Your brain has two parts. The neocortex handles thinking, planning, and taking risks. It’s the part you use when you decide to start a business.
The limbic system, often called the “old brain,” controls emotions, safety, and survival. It takes over when you’re stressed and feel frustration or anxiety.
Like when your best employee quits and starts a competing company.
Or when profit is down and your sales pipeline is weak.
Or when your biggest client cancels.
Events that trigger your survival instinct reduce your ability to think clearly.
They cause you to react instead of respond.
This is what Daniel Goleman calls an “amygdala hijack.”
When it happens, you’ll react with your version of fight, flight, or freeze.
You’ll get frustrated and be short with your team (fight).
You’ll avoid making important decisions (flight).
You’ll hesitate to hire that expensive COO or invest in technology to scale (freeze).
Your old brain thinks it’s keeping you safe.
But its rules are outdated.
Do this instead:
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Thank your old brain for trying to protect you, but put your neocortex to work. Planning and execution are two of its superpowers.
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Separate the facts from the stories. Write down the facts of the situation and intentionally focus your neocortex on them to make better decisions.
For example:
Fact = Employee started a business.
Story = They’re going to take my clients and poach my employees next.
Fact = Our profit is X and the pipeline is Y.
Story = We might not make it, and I’ll have to shut the company down.
It’s the stories that trigger your old brain to react.
Facts are neutral. It’s up to you to decide the meaning and write the story of your life.
