Your brain rolls its eyes at you

Ever catch yourself mentally spiraling?

"What if this doesn't work?" Then another bad one follows. Then another. Before you know it you're in a full-on meltdown.

Here's the thing that actually helped me climb out. It sounds too simple to work. But it does.

You ever see a kid stub their toe and then just ... start laughing? That goofy ear-to-ear grin takes over. The pain turns into giggles. It's wild to watch.

That's the key right there.

You can't ask yourself "What if this turns out better than I imagined?" from a crappy mood. Try it right now from a bad state. Your brain literally rolls its eyes at you.

So here's what I do instead. I slap a big dumb grin on my face. The kind that hurts the corners of your mouth a little. I hold it for 10 seconds.

Then I ask the question.

"What if it turns out better than I ever imagined?"

Feels totally different right? Your brain actually plays along this time. It starts showing you good stuff.

Your state has to match the question. That's the whole game.

I have a daily phone alarm set for this. It's literally labeled "goofy grin." I don't miss a day.

Try it today. It costs you nothing. It might change everything.

More soon,

Jason Lew