Kyra Bobinet's Blog, page 2

KXEL Live & Local: Interview of Dr. Kyra Bobinet, Author of “Unstoppable Brain”

Dr. Kyra Bobinet, recently engaged in a thought-provoking conversation with Jeff Stein on the KXEL Live & Local radio show. In this insightful dialogue, Dr. Bobinet and Jeff delved into the intriguing realm of the human brain, focusing on the habenula and its profound impact on our daily lives.

Understanding the Habenula

Have you ever found yourself knowing what you should do but struggling to follow through? Jeff Stein shared a relatable experience from a recent doctor’s visit where he confessed to knowing the importance of exercise but found himself lacking motivation to physically follow through. Dr. Bobinet shed light on this common dilemma by introducing the habenula, a small yet significant area of the brain.

The habenula serves as both a failure alarm and a motivation kill switch. Dr. Bobinet explained that when we perceive failure, whether consciously or subconsciously, the habenula is triggered, dampening our motivation to persist in our efforts. This is the reason Jeff, and countless others, experience this Know-do-Gap.

The Havoc Wreaked by the Habenula

Dr. Bobinet emphasized that the influence of the habenula extends far beyond health and wellness, permeating virtually every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s fulfilling responsibilities at home, nurturing relationships, or pursuing personal goals, the habenula can cast a shadow of demotivation when we falter in our endeavors.

From Sports to Everyday Life

Surprisingly, the habenula even made its presence felt during the highly anticipated 2024 Super Bowl showdown between the Chiefs and the 49ers. Dr. Bobinet illustrated how shifts in momentum during the game mirrored the activation of the habenula. The key takeaway? Avoid dwelling on perceived failure or loss, as doing so risks triggering the habenula and sapping your motivation to pursue.

Unlocking Your Unstoppable Brain

Amidst discussions of the habenula’s influence, Dr. Bobinet offered a beacon of hope with her sophomore book, “Unstoppable Brain.” Set to launch this year, the book promises to unveil strategies for overcoming the grip of the habenula through iterative practices. By embracing a mindset of continuous adaptation and tweaking, individuals can effectively manage and even sidestep the detrimental effects of the habenula.

In conclusion, Dr. Kyra Bobinet’s exploration of the habenula on KXEL Live & Local provides valuable insights for navigating the complexities of human behavior. As we eagerly await the release of “Unstoppable Brain,” let us embark on a journey of self-discovery and resilience, armed with the knowledge to overcome our inner obstacles and unlock our full potential.

Listen to the full interview here.

Grow Yourself Podcast: How To Be Unstoppable

Dr. Kyra Bobinet recently joined Kevin McNulty as a guest on the enlightening Grow Yourself: Personal Development School of Growth podcast. In this discussion, Dr. Bobinet and Kevin delved into the fascinating realms of the Know-Do Gap and the habenula, uncovering profound insights into human behavior and motivation.

Why We Don’t Do The Things We Know We Should Do

We often intend on eating healthy, exercising more, taking more self-care days…you know the drill. But why don’t we follow through on doing the things we know that we should do? This happenstance is a common issue faced by all and it is called the Know-do Gap. This gap between intention and action is caused by a tiny and newly discovered area of the brain called the habenula.

The Habenula

At the heart of the Know-Do Gap lies the habenula, a tiny brain region with significant implications for our behavior and it has two jobs.

A Failure Alarm: The habenula acts as a failure alarm and we trigger it more often than we think. If we think we have failed at something, whether that be consciously or subconsciously, big or small, the habenula brain region will be triggered. This leads to the habenula’s second job.A Motivation Kill Switch: The habenula acts as a motivation kill switch. When the habenula detects any notion of failure, it will kill the switch to our motivation for anything that we are trying to do within that category.

Dr. Bobinet acknowledges that many of us bear “habenula scars,” the remnants of past failures that hinder our willingness to try again. However, armed with the latest scientific insights, she aims to liberate individuals from this debilitating cycle. By understanding the role of the habenula, we can begin to close the Know-do Gap and reclaim our power to enact meaningful change in our lives.

Is Your Habenula On?

Dr. Bobinet and Kevin explore the “brick walls” that we face in life. Do you feel like you can’t quite break out and claim your purpose? Do you feel like you keep trying and hitting brick walls over and over? Do you feel stuck? If this is the case, your habenula is most likely turned on and the way out is to disengage it.

