Have you heard about Andre Kukla and his book “Mental traps”? This amazing book is popular in all world by advises how to improve life and what are our main mistakes.
“Stupid Things That Sane People Do To Mess Up Their Minds“
Let’s discover on next pages what are the mental traps our mind prepare for us!
Persistence
Have you catch yourself by continuation of the work on what has already lost its value? Of course, when you started, it was very important, but during fulfilment it became unneccessary – its significance and meaning disappeared before you finish it. A. Kukla gives a curious example: sitting down to play monopoly, we are interested, excited, but at times, long before the end, it all disappears and we finish the game by inertia. It does not bring neither pleasure nor profit, but a social reflex is triggered – “initiated stuff should be brought to completion”.
The problem is that society considers persistence as a virtue. From early childhood, parents require children to complete initiated businesses. Many business gurus and life-coaches say that the secret of success in the ability not to give up, to go against all the circumstances. Sometimes a person continues to do smth that already lost its value just a matter of pity for the spent time and the forces.
A.Kukla does not contradict to popular belief, claiming that persistence is bad. He simply asks to distinguish between persistence and perseverance – a skill that is undoubtedly necessary. Therefore, once again singing some song and during the day trying to remember the lyrics, throw away this useless activity.
Amplification
Amplification – a trap in which we find ourselves, when put to the goal of more effort than necessary, as if trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer. The discovering of this mental trap can not be called a credit to the author. Recall, the folk wisdom: “The best – the enemy of good.” Apply here Pareto principle that 20% of efforts provide 80% of the results, the remaining 20% ??of the results achieved by 80% of ongoing efforts. An example of amplification can be excessive preparation for uttering speech speaker when numerous rehearsals and exercises killed a genuine interest in the subject of speech in the author. Life example, describing the process of collection of luggage for the trip when “just in case” we pack a coat, despite the purpose of recreation – a journey through the jungle of New Guinea.
As is the case with the previous mental mistake, amplification is not always bad. It is important to be able to feel the line between value and expenditure resources on its achievement.
A. Kukla wrote: “The question is not whether we can achieve greater benefits if you work more, and is it possible to achieve greater benefits by applying the same energy to something else. “
Fixation
“When you commit, your progress to the goal is blocked. You can not continue the begun business, because you wait for a resolution by the phone call, shipments of raw materials and inspiration. Rather than turn to other matters, we remain in limbo until then until we can again continue to work on the same project. Simply put, we are waiting. “
Everyone faced a painful and sometimes oppressive expectation that robs our time. In the “mental traps” is a good example. You are waiting for the arrival of guests – you already cleaned house, prepared goodies and set up service, got yourself up. Prior to defined time stay half hour, but this time rarely spend productively. You start again to wipe the dishes or correct tablecloth. The same happens at work when a person can not solve the problem without the occurrence of certain events. In such cases, simply not to waste precious time, A. Kukla recommends a switch to other tasks, or at least not to overload yourself a futile exercise, saving power and energy in order to later fully focus on something really important.
Reversion
“Sometimes it becomes obvious that your plans have failed unequivocally. The game is over, we lost. The consequences of failure can be frightening, but there’s nothing you can do. We have exhausted our moves, and the time has gone. But if at this stage we continue to excite all the same problem, then we are trapped … reversion. Reversion – this is a temporary contrast to fixing. When you commit, you are working furiously to hasten the frozen future. When reversion we are trying to change irreversible past. ” 
You want to go to the movies or shopping with friends, but stuck in traffic / changed showtimes / closed favorite mall. You find how to spend time in another way, or go home. Willy-nilly, most people begin to regret that their plans did not materialize. Often it is disappointing and, despite the fact that nothing can change, people still continue to think about what has happened, to look for those responsible, to make alternative scenarios.
The past can not be changed. Out of this mental trap one, though not easy – to cease to think in terms of the subjunctive mood. No “if.” Otherwise, our life becomes a series of unrealized ideas and the resulting disappointment and regret.
Anticipation
“Anticipation – this is a trap in which we find ourselves by starting too early. Of course, if you start too late, the time for completion of the work may not be enough. But very early start, too, have its price. When we are ahead of the event, then very often we work overtime and work for nothing. ” This mental trap, like all previous ones, may be or may not be – it all depends on the situation. Its essence can be summarized as: to delay the case indefinitely wrong, but hurry to start is not good too.
For example, a copywriter, writing articles for travel agents and specialized sites, received an order for a series of articles about Sri Lanka. Specific topics the customer promises to send later but, following his experience and for not wanting to waste time, copywriter wrote a couple of drafts on the “standard” for the industry themes: the history, climate, attractions. Later, the travel agency sends a specific request with a request to gather in-depth material on several popular tourist destinations and individual locations. As a result of the done work copywriter loses its value because of the timing.
Benjamin Franklin said: “Do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” And it’s true, but only up to the moment until you feel constantly tired and did not have time to rest. You know, haste makes waste.
Still interested? Follow Part 2!
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