Mind Changes Brain (Achievement Nudge about Paying Attention)

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Last Updated on June 30, 2025 by Bill Truby

Undoubtedly, when you were young, someone barked, “Pay attention!” Turns out, it was good advice.

Imagine stepping onto a crowded beach, people crammed and jammed next to each other, hardly any sand between towels. You scan the huge throng of people, looking for your friend. When you do, a place in your brain is tuned to pick up anything familiar about your friend – hair color, body shape, towel or bathing suit color, etc….AND…it ignores everything else.

You’re doing that right now. Your mind is focused on the letters and words of this page, ignoring the white space between those characters. And yet…you CAN change your focus. Take the same beach. This time, find the youngest child on the beach. A different part of the brain is now activated. The part that stores information about infants and toddlers is activated and ready to receive input.

And the kicker? Scientists have found that whatever you consistently focus on actually grows that part of the brain. Not the blob of grey matter itself, but the amount of “real estate” devoted to that which you consistently pay attention. They proved it with monkeys.

Two groups of monkeys were given the exact same stimuli – tapping and sounds heard in headphones. The tapping would sometimes vary, as would the sounds. One set of monkeys was trained to notice when the tapping varied. When they acknowledged the variance, they received a treat. The second set of monkeys received the same training and treats when taught to pay attention to when the sounds varied. Now, it’s important to understand, ALL of the monkeys received the same input – tapping and sounds – the difference was in what they were trained to pay attention to, and what they ignored.

Within a few weeks, the monkeys who paid attention to the tapping had the part of their brain that picks up a kinesthetic stimulus grow, while the part that picks up sounds stayed the same. The second set of monkeys received the same result, but their brain’s real estate devoted to picking up sounds grew, while their kinesthetic pickup area didn’t.

This is a simple explanation of a complex and ground breaking study, but the Nudge is clear: That which your mind chooses to focus on (i.e. that which YOU choose to focus on and pay attention to) grows that part of your brain. And when it grows, you become better at it. And when you become better at it, it gets easier. And when it gets easier, it gets perpetuated.

 So…what are you choosing to focus on today? What will you pay attention to? The positive? The negative? The difficulties? The successes? The problem people on your staff? The people who bring you success on your staff? The mundane…or the miracles? Truly, the choice IS yours!

Psssst…come closer….want to understand your brain a bit better? There’s a way. Just look at all of this backwards. Whatever catches your eye on the beach, tells you what your brain is tuned to pick up. So…if you pay attention to what you pay attention to, you will understand how your brain is tuned. And doing this will help you know what you need to pay attention to, so you can STOP paying attention to that which you don’t want your brain to pick up.  

 Confusing? You’ll get it. Just, PAY ATTENTION!

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This article is part of our ongoing Achievement Nudge series—short, witty, and often inspirational articles to spark your personal and professional growth. Explore more nudges on our blog, or sign up for our weekly Nudge and News email. Each edition includes an Achievement Nudge plus leadership, professional development, and personal growth videos and articles to keep you inspired and on track.

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