How to boost your brain the spy way

One year, Jihi’s Christmas present (to herself!) was a 5-day class in woodworking. Greetings Everyday Spy, One year, Jihi’s Christmas present (to herself!) was a 5-day class in woodworking. She's always had a passion for design and an appreciation for tradecraft (see what I did there!?), so when we found out one of the country’s best woodworking schools was in Tampa we enrolled her right away. CIA constantly encourages officers to learn new skills. Some skills are assigned by the Agency, like learning a new language or a new combat technique. But the vast majority of learning is not directed by leadership. It is self-directed. We didn’t enroll her into a woodworking class to learn woodworking… We enrolled her to help make her better at everything else she already knew. Anytime you learn a new skill, your brain reacts in a few specific ways. First, it increases activity among existing neural links. That means all the neuron cells in your brain that you built in the past get a little extra exercise. Partly so your brain can learn faster, but also in part to see what existing skills you have that might benefit the new skill you are trying to learn. If you’ve ever noticed yourself saying, “hey - this is a lot like (blank)”, then you know why the brain increases those neural signals. You have a lot of built up brain matter - and your brain can save a lot of time learning new things just by reviewing what you already know. Your brain will start to produce new white brain matter, called ‘myelin’, that improves the performance and health of your brain. The role of myelin is to act as a protective sheath for the wiring in your brain (called ‘axons’). Consider the wiring that connects your cable to your TV, or the audio lines between two speakers. The copper wiring carries the electrical signal and the power, but the thick plastic/rubber covering around the outside serves as protection. Your brain is very similar to the wiring you find in your house. The axons are the copper wires that carry electricity and help your brain work. The myelin is the protective coating that keeps the wiring safe and efficient. The biggest benefit from learning something new isn’t mastering the new thing -- it’s about improving the old things. When new learning occurs, the neural activity causes a sort of mental waterfall effect. Yes, you learn new skills. Yes, you create new connections and gain new knowledge. But at an exponentially greater speed, you reactivate dormant connections and connect new information with old information. That means you get a lot smarter in older things by getting a little smarter in new things! To give you an idea, Jihi spent 2 days designing, cutting, sanding, and constructing the cutting board you see above. But when she brought that cutting board home, all she could talk about was the relationship that wood has with its environment, the differences in wood types/density, and the incredible engineering that goes into each piece of hand-crafted wood. We sent her to a woodworking course, but she got smarter at earth science, physics, engineering, spatial orientation, and more! If you are feeling bored - like you are stagnating or ‘getting dumber’ from sitting around waiting for the next season of your favorite show - maybe it’s time to learn something new! It doesn’t have to be a big thing - just take a few days like Jihi. Learn how to cook curry from scratch, or do the Thriller dance, or roast vegetables in the oven instead of on the grill. Even if you are bad at the new thing, you will see yourself get better at the things you already know. Don’t believe me? That's fine -- give it a try. And when you see the change for yourself, write to tell me about it! Godspeed, #EverydaySpy P.S. - CIA gives you the absolute best mental and physical edge in the world. [Unleash our potential with proven skills that give you control over the world around you!]( Follow @EverydaySpy on Social Media! [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com, is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on his Podcast (The Everyday Espionage Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on your favorite social media platform. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe]( EverydaySpy, 411 Walnut St. #20309, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043