How To Have Balance Between Left-Brain and Right-Brain Dominance…Without Feeling Unnatural and Setting Yourself Up To Fail
No doubt you’ve heard of this thing called left-brain or right-brain dominant, yes?
We all have a bit of both in us, but almost every single person leans toward one of the sides of the brain as their more active element.
If you are more of a left-brain thinker, you will tend to be more logical, structured, linear and routine-oriented than a right-brain thinker who’s more circular, less structured and more free-flowing.
People who are a little more on the right side of things, like me, my daughter and my son, want to get things done, and we understand that we need structure, so we try it.
“I’m going to get up at 6:30 a.m. I’m going to go to the bathroom, work out and meditate. At 8:00 I’m going to have breakfast.”
“At 9:00 I’m going to be at the computer, and I’m only going to do emails until 10:00. Then I’m going to start on this project. Then I’m going to make this call.”
“In the afternoon, I’m going to work on this other project. I’m only going to do emails from 4:00 to 5:00. Then I’m going to have dinner at 6:00.”
Ah, such wonderful intentions. Can anybody relate to this? You know what happens …
We get up at 6:30 a.m. because the alarm rings. We’re so tired. “I’m not going to be able to have a good day if I’m this tired. I should sleep for another half an hour,” so we sometimes do.
Then we’re up. “I’m so busy, and I’m late. I need to work out, but I have to get on this project.” We jump on the computer and there’s emails right in front of us, a couple of major ones. We have to answer them.
Before we know it, it’s 9:00. We’re hormonal and starving. You get the idea.
For many of us right-brained people, this whole thing just doesn’t work. The same holds trying to get left-brained people to chill and be spontaneous.
What can work for us? How can right-brained folks take advantage of the structure of left-brained thinking, and left-brained people to let it all go, without feeling like it’s all too un-natural?
You left-brained folks who structure every minute and stick to it like it’s written in stone are not going to like this, but if you don’t let go of control once in a while, you are missing the creative magic of life! You may be way too rigid. You’ve put a stranglehold on what’s possible.
Leave one hour per day unstructured, and do whatever you feel like in that hour, whether it’s personal or with your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or kids; going for a walk or run or whatever. It doesn’t matter.
This hour is completely unstructured. Every day you do whatever you feel like doing at the time. In fact, don’t even think about what you’re going to do until you get there. Just allow the universe to come through you.
How about the people like me who struggle with routine and structure, the right-brained crowd? Here’s what I’d like to suggest to you. You must have a little structure if you’re ever going to accomplish anything of significance, but within that structure you go with the flow.
Now what does that mean? Simple: write down three things that you are intending to do for that day that are very important to do that day. That’s structure enough for folks who tend to free-wheel.
What I like to do is say that I’m going to complete one business thing, one health thing–whether it’s working out, running, lifting some weights or whatever it is– and something like calling one of my family members, usually my mom. That’s the only three things. That gives me a starting point. At least I know that the three most important things for me will be done, so I do them.
If you are a non-structured person and you continue to strangle yourself with major structure, all you’re doing is giving yourself a reason to beat yourself up. The same goes for structured people who don’t function in the chaos that comes with spontaneity.
If you are doing something that you know doesn’t work for you, you are setting yourself up to fail. The reason you’re doing that is so your mind has a reason to beat you up.
Go with your flow and your energetic way of being in the world.
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This is very true! Thanks for the new idea! I’d love to apply for that program but I can’t afford it for now, I’m doing every possible way to change my mental attitude to manifest what I want physically. BTW I am a left brain person and I do that scheduling stuff. 🙂 Thanks for the advice to have a 1 hour free, anything time for my self. :)))
What a combination if you a right-hander and right-brain thinker like me. I sometimes scare myself with this.
I heard about left and right brain thinker at a seminar/workshop of JT Foxx, but now I understand myself better after this post.
Thanks Harv for the input in my life this far.
Blessings
Christo
Thank you very much.
good info! Gonna’ do it!?!
Absolutely agree. I am more of a left-brain thinker and I try to control everything around me (kids, work, health, parents, etc) but it’s very hard. I lost a lot of energy and I feel very often exhausted and unhappy. Thank you for your lesson!