Neutralizing Failure and Disengaging the HabenulaInstead of setting a goal that is hard and fixed, set a practice or experience: Instead of setting a goal of going to the gym five days a week for the rest of your life, try setting a practice like getting healthier or moving your body more. This is a much kinder and more realistic practice and it leaves room for iteration. Iterate : Iteration is a tinkering approach—a process of practicing, assessing, and refining your strategies repeatedly. Consider this scenario: you set a goal to exercise more and decide to join a gym. However, as time passes, you may find yourself losing motivation to attend regularly. Rather than persisting in a futile cycle of forcing yourself to go to the gym and experiencing repeated setbacks (thus triggering your habenula), embracing iteration offers a more effective path forward. Perhaps you could try going for an evening walk instead or exploring a cycling class. By continuously tweaking and adapting your approach, iteration emerges as the cornerstone of sustainable healthy habit formation and enduring behavior change.It’s Not One Size Fits All

Healthy habits are as unique as individuals themselves. What proves effective for one person may not yield the same results for another. This underscores the importance of iteration—an approach that Dr. Bobinet champions as inherently personalized for sustainable habit formation. An illustrative example from Dr. Bobinet’s experience highlights this principle vividly: a woman seeking to shed pounds struggled with a habitual consumption of Doritos. Through an iterative process tailored to her specific circumstances, she gradually reduced her intake, starting from one bag a day, then scaling down to five chips, eventually reaching the milestone of just one chip a day, and finally transitioning to simply licking one chip. This personalized journey led to a remarkable outcome: she successfully curbed her Dorito-eating habit and achieved weight loss. The key takeaway is clear: while individual paths may vary, embracing iteration consistently leads to enduring results. As Dr. Bobinet aptly asserts, “Iterators never fail.”

In essence, the journey to lasting change is one of iteration—a process of continuous learning, adaptation, and growth. Dr. Bobinet’s insightful conversation with Kevin McNulty serves as a powerful reminder that by understanding the inner workings of our brains, we can transcend the limitations of the Know-Do Gap and embark on a path of empowerment and transformation.

Listen to the full podcast here.

MegaMinds Podcast: A Scientist’s Secrets To Behavior Design (How to Create Good Habits to Thrive in Business & Life with Dr. Kyra Bobinet)

In her recent engaging interview on the MegaMinds—E-Commerce Growth & Personal Development Podcast with Evan Bryce, Dr. Kyra Bobinet delves into the secrets of maintaining effort across various aspects of our lives. As we embark on a new year filled with resolutions, Dr. Bobinet sheds light on the biggest myths in behavior change and introduces the Iterative Mindset Method to foster healthy, sustainable transformations.

Dispelling Myths in Behavior Change

Dr. Bobinet addresses the prevalent myths surrounding behavior change, emphasizing that the quest for the perfect app, program, diet, or workout partner is inherently flawed. These performative-based solutions activate the habenula brain region, a tiny yet powerful area responsible for detecting failure. This activation often leads to a loss of motivation, explaining the familiar cycle of abandoned resolutions by February.

The Safe Approach to Goal Achievement

To circumvent the pitfalls of firing the habenula, Dr. Bobinet advocates for an iterative approach. The Iterative Mindset Method encourages individuals to continuously evaluate and tweak their routines, ensuring that they remain aligned with their evolving needs and goals. This method promotes sustained effort by preventing the stagnation that often accompanies rigid plans.

Understanding the Know-Do Gap

In his podcast, Evan Bryce prompts Dr. Bobinet to unravel the mystery behind the “Know-do Gap,” where individuals struggle to translate knowledge into action. Dr. Bobinet attributes this secret, silent phenomenon to the habenula, which tends to activate in response to subconscious notions of failure. Recognizing the Know-do Gap and neutralizing the habenula’s influence involves strategic, inspiring self-talk and reframing language to inspire motivation. Dr. Bobinet shared the following self-talk strategy examples.

“Tomorrow is a new day.”“This has happened before. I can get through this.”“Maybe it isn’t so bad. There is some positivity in this situation.”Staying Afloat in the Information Overload

In today’s fast-paced world, staying informed is crucial, but the influx of information can be overwhelming. Evan Bryce underscores the importance of focusing on goals and priorities amidst the constant changes. “If you try to do everything, in effect you do nothing”, advising to concentrate on strengths, gradually expanding comfort zones while iterating along the way.

