Can Agile Principles Unlock Neuroplasticity, Flow State, and Motivation?
An exploration into the similarities between Agile methodologies, plasticity, and the procrastination equation; and how you can use them to regain focus during lockdown.
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Are you struggling for motivation? Join the damn club!
The pandemic and continuous lockdowns have been hard on everybody and, for those of us fortunate enough to be able to work from home, finding focus and motivation has often been a struggle. While ONS figures show that productivity hasn’t been significantly disrupted by the lockdown, a recent YouGov/Lane4 poll showed 44% of those under 35 have suffered from a lack of motivation in their work.
Anecdotally, everyone I’ve spoken to who is working from home has suffered some form of motivation lapse during lockdown. The struggle is real.
However, there is hope. Several recent studies have uncovered evidence to suggest that the adult brain may be more malleable and capable of learning than we previously imagined. Learning might not seem particularly relevant to a lack of motivation, but this article aims to examine the links between the two, via a process known as neuroplasticity.
We’ll also examine my hypothesis: that certain incidental features of working in an Agile environment mirror the chemical process of neuroplasticity so closely that they may actually be capable of triggering and/or maintaining it inadvertently, and that those similarities are also mirrored by the procrastination equation, from Piers Steel’s book ‘How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done’.
A quick disclaimer: I’m not a neuroscientist or a psychologist, and if you’re suffering from something more acute than a temporary lack of motivation, you should seek help from a professional. However, if you’re just in a temporary funk, read on. This process has worked for me, is backed up by solidly-researched science, and can be applied to most forms of motivation. Even if you don’t work in an Agile…
