Relax – Clarify – Focus – Keep Learning

🧘RELAX

Our nervous system oscillates between relaxation and stress modes — or, more precisely, between sympathetic and parasympathetic arousal. It is not an on/off switch; it is more like a set of scales or sliders. The more stressed we are, the less relaxed we become, and vice versa. 

In stress mode, the lower parts of the brain take over, while the higher parts become less executive. The body, as a biological system, prepares for survival, priming itself for fight or flight. As a result, the more human functions of the brain are proportionally reduced, as they could interfere with survival.

In this state, capacities such as sensitivity to beauty, language, precise movement, abstract thinking, planning, execution, and consideration of others are impaired. Instead, functions that support survival become more pronounced.

If the lower brain determines, based on evolutionary inheritance and personal conditioning, that fighting is the appropriate response, we may be flooded with anger or hatred, which serve as fuel for action. If, on the other hand, the response favours flight in the face of threat, we may experience fear or similar emotions that support escape or withdrawal.

This worked well when, as a species, we lived in environments where threats could be resolved through fight or flight.

In modern life, however, most daily challenges — an angry email, bad news, inflation, interpersonal conflict, career or health concerns — cannot be resolved through aggression, hiding, or running away.

Solutions to these modern challenges lie in the higher parts of the brain, which are often not fully accessible under stress. Therefore, if we want access to the full capacity of our thinking system — brain, heart, and gut — we must first relax. And to value relaxation, we need to understand its importance.

Once we recognise that searching for solutions under stress is always impaired, we begin to see that access to our full thinking capacity requires a shift towards ease.

💡CLARIFY

Once access to the full range of our cognitive biology is preserved, we can begin to distinguish what is important from what is marginal, solutions from problems, and the impulse to fight ot to flee from

the search for optimal responses. Only then does clarification become possible and effective.

At this stage, we can prioritise, discover, and organise value systems that not only help us deal with the immediate but can also form the foundation for meaningful visions of our lives.

🔍FOCUS

To implement the solutions clarified in the previous step, and to follow our vision, we need focus.

Focus is the mental energy that allows us to remain in the zone long enough to make a difference. Whether completing tasks, closing deals, or doing what is required to follow a vision, focus is a key component.

Without it, distraction will prevent progress.

🎓KEEP LEARNING

The final component of success is never to stop learning.

Mistakes are inevitable; they are part of growth. We are born with natural curiosity and a willingness to experiment. Unfortunately, this trait is often diminished by the schooling system, where mistakes quickly become associated with punishment, poor marks, and shame.

If we make a mistake and learn from it, it ceases to be a mistake — it becomes part of growth.

If you want to be on the path to perfection, learn from your mistakes — then you will never stop growing.