Iterative Resilience

Dr. Bobinet concludes by emphasizing that failure is an inevitable part of both professional and personal life. The key lies in learning from failures, identifying effective strategies, and iterating or tweaking approaches. This iterative resilience fosters sustainability in efforts, facilitates behavior change, and nurtures the formation of healthy habits.

In conclusion, Dr. Kyra Bobinet’s insights offer a refreshing perspective on navigating the complexities of behavior change and goal achievement. By dispelling myths, understanding the know-do gap, and embracing an iterative mindset, individuals can forge a path toward sustainable success. The full podcast provides a comprehensive exploration of these concepts, empowering readers to approach their resolutions with newfound clarity and resilience.

Listen to the full podcast here.

MegaMinds Podcast: A Neuroscientist’s Secrets To Behavior Design (How to Create Good Habits to Thrive in Business & Life with Dr. Kyra Bobinet)

In her recent engaging interview on the MegaMinds—E-Commerce Growth & Personal Development Podcast with Evan Bryce, Dr. Kyra Bobinet delves into the secrets of maintaining effort across various aspects of our lives. As we embark on a new year filled with resolutions, Dr. Bobinet sheds light on the biggest myths in behavior change and introduces the Iterative Mindset Method to foster healthy, sustainable transformations.

Dispelling Myths in Behavior Change

Dr. Bobinet addresses the prevalent myths surrounding behavior change, emphasizing that the quest for the perfect app, program, diet, or workout partner is inherently flawed. These performative-based solutions activate the habenula brain region, a tiny yet powerful area responsible for detecting failure. This activation often leads to a loss of motivation, explaining the familiar cycle of abandoned resolutions by February.

The Safe Approach to Goal Achievement

To circumvent the pitfalls of firing the habenula, Dr. Bobinet advocates for an iterative approach. The Iterative Mindset Method encourages individuals to continuously evaluate and tweak their routines, ensuring that they remain aligned with their evolving needs and goals. This method promotes sustained effort by preventing the stagnation that often accompanies rigid plans.

Understanding the Know-Do Gap

In his podcast, Evan Bryce prompts Dr. Bobinet to unravel the mystery behind the “Know-do Gap,” where individuals struggle to translate knowledge into action. Dr. Bobinet attributes this secret, silent phenomenon to the habenula, which tends to activate in response to subconscious notions of failure. Recognizing the Know-do Gap and neutralizing the habenula’s influence involves strategic, inspiring self-talk and reframing language to inspire motivation. Dr. Bobinet shared the following self-talk strategy examples.

“Tomorrow is a new day.”“This has happened before. I can get through this.”“Maybe it isn’t so bad. There is some positivity in this situation.”Staying Afloat in the Information Overload

In today’s fast-paced world, staying informed is crucial, but the influx of information can be overwhelming. Evan Bryce underscores the importance of focusing on goals and priorities amidst the constant changes. “If you try to do everything, in effect you do nothing”, advising to concentrate on strengths, gradually expanding comfort zones while iterating along the way.

Iterative Resilience

Dr. Bobinet concludes by emphasizing that failure is an inevitable part of both professional and personal life. The key lies in learning from failures, identifying effective strategies, and iterating or tweaking approaches. This iterative resilience fosters sustainability in efforts, facilitates behavior change, and nurtures the formation of healthy habits.

In conclusion, Dr. Kyra Bobinet’s insights offer a refreshing perspective on navigating the complexities of behavior change and goal achievement. By dispelling myths, understanding the know-do gap, and embracing an iterative mindset, individuals can forge a path toward sustainable success. The full podcast provides a comprehensive exploration of these concepts, empowering readers to approach their resolutions with newfound clarity and resilience.

Listen to the full podcast here.

Forbes: Top Two Brain Tips to Convert Failure and Shame Into Success

In a recent thought-provoking Forbes article, Dr. Kyra Bobinet delves into the intricate workings of the human brain, unraveling the often misunderstood dynamics of failure and shame. With a wealth of expertise in neuroscience and a deep commitment to empowering individuals in their pursuit of well-being, Dr. Bobinet shares two transformative brain tips that go beyond conventional wisdom. These insights not only shed light on the neurological underpinnings of failure but also provide actionable strategies to leverage setbacks as catalysts for empowerment and enhanced success.

