Kwik Challenge – Boost Your Focus

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Learn to juggle!

• It’s simple—each day, try moving every 30 minutes throughout your day.
• A great way to do this is through juggling—Jim will teach you how to do this today.

EPISODES MENTIONED

• Episode 65: Movements that Boost Brain Performance with Aaron Alexander
• Episode 82: Workouts that Boost Your Brain Power with Shawn Stevenson

BUILDING A MOVEMENT HABIT

• Sitting is the new smoking: you have a brain to control your movement.
• As you move you stimulate brain-derived neurotrophic factors which are like fertilizer for your brain and helps build new connections.
• Time management: your focus starts to wane after about 25 minutes.
• Move every 30 minutes: taking a walking break is a good idea, or you can learn to juggle.
• You can find out more about the Kwik Reading program here.
• Consistency compounds: the little things add up over time.
• Confidence-competence loop—as you increase your confidence and competence, these things reinforce each other and you will want to do the activity more.
• How you do anything is how you do everything—you’re not just practicing juggling for the sake of it, you’re practicing how you will do everything else in your life.

LEARN HOW TO JUGGLE

• Oxford study: jugglers have bigger brains, they create more white matter.
• Start with one ball.
• Do this over a bed or a couch so the ball won’t roll away from you.
• You can use a ball that won’t roll: try a rolled-up sock.
• If you drop it, it’s okay—remember there is no failure, only feedback.
• You’re not making mistakes, the only people who make mistakes are people who try.
• Failure is part of the success.
• Try dropping it right away to get used to it.
• Start by practicing tossing the ball from one hand to the other.
• Remember to keep breathing throughout this process—don’t hold your breath.
• Create an arc going to the top of your head.

ADD A SECOND BALL

• Don’t want to toss the balls at the same time or they will collide.
• Imagine two peaks (or two triangles) on opposite sides.
• Toss one ball to the highest peak, and when it reaches that peak toss the other ball into the air.
• When you feel comfortable with this step, add another ball—start with two in your dominant hand.
• Soften your gaze to take in all the balls at once. This is a helpful exercise to become a faster reader by building your peripheral vision and to relax your eyes after looking at a screen.
• Use one ball for a week or two, then add in the extra balls when you’re comfortable.

SHARE WITH US!

Get a friend to take a photo of your juggling practice, or take a screenshot of this episode, and post it to social media to share your progress with us!Use the hashtag #kwikchallenge and tag us on social media: @jimkwik | @kwikbrain

GO FURTHER

• Keep trying this challenge each day—it will train your ability to create new habits.
• This is essential to building a different life—first your create your habits and then your habits create you.
• If you’re able to create one new habit, what else will you be able to do? Possibilities will open up because you’ll be in the habit of creating empowering habits.
• Remember: the treasure you seek is found in the task you’re avoiding.
• Big change come from little changes: consistency compounds—it might feel like a gradual shift, but you’ll soon find yourself in a different destination (we call it a destiny).
• Don’t forget to go to kwikchallenge.com and join us!