Cognitive Flexibility

Have you ever looked at some overachievers and wondered how do they do it? Those people seem to thrive in multitasking, achieve every goal they set, and get more free time on top of that. What’s the secret?

Goal-getters have a unique mindset, made of industrious habits, positive mental attitude toward failures (or better yet unexpected results), and preparedness for the ever-changing world, particularly the world of business. Cognitive flexibility, a.k.a., cognitive shifting, is about brain’s ability to adapt to new and unforeseen turns of events.

Imagine driving a car and encountering an obstacle — a tree trunk. You can either push forward and try to run over it or perform an evading maneuver: circumvent it left or right, turn around, call the emergency service, or go afoot and move the trunk off the road. The very same concept can be applied to your thinking process, with the only difference that mental “tree trunks” are not so evident.

Why cognitive flexibility is crucial these days

Since people are accustomed to driving a car, they are relatively relaxed behind the wheel. They feel in charge and are ready for the challenges, like a road-blocking tree. In the world of business and marketing, though, things start to get rough, because unconventional situations are constant, being under the gun is a norm, and stress is an ever-stalking nemesis. This, in turn, tunnels the vision and limits the thinking patterns, handicapping creativity.

Lack of cognitive flexibility impacts negatively not only quick shifting between the tasks at hand, but basic concentration too. The ability to zoom in and zoom out can be illustrated with the following examples:

• A vertical within affiliate marketing (the industry)
• A member within a team
• A landing page in a sales funnel
• A Call-to-Action button for a landing page

Being able to keep in mind the whole picture, focus on smaller details, and shift seamlessly between tactical and strategic modes is a boon to every sphere of life, not only business. Whenever a key partner does not show up to a conference, Google starts to “dance”, or your favorite meal is out of stock — you should be able to think quickly and make a solution out of thin air. But how on earth can you do that?

How to melt rigidness in favor of cognitive flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is akin to a water flow — so soft, yet so unstoppable in its motion. It evades stone rocks fluidly, breaks into tiny springs, and forms relentless tides — a wide array of stratagems to put up with any challenge faced. On the other hand, mental rigidness resembles the water turned into an ice block, which is unable even to move, not to mention adapt to an ever-changing environment.

Of course, this rigidity is essential for protecting your core values and authority, but it must not be confused with blind stubbornness when you are right simply because you are the boss. So, how to develop this fluidity mindset, anyway?

First and foremost, practice makes perfect. No athlete becomes an Olympian by reading about athletics in blogs and being a couch potato in fact. Your mental flexibility can be treated as a muscle — if it hasn’t been trained for a while, it will hurt after the first training session. So start off small and add weight gradually. Get out of your comfort zone in trivial matters like dining out, transport logistics, and favorite funnels. Try a new dish out of a menu, go home using a road unknown, and try new settings for your campaigns — this way you will be prepared to face the changes when the necessity actually arises.

Second, you and your circle of interests are not the only sources of inspiration and knowledge, contrary to solipsism followers. Go wild and think about digital marketing through the lens of… biology? You know, male peacocks sell themselves to their female partners via dancing, which is a sort of marketing. Perhaps you can make use of their habits, behavior, and luxurious tails of extravaganza in your campaigns?

Third, put on the shoes of somebody else and walk a mile in’em — this way you’ll be a mile away and in their shoes. Jokes aside, think about the problem at hand through the eyes of somebody else. How would a CEO of the company tackle the issue, what about another media buyer, SEO specialist, green thumb gardener, or popular YouTube influencer?

Next, get provocative, or brainstorm everything. Deliberately, force yourself into looking for more solutions, beyond the one that might satisfy already. Don’t be afraid of surrealistic ideas and listen to nobody shaming your creativity for being ungrounded in facts. These bizarre ideas spur the imagination like nothing else and contribute towards the ultimate workable solution. Do you need an example? Well, they say that the customer is always right. Why don’t you try to say bluntly in a video ad that they are wrong? Just make sure not to leave the claim unwarranted, okay?

Then, if you feel like going down the rabbit hole with negative thoughts about yourself each time you are criticized — interrupt your mind flow and redirect it towards anything else. Scientifically, it can be labeled as catastrophizing. Suppose your boss is dissatisfied with a couple of points in your work. You may begin to think your whole performance is lackluster, which is why you start to expect to get fired. This stress causes anxiety, anger, lack of focus, and future uncertainty.

Stop these thoughts ASAP. It might be difficult initially, but over time you will learn how to detect this piece of garbage and take the trash out of your mind. Either counterbalance the negativity with actual deeds, merits, and facts or simply think elsewhere: get distracted, get lost, speaking of which…

Give up workaholism in favor of shifting between activities. Add some hobbies in your working schedule to propel your creativity to the moon. Your work is akin to wood chopping, but no saw withstands constant sawing. Your hobby is like a grinder that restores the saw of your mind to its razor-sharp condition.

Our subconsciousness continues to work even when we don’t actively think about the matter. Do you know that Albert Einstein himself used to take a break and play his beloved violin, before coming up with another mind-blowing theory?

Finally, when struggling to cope with criticism, look for alternative explanations, not only the direst ones. If there is a key partner who canceled a meeting with you, it does not necessarily mean your competitor has got the hands on him. Your partner might have fallen ill, got busy, or been struggling with hardships of another kind.

Conclusion

Cognitive flexibility is a life-saver. Thinking unconventionally is the only way to put up with the ever-changing life and its challenges. Being able to adapt is a part of our nature, and we should hone this skill by practicing it. Start with small steps but start today, think through the alternative perspectives, go an extra mile for more solutions, never fall under the influence of emotions, and make sure to take a break once in a while. Work does not have to be a torture, but you need a flexible mind to assure it’s pleasant, revitalizing, and meaningful.