Tip 1: Talk Yourself Out of the Story

Dr. Bobinet shares a story of a friend trapped in a toxic work environment. Despite moving on to a healthier workplace, lingering feelings of failure and shame persisted. Exploring the brain’s failure detector, the habenula, she reveals that success in a new environment doesn’t automatically switch off the habenula activated by past failure.

Brain Tip: Reframe the Narrative

To overcome this challenge, individuals must deliberately reframe their lingering feelings of failure. By changing the story surrounding past experiences, one can deactivate the habenula and shift into a high-success mode. This intentional reframing empowers individuals to fully apply themselves in new roles, unburdened by the motivational drain caused by the activated habenula.

Tip 2: Let It Go

Dr. Bobinet narrates a personal incident involving her daughter who was actively pursuing a law degree. Despite putting immense effort into a brief, Dr. Bobinet’s daughter felt a profound sense of failure and shame. Recognizing the need for a different approach, Dr. Bobinet introduces the second brain tip.

Brain Tip: Authentically Release

Rather than getting entangled in overthinking or exhaustive self-talk, sometimes the most effective strategy is to let it go authentically. In her daughter’s case, a genuine release of tension, symbolized by shaking out her body, allowed her to shed the fabricated anxiety. This authentic release freed her mind, enabling her to refocus on something better. In doing so, her daughter not only discovered newfound confidence but also achieved the highest GPA of her student life.

Mastering Life’s Inevitable Challenges

Dr. Kyra Bobinet emphasizes the importance of not letting failure and shame fester. The habenula brain region, acting as a powerful failure detector, can sap motivation and empowerment if left unchecked. By either reframing the narrative or authentically letting go, individuals can neutralize failure and shame, inspiring a life driven by motivation and empowerment.

Harvesting Lessons for Increased Success

Dr. Bobinet encourages everyone to harness the lessons embedded in failure and shame. By adopting these brain tips, individuals can build mastery over life’s inevitable setbacks. Instead of viewing failure as a roadblock, they can transform it into a stepping stone toward increased success and fulfillment. The key lies in understanding and working with the brain’s mechanisms to neutralize the impact of failure, ultimately inspiring a life of empowerment and motivation.

Read the full article here.

Forbes: Two Brain Tips to Convert Failure and Shame Into Success

In a recent thought-provoking Forbes article, Dr. Kyra Bobinet delves into the intricate workings of the human brain, unraveling the often misunderstood dynamics of failure and shame. With a wealth of expertise in neuroscience and a deep commitment to empowering individuals in their pursuit of well-being, Dr. Bobinet shares two transformative brain tips that go beyond conventional wisdom. These insights not only shed light on the neurological underpinnings of failure but also provide actionable strategies to leverage setbacks as catalysts for empowerment and enhanced success.

Tip 1: Talk Yourself Out of the Story

Dr. Bobinet shares a story of a friend trapped in a toxic work environment. Despite moving on to a healthier workplace, lingering feelings of failure and shame persisted. Exploring the brain’s failure detector, the habenula, she reveals that success in a new environment doesn’t automatically switch off the habenula activated by past failure.

Brain Tip: Reframe the Narrative

To overcome this challenge, individuals must deliberately reframe their lingering feelings of failure. By changing the story surrounding past experiences, one can deactivate the habenula and shift into a high-success mode. This intentional reframing empowers individuals to fully apply themselves in new roles, unburdened by the motivational drain caused by the activated habenula.

Tip 2: Let It Go

Dr. Bobinet narrates a personal incident involving her daughter who was actively pursuing a law degree. Despite putting immense effort into a brief, Dr. Bobinet’s daughter felt a profound sense of failure and shame. Recognizing the need for a different approach, Dr. Bobinet introduces the second brain tip.

Brain Tip: Authentically Release

Rather than getting entangled in overthinking or exhaustive self-talk, sometimes the most effective strategy is to let it go authentically. In her daughter’s case, a genuine release of tension, symbolized by shaking out her body, allowed her to shed the fabricated anxiety. This authentic release freed her mind, enabling her to refocus on something better. In doing so, her daughter not only discovered newfound confidence but also achieved the highest GPA of her student life.

Mastering Life’s Inevitable Challenges

Dr. Kyra Bobinet emphasizes the importance of not letting failure and shame fester. The habenula brain region, acting as a powerful failure detector, can sap motivation and empowerment if left unchecked. By either reframing the narrative or authentically letting go, individuals can neutralize failure and shame, inspiring a life driven by motivation and empowerment.

