#90: Metacognition

A BRIEF MEDITATION

Consider this majestic mountain in Italy.

The peak of the mountain pierces the wispy puffs in the sky.

Depending on the moment, rain falls, snow blankets the slopes, sun bathes it in light. None of these events alter its essence.

Similarly, you are not your thoughts or emotions. You observe these scenic changes with a serene detachment, understanding they are temporary.

You remain whole, the enduring consciousness behind it all.

➜ Go to your dashboard*

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MANTRA BREAKDOWN

Metacognition — the awareness of one's thought processes — can be a transformative skill.

Understanding it can help you learn more deeply, make decisions faster, and expand your creativity as well as improve your overall sense of wellbeing.

Before you learn the techniques, the following mindset shift has to occur for metacognition to work:

Most people spend their entire lives thinking they are their minds, and their thoughts are their reality. This illusion makes them feel stuck in unhelpful mental patterns.

The truth is you are not your thoughts. Your thoughts are a creation of the mind, like ripples in a pond. The mind is an instrument you've (unknowingly) been training since you were born.

Realizing you are not the mind allows you to step back and change your thinking more effectively.

When we see thoughts as an expression of energy and thinking as a tool, we become empowered to use the mind as a tool instead of identifying with it.

In this new mindset, you can navigate your mind with flow and ease and increase your capacity to think bigger, greater, and deeper. Your potential grows exponentially.

QUOTES TO HELP YOU RETHINK YOUR MIND

• "The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently." – Pema Chödrön

• "He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened." – Lao Tzu

• "A thought is harmless unless we believe it. It's not our thoughts, but our attachment to our thoughts, that causes suffering." – Byron Katie

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READER Q&A SPOTLIGHT

Hey Momentum readers! We're thrilled to roll out a fresh, interactive section – Reader Q&A Spotlight, officially starting next week!

This is where we answer questions you have about mindset, productivity, and everything in between. Depending on the nature of your question, we may either answer it in this section or dedicate a whole newsletter issue to it.

HOW TO START

Hit reply on any newsletter with your question, or send an email to [email protected].

You can use your real first name, a pseudonym (fake name), or simply be anonymous. Even if we don't answer your question next week, it might be the highlight of a future issue!

MOMENTUM TIP OF THE WEEK

The more awareness we develop, the more we realize just how distracted we can be.

What can be problematic is if certain thoughts drive behaviors we don't want.

If you'd like to change your actions, here's a simple exercise to help you recognize & rewire your impulses:

1. Use a notepad or open up a Notes app, like the one on your Momentum Dashboard. It needs to be super accessible, or you're less likely to use it.

   Title it "Distractions –  03/XX/2024"
   

2. Every time you are disrupted from the present task, write down the distracting thought. Be brief, no more than a line long.

   
   (NOTE: If you still feel the urge to act on the impulse, go ahead. You're not asking yourself to change anything, just write it down.)
   

3. Continue this exercise for the rest of your working period. Don’t expect to be perfect. Becoming aware of your thoughts is like training a muscle!

4. Once you're done working, scan through your list. Do you notice any common triggers leading you to distraction-land? (E.g., physical discomfort, going on your phone, alerts from a group message thread, work notifications, etc.)
   

5. Take one common trigger (e.g. feeling physical discomfort from sitting down), recognize the usual behavior (getting up to go to the kitchen to grab a snack and scroll your phone), and explore an alternative action (stretch near your desk, and do 10 deep inhales).

IT’S ALL GOOD (NEWS)

Here are a few stories that may spark curiosity and wonder. ✨

• 🌿 Sustainability: Singapore to Build World’s Largest Facility to Boost Carbon-Removal Power of the Ocean

• 🐢 Biodiversity: Giant Tortoises in Madagascar Have Returned 600 Years After They Were Wiped Out

• ✌️ Humanity: EU Parliament, Council Agree to Ban Products Made With Forced Labour

• 🏠 Community: Portland County Transcends its Rehousing Goals With 65% Drop in Homelessness