#13. "The Neuroplasticity Cocktail." Accelerate Learning Through Errors.

Hi,

I'm happy you want to invest in your brain. That's a smart choice. As always, I've got 4 Brain Nutrients for you:

• One Short Article: "The Neuroplasticity Cocktail". Accelerate Learning Through Errors.

• Two Quotes.

• One Neuroscience Fact: Foods For Your Brain.

Enjoy!

One Short Article: Accelerate Learning Through Errors

I'll give the perfect formula for high-speed learning. It's designed for learning motor skills, including dancing, drawing, or playing an instrument. But it boosts comprehension as well.

There are two common misconceptions about the human brain:

• your brain can't change when you're older,

• any experience changes your brain.

They're the opposite statements, but both are false. Your brain changes at any age. But to change, your brain needs three chemicals:

• epinephrine - for alertness,

• acetylcholine - for focus,

• dopamine - for energy and motivation.

Let's call the three chemicals "The Neuroplasticity Cocktail."

I broke down how epinephrine and acetylcholine change your brain. In short, epinephrine wakes up and activates your whole brain. Acetylcholine detects the particular area of your brain that needs altering. With both of them, you trigger plasticity. And the physical change in your brain happens during sleep.

We also need dopamine to push us forward. Without it, we lack energy during practice and motivation to practice again.

What happens in your brain when you make errors?

Every error is a mismatch between the expected and the actual results. When you fail, your brain notices that something is wrong. Thus something needs to change. And to change, you need epinephrine and acetylcholine. Luckily, your brain knows it and releases both chemicals.

Having them in your brain puts you in a plasticity state. Then and only then does your brain change unless you're younger than 25. When we're kids, plasticity is our default state. But for adults, it is intentional and precious time.

A piano example.

Imagine you're learning how to play piano. As a beginner, you'll fail all the time. And it'll frustrate you. You have two options:

Option #1: Quit.Option #2: Keep learning.

Sadly, most people choose the first option because failing is unpleasant. They don't want to go through the discomfort of making errors, so they quit. No one wants to suck at anything.

Although we know mastery requires failing, we seldom see others fail. When we see great performers, we don't see the thousands of errors they have made.

In The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F.ck, Mark Manson sums it up perfectly:

"If someone is better than you at something, then it's likely because she has failed at it more than you have. (...) We can be truly successful only at something we're willing to fail at. If we're unwilling to fail, then we're unwilling to succeed."

Let's finally talk about dopamine.

Again, we need it for energy and motivation. Dopamine comes from positive emotions. When you feel good, you get dopamine as a reward. But emotions are subjective. So the trick is to stay positive despite the frustration.

How to think positively about an unpleasant experience?

It is hard. But if you stay mindful, you can achieve that. After practice, find a couple of reasons why it was good.

"I still suck, but less than 30 minutes ago.""I just played XYZ for the first time."

Think about your dream outcome. Why are you doing this?

And remember. Frustration opens up accelerated learning. Because you fail, you change faster. I gave you scientific proof of that.

Learn to enjoy the discomfort of failing. It differentiates the highest achievers from the rest.

To learn more about error and movement, check out this Huberman Lab Podcast Episode.

Two Quotes

• "Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want." Naval Ravikant, The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant

• "Rely on your own strength instead of somebody else's compassion." Gary C. Halbert, The Boron Letters

One Neuroscience Fact: Brain Foods.

Want a "Genius Brain?" Add these foods to your daily diet.

🥚 Eggs💧 Water🌰 Walnuts🥦 Broccoli🥑 Avocados🫐 Blueberries🥬 Green Leafy Vegetables🐟 Salmon, Sardines, Caviar🍫 Dark Chocolate (the "darker" the better)

Thanks for reading. See you next week.

Keep your brain in mind.

Kris

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