Harvesting Lessons for Increased Success

Dr. Bobinet encourages everyone to harness the lessons embedded in failure and shame. By adopting these brain tips, individuals can build mastery over life’s inevitable setbacks. Instead of viewing failure as a roadblock, they can transform it into a stepping stone toward increased success and fulfillment. The key lies in understanding and working with the brain’s mechanisms to neutralize the impact of failure, ultimately inspiring a life of empowerment and motivation.

Read the full article here.

Forbes: Tinker, Adapt—The Secret To Being Unstoppable

In her insightful Forbes article, Dr. Kyra Bobinet unravels the mystery behind why some individuals effortlessly take charge of their lives and achieve lasting change while others grapple with constant setbacks. Drawing from her extensive research and experiences, she unveils the transformative power of iteration—a little-known wisdom that can guide anyone toward becoming unstoppable in their pursuit of health and well-being.

Seeking the Secret Sauce: Long-Term Health Improvements

A decade ago, Dr. Bobinet conducted research on frontline workers for a Fortune 5 retailer who had achieved remarkable long-term weight loss and health improvements. Intrigued by their success, she set out to uncover the secrets that set them apart from the majority struggling with health goals and facing high relapse rates in conventional weight loss programs.

The Unexpected Champions: Everyday Iterators

Contrary to popular belief, the champions of healthy change were not the hyper-quantifiers obsessed with tracking every detail of their lives. Instead, they were everyday men and women who embraced iteration—the art of adjusting and tweaking their healthy habits. Whether it was adding spices to their food, using smaller plates, or incrementally increasing daily walking minutes, they creatively modified every aspect of their behaviors until they seamlessly fit into their lifestyles.

The Know-Do Gap: A Wake-Up Call

Dr. Bobinet, as a clinician and scientist, had explored various approaches to help people achieve their health and weight goals. Yet, time and again, she observed a common pattern of initial success followed by relapse into old habits. The “know-do gap,” the psychological struggle of knowing what to do but not acting on it, became a significant roadblock. Participants, like Lisa, expressed frustration, saying, “I know what I should do—I just don’t know why I don’t do it.”

Unveiling the Power of Iteration

The groundbreaking discovery in her research was the role of iteration in overcoming the know-do gap. The frontline workers embraced a “let’s see if this works” mindset, treating the practice of new habits as one would a sport or learning a musical instrument. Crucially, they didn’t view setbacks as failures; instead, they smoothly pivoted to alternative approaches, continuously iterating to find what worked best for them.

The Habenula and Motivation Kill Switch

Dr. Bobinet introduces the concept of the habenula, the brain’s failure detector and motivation kill switch. Traditional approaches triggered the habenula, leading to motivation loss, relapse, and reversal of healthy changes. However, the iterator group of frontline workers, by embracing iteration, sidestepped failure, leaving their habenula dormant, and became unstoppable in their pursuit of lasting change.

Embracing Your Unstoppable Self

In conclusion, Dr. Kyra Bobinet encourages everyone to adopt the powerful strategy of iteration. By viewing health habits as an ongoing experiment, tinkering, tweaking, and adapting, individuals can overcome setbacks, avoid triggering the habenula, and become unstoppable in their journey toward health and well-being. The secret lies in the continuous pursuit of what works best for you, creating a personalized and sustainable path to lasting change.

Read the full article here.

Only Ever Two Choices: Iterate or Fail

At exactly this time last year, I found my new, new thing—gut cleanses! For three whole weeks, I drank the chemically, chocolate paste-like protein shakes. I took two rounds of the horse pill-sized supplements and probiotics daily. I ate from a highly restricted list of anti-inflammatory foods devoid of sugar, simple carbs, soy, corn—even alcohol! And I was totally into it! I mean, how did I not know about this absolute miracle of healthy behavior?! I immediately roped my husband into doing it with me at the beginning of every quarter—21 days of detox from inflammation.

But it was pricey—and I didn’t want to pay for the brand name when I could assemble a similar regimen out of the Whole Foods supplements aisle. So, I iterated—which in the design world means to tweak your approach through versioning. Instead of ordering a 21-day program of shakes and supplements for $500, I bought a $60 jug of protein shake mix, $50 of probiotics, and $70 of supplements. Total savings = $320. Yea, me! With my version 1.0 in place, I pushed through the next 21 days, my motivation doing a fist pump the whole time. Sure, I had to say no to everything at social events, bring my own food on airplanes, go without caffeine in the mornings—but I was clean and proud.

