the gym, pay attention to my diet, own expensive workout equipment, follow good exercise routines, and take food supplements. I have really made fitness a part of my way of life. Why? It provides a good balance. I start the day off right with a good workout and a healthy breakfast, both which cause the “I feel really good” neurotransmitters—like endorphin, dopamine, and serotonin—to get released into the body. It also results in a good physique—a nice side effect.
The killer: you can do exactly the same thing with your brain! Proof? The ability to orient oneself is located in the prefrontal cortex, which covers the frontal lobe of the brain. London taxi drivers have to deal with a super complex road network. Scientists have found that parts of their prefrontal cortex are much larger than those of other people. The continuous engagement with their work has led to actual brain growth—just like physical exercise leads to muscle development! It’s like a ripped six-pack stomach, but in the head! The ability for the brain to change is called neuroplasticity. So, can we apply the lessons of the gym to developing our thinking, learning processes, and our continuing education? Can we consciously train our brains, especially the part responsible for creativity? Yes!
No Pain, No Gain!
Here’s a mental equivalent of the bench press: try to write down three to ten ideas. The first few come easily, of course, but just like in training, the growth, the stimulus, the muscle building comes later, in the last repetitions. So, go where it hurts, where you think you can’t push on, to the place where there seem to be no more ideas, no strength. Go beyond your boundaries, and you will grow!
By the way, all the other concepts from the gym can also be transferred to training the creative brain. Find a training partner who believes in you and can motivate you! Sports also teach you how to lose, emphasizing that a loss is simply feedback—it is not the end. The pain passes, the muscle heals—in the biceps, sure, but also in business and in life. Train regularly, note your progress, make a plan, eat well, don’t skip training, educate yourself, read literature, and take breaks to recuperate. Never stop, be patient! Results don’t happen overnight. When you try to integrate a whole new dimension into your life, you will only see the results in years, not days. Enjoy the journey, and don’t fixate on your eventual arrival! Expose yourself to ideas, generate new ideas, and talk about ideas. Read, write, listen, and look. Keep going until it hurts and you’ll eventually become really fit. No pain, no gain!
In the best teams, the members can get really loud with each other, not out of disrespect, but because each member is really prepared to defend their own opinions. “Yes-men” and pleasers can be quiet and uncomplicated, but they don’t bring added value to the journey on the way to the best possible result. Our team gets rowdy again and again. Differences of opinion are quite normal, and every idea is immediately thought about, attacked, turned inside out, tested, and provocatively countered. Truly good ideas arise when the current status is challenged, when someone wants more, everyone critically questions your thoughts, and not everyone is satisfied with seemingly acceptable compromises. Always surround yourself with strong personalities and construct a team with a variety of skills and outlooks!
The Typical Candidates for All-Star Teams
The Trend Scout
They travel a lot, browse, read everything they can get their hands on, talk to everyone, know everyone, have a good eye for things that work or they sense could soon work. An analytical hipster, a lateral thinker, not conventional but emotionally intelligent. A people connector with a black belt in small talk kung fu. They have lived abroad and sense the flow of trends. They’re the first to spot the “next big thing,” and they need a team to bring this observation to life. They say things like, “Infinitely scalable!”
The Creative
Horn-rimmed glasses, ultra-intelligent, draw freehand photo-realistic portraits, and understand art better than anyone else. Eloquent, a rhetorical sniper with an impressive specialist vocabulary from all sectors. They use artistic impressions from all over the world—which they’ve absorbed from museums, books, blogs, and studios—and mobilize them with perfection to create the face of a new idea. It’s never only about what this face should look like, but—above all—it’s about the “Why?” They do sharp-edged positioning and add almost imperceptible nuances which clearly set the product apart from anything familiar. They’re freethinking artwork ninjas and can create gripping portraits from what previously were only ideas. They say things like, “Nice font!”
The General
Brief, choppy sentences in both speaking and handwriting. Crystal clear announcements, brutal honesty. Primarily entrusted with the company’s finances. They speak fluently about tax models, correct invoicing, and general accounting issues. The “Bad Cop” in every negotiation! They request missing bank statements and receipts and threaten consequences. They scrutinize each new idea through the lens of the finance department: What will it cost? Is it affordable? Realists, they use facts to bring every initial bout of euphoria—no matter how great—back down to the ground. Typically Excel professionals with an ultra-tidy desk and a color-coded, perfectly sorted document filing system. They say things like, “Yes, we’re still in time for the 2% cash discount!”
The Work Horse
The idea is on board—it already has a face and is financed, now such people arrive! Fit, strong, a leader and a go-getter. Fast, unerring, a game-maker and motivator. Organized and sympathetic, they represent the front line. They’ve got entire teams under them and bring the idea out onto the streets. Their plate is always too full because they’re bombarded by everyone else, meaning they must control the flood of requests in order to be able to implement them. Like master bricklayers on the construction site, they erect one load-bearing wall after another. They dirty their hands, and move around. They’re always there; everyone knows them and like them. They say things like, “Wow, I’m completely worn out!”
Marketing Maverick
They have the “Four Ps” tattooed on their forearm (product, price, place, promotion). A cool nerd with a smart dressing style. They understand behavior patterns, anticipate the customer’s perspective, juggle target group jargon with accuracy, and live on social media—both the backend and frontend. They attend seminars and understand the importance of A/B tests, research, and reach. They are not interested in sales, but in conversions and CPOs (Cost per Order). They don’t argue with emotions, but with CTRs (Click-Through Rates), and drum together a following of loyal fans both online and offline who can really get the ball rolling. They say things like, “Call to action!”
You Should Remain Keenly
Aware of the Following Types
The Shark
Tall, mostly good-looking, eloquent, opinionated. Be careful! They are always looking out for themselves—loners who are not afraid to take advantage of the group. The Shark is selfish, narcissistic, often treacherous, and stingy. Possible ways to cooperate: clear contracts, open discussions, clear communication, but in no case shareholding. It’s like in scuba diving: Keep an eye on the Shark, don’t panic, and show no fear. Keep this animal well fed, and the Shark is wonderful to look at, being capable of incredible performance. They often say things like, “I see it differently!”
Everybody’s