Peak Mind

• Insight: Uncertainty itself can increase cognitive load and deplete attention.

• Insight: The human brain can use imagination and mind wandering to predict what might be given up by making a decision (opportunity costs).

"To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."

- Sun Tzu

Principle: Don't waste your energy at trying to get better at fighting the pull for attention, instead cultivate the skill of putting you mind in a place where you don't have to fight.

Insight: We cannot win the fight against things designed to grab attention.

Insight: Sun Tzu advises us to look for opportunities to apply the minimum amount of force that results in the maximum impact.

• Insight: When stress is low we often have nothing driving us - no immediate deadlines for example.
• Insight: When stress rises we often rise to the challenge.
• Insight: Positive stress is called "eustress" - it can help us focus.
• Insight: Continuous stress can turn eustress into distress.
• Insight: The longer we are in stressful conditions we start to experience negative effects including declining focus.