Then, the cheating started.

At first, I would look the other way if the chicken I had ordered was cooked in a little tomato sauce (not a clean food). Then, if I didn’t have access to clean foods I would eat one “dirty” food just to have something to eat so I wouldn’t panic from deprivation. I finished that 21-day cleanse. The next one rolled around. By that time, I could no longer choke down the chocolate shakes without making a face, forgot to take my supplements every other day, and developed disinterest in the foods I could eat. Fortunately, I knew these signs—my cleanse design was not working anymore. I needed to iterate!

I have tracked and researched human behavior change for decades. As a medical student, I started a program for repeat, violent youth offenders that reduced recidivism from 87% to 25%. As a healthcare executive, I designed interventions that showed statistically significant reductions in health risks and improved outcomes. As a CEO/founder of a behavior neuroscience design firm, I have researched thousands of behavior patterns between people who get worse and fail versus those who get better and succeed. And here’s the pith: there are only two outcomes—iteration or failure. Iteration is the anti-failure—it’s the MacGyver factor of experimenting, reconfiguring, and tweaking your way out of any mess. Failure is the exact opposite—it’s giving up and settling for your busted version 1.0—and then blaming yourself for being a bad designer.

In Silicon Valley where I teach, there is a fail fast mentality in the tech industry. This mantra serves as a sort of failure vaccine for designers and engineers who went to Stanford, MIT, or other schools who only accept high-performing, failure-free kids. Normalizing failure allows them to move right into iteration without getting hung up on the emotional self-flogging they would otherwise indulge. In fact, there is a part of the brain, the habenula, responsible for counting failure. And if the habenula registers a failure, it shuts down motivation to try again. Failing fast and iterating frees technology professionals to side-step the habenula so they can keep going.

Legendary designer Steve Jobs was recently characterized as a master “tweaker”—suggesting that his real standout talent was that of iteration, even more so than design. Not only is this evident in the products that he oversaw in making Apple the most successful company in human history, but he applied iteration to his own career whenever he was fired or by creating a new company like Pixar. Steve Jobs, like most famous people, failed numerous times. And it was not that he got back up and kept trying the same thing over and over, expecting different results. It was that he iterated over and over—tweaking his approach each time as he versioned on the solution.

We see evidence of the power of iteration everywhere we look. Jack Ma, the richest man in China, was rejected from 30 jobs, including KFC. Oprah was told she was not right for television. Stephen Curry moved his pivot from his weak ankles to his hips and became the best player in the NBA. Trump unsuccessfully ran for president but now has a highly iterative campaign that is mutating so fast he is, so far, not facing the criticism against him. Taylor Swift started out as a country singer and has iterated her way to winning a Grammy for Pop Album of the Year.

For us not-so-famous folks, iteration holds just as much promise for our success. In my research, patients who control their diabetes always use iteration. As do caregivers of seniors who have higher quality of life. As do spouses of people who recover more quickly from surgery or hospitalization. Mothers who iterate have healthier, happier children. Professionals who iterate have more fulfilling careers.

And me… well, I iterated on my gut cleanse and keep going, with my current version 2.0 being to cleanse the first week of each month.

Forbes: Why Overperforming Creates Burnout And Bad Behavior

In a recent Forbes article, Dr. Kyra Bobinet dives into the dark side of performance-based cultures, shedding light on the destructive consequences of overemphasizing success metrics. Drawing from real-life examples and the latest brain science research, she challenges the prevalent notion that success is solely defined by meeting rigid performance goals.

The Dark Side of Performance Metrics

Dr. Bobinet shares a story from a former executive at a well-known social media company, revealing how a product team prioritized year-end bonuses over ethical concerns. The pressure to boost advertising revenue led to a risky campaign targeting a larger user audience, potentially including underage individuals. Another scenario involves a doctor pressured to run unnecessary tests to meet a hospital’s financial goals, resulting in burnout and a sense of failure.

Beyond Winning: The Pitfalls of Performance-Based Culture

The article highlights society’s obsession with performance-based everything, from work to health and even relationships. Driven by goals, results, and profits, this culture can lead to lying, cheating, or burnout. Burnout, as Dr. Bobinet explains, isn’t just about fatigue but stems from the habenula brain region’s role in our sense of failure.

