativity
3
Process
4
What Makes Someone Creative
5
Chapter 2 We all suffer from environmental limitations placed on our creativity.
15
Principle
15
The Modern Western World View
16
How We Learned Not to Be Creative
18
The Child's Mind
20
Educational System
23
Conformity
27
Process
28
Step One: Identify the Ways Your Thinking and Responses Are
Holding You Back
29
Step Two: Try a New Way, Even if It Is Scary
30
Chapter 3 The life you lead is the life you create. We experience our
expectations.
33
Principle
33
Expectations Color Reactions to Events
34
Your Thoughts Show Up in Your Experience
35
Negativity Begets Negativity
36
V
We Like to "Think About It"
38
Self-Limitations
40
VI
Process
41
Change Your Perspective
42
Create Positive Expectation
43
Visualize Your Experience
45
Affirmations
48
Chapter 4 We function best when approaching life with our whole brains.
53
Principle
53
The Right Hemisphere
54
The Left Hemisphere
57
Whole-Brain Thinking
59
Process
60
Seek Out New Experiences
70
Relax Your Mind
71
Chapter 5 Conditions are not emotions. How you feel about an event is not the
event.
79
Principle
79
The Limbic Brain and the Cerebral Cortex
80
Unconscious Thought and Emotions
81
Emotions Color Our Behavior
81
Emotional Anticipation of Events Colors Perception
83
Process
84
Isolate Events From Feelings
85
Prepare for Events Without Anticipating Them
86
Mindfulness Training
86
Morita
86
Chaper 6 We don't all learn the same way.
89
Principle
89
VII
Visual-Dominant Learners
90
Auditory-Dominant Learners
90
What Is Your Communication Style?
91
Kinesthetic-Dominant Learners
92
The Evolution of Learning Styles
92
Process
92
Use Your Preferred Style to Learn New Information
93
Try Using Other Learning Styles
93
VIII
Chapter 7 Our minds gather and retain information in a variety of ways.
99
Principle
99
The Emotional Mind
100
The Physical Mind
100
The Intuitive Mind
101
The Intelligence Myth
103
Gardner's Eight Intelligences
104
Process
106
Self-Actualization: Developing the Four Minds
107
Emotional Mind
108
Physical Mind
108
Intuitive Mind
108
Cross-Training Intelligence Preferences
109
The Multiple Intelligence Quiz
111
Linguistic
112
Logical-Mathematical
112
Visual-Spatial
113
Body-Kinesthetic
114
Musical
115
Interpersonal
115
Interpersonal
116
Naturalist
117
Chapter 8 Complex movement stimulates complex thinking.
123
Principle
123
Process
124
Chapter 9 Relaxation fosters control.
127
IX
Principle
127
Stress
129
The Only Time Is Now
130
Brain-Wave Patterns
130
Centering
133
Process
134
Centering
135
Breathing as a Centering Tool
136
Bring Your Mind, Body, and Feelings to the Same Moment in Time
137
Meditation
138
X
Moving Meditation
138
Become Aware of Your Brain-Wave Patterns
139
Chapter 10 Multiple answers always exist.
147
Principle
147
Flexible Thinking
149
The Western World View
150
The Eastern World View
151
Separating Thinking
154
Convergent Thinking
155
Process
156
Change Your Perspective
156
Create a Playful Atmosphere
158
Context Shifting
160
Possibility Thinking
162
Create a World View of Commonality
162
Allow for Contradictions
164
Chapter 11 Success is moderation in all things.
169
Principle
169
Cultural Pressures
170
Process
171
Know Your Priorities
172
Do Not Exchange One Obsession for Another
172
Balance in the Organization
174
Chapter 12 Cross-training is important to the new workplace.
179
Openness to Experience
180
Internal Locus of Evaluation
182
XI
The Ability to Toy With Elements or Concepts
182
Psychological Safety
183
Psychological Freedom
184
The Price of Change
184
Epilogue
185
Keep your creativity stimulated with additional reading.
189
Index
191
XII
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Preface
There is an optimist hidden in each and every one of us. We work hard expecting to provide a better
future, but few of us realize the potential that is inherent in us—the potential that does not depend on
our work, our families, or our hobbies. That potential can be found in our brains.
Our brains are what distinguishes us from the animals, and they are also what distinguishes our
"selves." Yet, our brains need training just like any other part of the body if they are to function at
maximum capacity. "Sure," you may say. "I went to school. I have a master's degree, and I continue to
keep abreast of current events—especially those that affect my job."
Although this is commendable, research has shown that there is more to brain development than just
receiving information. In order to grow, one must train the brain to work in new ways. This idea is the
heart of cross-training. We all have different interests and distinct patterns that we fall into in life. The
theory of cross-training encourages us to look closely at where those interests and patterns lie and
challenge them. If you love books, for example, set aside time to learn to work with your hands. If you
are a musician, play a word game such as Scrabble. In short, train your brain by participating in
activities that expand its power.
In the chapters that follow, I will walk you through a number of principles—truths about how our
brains and our lives function. You cannot train your brain using a distinct method until you understand
how it functions now. For each principle, I have included practical suggestions and exercises. These
are not all-encompassing, however. You can expand your brain power in millions of little ways, but
these exercises are designed to give you a practical head-start on cross-training.
I make the assumption that you are fairly well-entrenched in modern western culture. For example,
XIII
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most Americans today do not actually see themselves as creative. Developing creativity, then, has
become a major thrust of this book. I address creativity, however, not in the most common sense
applied to artists and musicians, but with the understanding that creativity plays a role in every part of
our lives. Problem solving, business negotiations, inventions, and human relationships all require a bit of
creativity to be handled most successfully. Ultimately, this book is designed to aid you in developing
success in those aspects of your life that you most value.
XIV
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Introduction
Get Ready, Get Set …
''One can never be content to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."
—Helen Keller
When our bodies are not properly attended to, we grow weak. We all recognize the value of training
our bodies through a variety of exercises—muscle building, endurance building, and coordination
enhancing. What many of us do not realize, however, is the need to train our minds in the same
manner.
Our brains are an important part of our bodies. In fact, many of us would say it is the most important.
The brain is what distinguishes human beings from other animals, and it is what makes us different from
other human beings. The human brain is an adaptive mechanism of enormous sophistication; it's the
most complex system currently known in the universe.
Traditionally, you might think of cross-training as becoming proficient in a related task or skill. This
type of
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