Why re:MIND Is Not a Self-Help Book
There are about six million self-help books out there that promise they can fix us, or at least I imagine that’s how many there are. I admit, I can be a curmudgeon when it comes to this sort of thing. I do realize some probably work really well. Others might work for a minute, but are then forgotten. However, most are not worth our time or don’t offer anything new. This is why we needed a methodology instead of another nightstand book full of “you can do it” praises. Arguably, Perceivant’s re:MIND methodology, which is currently only available to consumers through their Kickstarter campaign, isn’t a self-help product at all. Instead, it’s a psychological approach to why we are the way we are and how we can change our mindset. More specifically, it’s a challenge to look at who you are now and a plan for getting to where you want to be.
We also needed this from an actual trained professional who knows these things instead of a salesperson who uses flashy words and presentations that serve only to motivate you for two or three days after which you’re still faced with the same problems. With re:MIND, we get a coach in Kristin Taylor who isn’t afraid to tell us we’re doing life wrong, no matter how tranquil her speech may seem. We do get some forgiveness, because she knows our beliefs are tied to how our brains work, and her narrative approach does offer a semblance of hand-holding during the truly difficult parts of re:MIND.
You’ll learn from re:MIND that addressing our problems often comes down to brain science. For example, did you know that when you are doing something you find difficult, your brain will actually trigger pleasure responses when you think about giving up? Did you know that procrastination is actually a fear response — that same prehistorical instinct that makes us scared of spiders? The brain is wired to keep our physical and mental selves from experiencing discomfort, often to the point of creating debilitating problems.
Luckily, because of brain plasticity (more science), our brains are capable of growing new neural pathways, even during adulthood. This means we can actually rewire our brains through cognitive reframing to look at our problems differently. Unlike self-help approaches that promise overnight success and an end to all our troubles after just one seminar, Kristin knows this rewiring is a process that takes time, practice, and patience. Students taking the re:MIND course in college have a full semester to apply the methodology. For the consumer edition of re:MIND, we have The Game Plan, a daily planner that should take around three months to complete for a single mindset problem.
re:MIND also shouldn’t be considered a self-help book because it uses a narrative approach, a type of psychotherapy that typically would involve a coach engaging a client in a series of one-on-one conversations. While Kristin does offer one-on-one and group coaching, the book included with re:MIND, Live Up Your Narrative, shows you how to apply the narrative approach without a coach.
If you’ve read anything about re:MIND, you already know that it uses a methodology that helps you identify problems, manage your feelings and emotions, externalize problems, recognize wins, and know what drives you forward. All the while, the methodology promises to improve your key non-cognitive capabilities like courage, perseverance, and self-control. Self-talk also plays a big part in re:MIND, as you learn to take control of that little voice in your head that you are constantly conversing with, which it turns out can be very cruel.
That’s the quick sound bite for how re:MIND works, but there are so many other fascinating things I learned from re:MIND that I have thought about daily since I first read it months ago. For example, I now know that when I want to change something about myself, I shouldn’t say, “I will NOT yell at other drivers in traffic.” My brain won’t hear the “not,” and then all I’ll think about is yelling at other drivers. Also, when I imagine myself in a scenario (okay, when I’m daydreaming), my brain cannot distinguish if what I’m imagining is true or if I’m just making it up. re:MIND shows you how to consider and even take advantage of these interesting ways in which the brain works to improve your personal narrative, or the story you tell yourself about yourself. What I’ve learned has changed the way I think, not to mention it’s turned me into a regular Zen Master when someone else comes to me with their problems.
Not everyone will find the psychology or science behind re:MIND interesting, but you can imagine how this approach and knowing how your brain really works can shape what you believe about yourself. That’s why it’s good this is not another self-help book.
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This blog is based on the consumer edition of re:MIND, which is currently only being offered through a Kickstarter campaign which ends December 5. The re:MIND college course is currently being piloted by Middle Tennessee University and will be available for adoption in the upcoming semester.
For more information on Perceivant, its history, or products, please visit www.perceivant.com or connect on Facebook and Twitter.
About Perceivant
Perceivant LLC is an educational technology company serving the higher education marketplace. Perceivant publishes and provides courseware that replaces traditional textbooks with cost-effective and interactive learning experiences for both web and mobile applications. Each course is accompanied by powerful analytics and real-time data to boost student engagement and provide educators with an easier, more efficient solution to analyze course efficacy. For more information on the company and its products, please visit www.perceivant.com.
About re:MIND
re:MIND is the culmination of 20 years of education and professional work of coach and consultant Kristin Taylor, M.A. Based on a narrative coaching approach, re:MIND provides readers the opportunity to name their own experiences and to more confidently explore their often under-resourced personal competencies. As they begin to grow their own personal narratives, readers learn how to identify problems within their stories, manage their feelings and emotions, externalize problems, recognize wins, understand who they are, and create a plan for dealing with problems.