The Role of the Habenula: A Newly Discovered Brain Area

The habenula is a recently discovered brain area, Dr. Bobinet explains, that functions as a failure alarm and a motivation kill switch. In environments where individuals are pressured to prioritize goals, the brain inevitably experiences failure, leading to a loss of motivation. This phenomenon can manifest in burnout or unethical behaviors, as exemplified by the Wells Fargo scandal.

The Inherent Flaws of Rigid Performance Goals

Dr. Bobinet challenges the traditional notion of performance goals, arguing that they narrow the definition of success to a single outcome. In a world where life is unpredictable, rigid performance goals set the stage for failure, which, in turn, drives burnout. The article cites Wells Fargo’s scandals as a prominent example of how top-down pressure for performance goals can lead to unethical practices.

Flipping the Script: A Blended Approach

As a CEO, Dr. Bobinet acknowledges the role of performance goals but advocates for a blended approach that neutralizes the inherent failure in innovative work. Instead of relying solely on performance-based metrics, she emphasizes giving individuals control and providence over their work as a means to increase or retrieve motivation. This approach, backed by research studies on burnout, offers a more sustainable solution to the challenges posed by rigid performance goals.

In conclusion, Dr. Kyra Bobinet’s article challenges leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and coaches to reconsider the impact of unreasonable performance goals on individuals. By understanding the role of the habenula and acknowledging the limitations of a solely performance-driven culture, organizations can pave the way for a more sustainable and fulfilling work environment.

Read the full article here.

Forbes: The Most Powerful Behavior Controller In Your Brain (That You’ve Never Heard Of)

In a recent Forbes article, Dr. Kyra Bobinet explores a tiny yet powerful region of the brain that wields control over our behavior, emotions, and even our ability to enact positive change in our lives. Meet the habenula – a pea-sized area located just in front of the pineal gland, often overlooked but holding significant sway over our well-being.

The Habenula: A Neuroscience Game-Changer

The habenula, Dr. Bobinet explains, serves as the brain’s failure detector. Its primary role is to protect us from harm by discouraging repeat engagement in potentially dangerous activities. For instance, if we touch a hot stove, the habenula activates to prevent us from making the same mistake again. This protective mechanism extends to various aspects of our lives, acting as a regulator for sleep, hunger, and motivation.

The Motivation “Kill Switch”

One of the most intriguing aspects of the habenula is its role as a motivation “kill switch.” Dr. Bobinet explains that whenever we perceive failure, even at a subconscious level, the habenula dampens our motivation to try again. This phenomenon, known as the know-do gap, presents a significant challenge for individuals and clinicians attempting to change health behaviors. Understanding this mechanism sheds light on why people struggle to implement what they know they should do.

Breaking the Know-Do Gap

Dr. Bobinet draws from her own experiences as a clinician, recounting instances where patients acknowledged what they should do but struggled to translate that knowledge into action. This pattern, she reveals, triggers a habenula-mediated motivation loss, leading to feelings of shame and self-blame. The key, she explains, is to neutralize perceived failure and recognize that it’s not an individual’s fault but rather the brain’s protective mechanism at play.

Overcoming the Obstacle: Gas Pedal vs. Brake Pedal

Drawing an analogy between the brain and a car, Dr. Bobinet likens motivation to the gas pedal and the habenula to the brake pedal. No matter how hard one presses on the gas (motivation), progress is hindered if the brake (habenula) is engaged. Traditional health improvement programs often focus on boosting motivation without addressing the habenula, resulting in limited success.

The Missing Link in Health Improvement

In the era of patient education and health literacy, Dr. Bobinet identifies the habenula as the missing link – the hidden operator preventing individuals from achieving their health and wellness goals. Acknowledging the presence of this “brake pedal” offers new hope for effective outcomes. By understanding the role of the habenula, we can creatively devise strategies to neutralize failure, recognizing it as a crucial component for achieving and sustaining lasting change.

In conclusion, Dr. Kyra Bobinet’s insights into the habenula open new avenues for understanding and overcoming the challenges of behavior change. By recognizing the brain’s protective mechanisms and addressing the habenula’s role in the know-do gap, individuals and clinicians alike can pave the way for more effective and sustainable healthy transformations.

Read the full article here.