Rewrite Your Code

And Harness the Computing Power of Your Brain

IF you are frightened about the uncertainty in your future:

IF you find yourself repeatedly facing difficult situations:

IF you are wasting valuable time and brain power on seemingly simple or unimportant tasks:

THEN, it may be time to rewrite your code.

“Code” is a computer term for the instructions, rules, and commands in the language of programming. Computers do only what programmers tell them to, and these instructions (lines of code), depending on their effectiveness, can enable excellence or create recurring problems. And the exact same is true for you.

The human brain is the most magnificent, elegant, and powerful of all computers known to mankind. And the instructions, rules, ideas, and pursuits we program, consciously and unconsciously, determine our eventual “output,” in terms of life experience.

While modern computers are incredibly fast and can calculate and multi-task far better than we can, our brains remain superior. Your brain, you see, is ever changing, learning, interpreting your environment, and capable of the amazing act of imagination.

Also, your neural “operating system” is continuously being upgraded, based upon your circumstances, experience, education, and desires. When you harness your “thought machine” toward a particular purpose, you can become unstoppable.

But in order to do that, you need to learn to rewrite the code, that is, the software that drives your noggin. You must “program” yourself for success. Assume your rightful role of chief programmer. You will be influenced by other people and circumstances. You may be conditioned by past experiences. But you can overwrite your code with new commands, if you will seize control and do so, deliberately.

IF/THEN Commands

In 1982, when I was 14 years old, my dad brought home from work a modern day miracle: the IBM PC. This machine covered his entire desk, and was slow as mud, but it introduced me to the dawning age of Information Technology via a monochrome green version of “Space Invaders” and the BASIC programming language (an acronym which stands for Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code).

One of the most useful of all computer instructions, I discovered, was the “IF/THEN Command.” It is self explanatory, meaning that you tell the machine IF you encounter this input, set of circumstances, or problem, THEN this is what I want you to do next – or, here is how you handle it. It’s like writing a rule that will apply to future situations and challenges.

Now, here’s the cool part. Because we are creative – capable of imagination – we can write IF/THEN rules for our lives. Essentially, you make a conscious decision and tell your brain:

IF I face this type of situation (again, or for the first time), THEN here is how I will handle it.

This simple line of code, or self-executed command, is amazingly useful when applied to:

• Time-saving habits
• Rudimentary tasks
• Performance standards
• Recurring decisions
• Scenario planning for the future

This is also how we shape our personal judgement. At some point we decide how we will process a certain type of situation or influence. We write a rule for the way we will handle it. These rules accumulate, and will remain in place, shaping our lives, until we consciously remove or rewrite them.

Into Action

1. Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity. As you plan for your future (career path, financial situation, relationship status, parenting situation, or whatever it may be) imagine not one, but multiple options, or scenarios. Develop alternate plans of action, depending upon how circumstances unfold.
2. Handle a Recurring Task. Consider a situation you have encountered more than once, and construct a plan for how you will handle it, should it happen again. This will empower you to anticipate, recognize, and handle future challenges with more effectiveness and less hardship.
3. Resolve a Dilemma. If you have been bombarded by challenge after challenge, each one distracting you from your desired path, then you may need to deal with a larger decision or question. This could be a process, a moral judgement, or an ambiguous direction. Recognize the issue, than develop an IF/THEN rule to handle it now and in the future.

If you don’t like the output you are getting in life, you may need to reexamine how you processed the thoughts and actions that led you to that experience. Chances are, it is not a “one time only” event. You will be confronted with the same or similar circumstances in the future. The great news is you can, right now, upgrade your mental software and set in place a new and better way to deal with it.

Be bold. Rewrite your code.