Excellent
I’m a right-brained person by nature, but was raised as a left-brainer (my parents tried to break me like a wild stallion. LOL!). Every day is a constant battle between both sides. Usually, the right side wins. What I’ve learned from being half Vulcan and half hippie is that you can celebrate both the structure and the whimsy of each day. All we have is today. So what if you don’t take out the trash on Tuesday or return an e-mail a day late. One of my favorite tv personalities says, “Is it a five-minute, five-month, or five-year problem?” Will there be long-term repercussions from your actions or is it just you beating yourself up? Thinking of life’s day-to-day situations in that light has given me tremendous freedom and has taught me to embrace both sides. Thanks for posting this article. You’ve helped me embrace them even more.
Great article! It’s very important to know yourself up to this point to achieve a goal. Thank you Harv!
Hi dear Harv, thank you so much for your kind instruction. I often have been not really structured doing….. but just now I wrote down my 3 main tasks for today.
Best regards and wishes,
Gudrun
Boy, am I ever a right brain, left handed free – falling specimen. I get a lot done as a farmer every day but always it is scattered and fragmented. All the things I want to do like start my public speaking, finish my children’s book and exercise get squeezed out due to lack of schedule…I’ll make a list of 3, I can do that…right after I get those grapes picked!
Almost all my life , I used to be a strict person, irritable when things go wrong or not in my expectations in work and family matters. But a few years lately, since I keep on trying on following the teachings of God thru-Christ, I am beginning to gradually adjust my old behavior to become understanding, humble, patient in all matters especially in dealing with my family. Thanks for the great GRACE God has given me.
Thank you Harv,, Perfect timing. My break thru is a breath away, and I need to learn in order to be successful in ALL areas and to be WHOLE !! Herman from South Africa..
Excellent article, I love the sentence “Just allow the universe to come through you.”
This article was great because it is one of the few I’ve read which doesn’t look at right brained qualities as something negative which need to be corrected. I’ve learned to make lists of things I want to accomplish during the day, circle the most important ones and make sure I get those done, in any order I choose. This is easier for me than yrying to stick to a rigid schedule and feel like a failure when I can’t do it. Also, if someone as successful as Harv is right brained, it shows any of us can achieve our goals if we accept who we are and work around our strengths and weaknesses instead of trying to transform ourselves into someone else.
Well ! I think I am a right brain person , Generally right brain is big in size and left is small,readed ,but I got some helpful ideas through this lesson
Oh thanks Harv! Finally someone understand why daily commitments didn’t help me that much so far…. I was unintentionally doing the same you are suggesting for the right-brained ppl but was feeling guilty of being a failure to accomplish my daily commitments…. now by reading this article I learned I am already on the right track so I should say: I am awesome!
Awesome as usual Harv. I’ve just spent the last two weeks (yes, two weeks) working on my goals and future life direction and as a left-brainer, I can so easily slot everything into it’s place and time. What I learnt along the way though, based on life experience, is that the best laid plans go astray if you don’t leave some wiggle room in there. That to me, sounds exactly the same as what you’ve highlighted here Harv. You’ve gottta let both sides have some input otherwise failure is inevitable. All my goals now have a “fudge factor” that allows for “change of structure/unknowns”, yet are still designed to be accomplished. Thanks for another great post Harv.
Thank you Harv, I now understand why I never get done what I plan, being a Right Side Thinker. I have now actually been writing down the important items to get done, plus I am accomplishing them. Only because I am enrolled in your course and I must say I am loving it. Thank you.
Great way to start the day!
This is wonderful to know about a left or right brain thinker, save me from complaining to my husband and kids, now I understand about them and myself. Thank you Harv, you are awesome!!
Thanks for the article. I’m going to try the formula starting tomorrow. As I always over-used my time on certain things with a long period. I’m gonna setup my time accordingly so that all things can be done wisely.
Thanks)
Danke für den tollen Beitrag, wie jeder!
Now I realize why my tight and well-structured schedule is not working well as I imagined.
I love the idea of doing 3 small things to get to your overall goal. I have tried this now for a couple of weeks and it is working well. Being in a Network Marketing Business it is easy to get distracted by Life itself because you decide how you spend your time. This helps to get things done and keep some sort of balance