ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER POST

Well, we have all wondered why some people are more productive than others, and why some people are more motivated to get things done. How do these productivity expertS stay concentrated for long hours on a task? How do they get things done? I always use to ponder on this.

Then one beautiful day during my third reading of atomic habit by James clear, I stumble on a fact that I previously overlooked regarding environmental cues, how placing some item in your environment can make habit formation easier. James Clear, also talk on the use of certain part of your home for building certain habit. He further advises those who stay in small apart to mentally divide the apartment into section for dealing with a specific task for quick habit formation.

Prior to this, I also stumble on videos and articles on specialization of day to day equipment to improve efficiency. For example, the use of your bed for only sleeping and nothing else. Not to watch video, eatfood or playgames, just to sleep, and this will greatly improve your sleep, allowing your body to fall asleep faster, and experiencing deep sleep. This will helps to reduces insomnia. I greatly implemented this routine during my university days until it became a habit, allowing me to fall asleep faster.

Productivity expert encode this method in their daily lives. For example, Ali abdaal has already gotten eye surgery, so he doesn’t need to wear his glasses. However, he states that “wearing his glasses allow him to give presentation more fluently,” priming his brain to be more efficient in public speaking when wearing his glasses.

Another productivity expert Chris bailey, advocate for the specialization of devices to a particular task. For example, the use of laptop solely for research work, the use of iPad for reading and the use of his personal device for social media. This primes his brain to be more focused when doing each of the mentioned tasks.

Brain priming is also based on “One Task, One Place” Rule: Our brains encode routines. If you scroll on social media at your desk, your brain associates that space with that task.

Hence BRAIN PRIMING is the process of habit formation, linking a particular cue with a certain task, allowing the brain to associate that cue with only that particular task, creating less and less friction between you and that task. Hence, Brain Priming is the key to unlocking your brain untapped potential, seamless productivity, going beyond 100% of your ability.  

Brain Priming Process

The process of brain priming involves three main steps, which can be express in this simple formula:

Cue + Timeblock + Immediate Reward = Brain Priming

To explain this, we are going to use a simple task of creating a study routine

Step 1, Creating the cue: The cue for me here stands for the object either physical or abstract, you need a particular item to establish your cue, be it a table, a special pen, ring etc, anything that will enable you associate the cue with the particular task. Example, when you want to study, use a particular table in your room for just studying, nothing else, not eating, not browsing online, just studying.

Step 2, Any activity in which you are doing must be time bound. This time period is essential in cultivating the brain attention towards that task. Imagine you are running on a treadmill with no stoppage time, your body will easily get tired in a minute time, thinking it has been on it for 5min or longer, and without your task being time bound, there will be lack of trust between you and your brain when engaging in that task, leading to more and more friction between you and that particular task. Another example, imagine attending a class or a meeting, where the end time is undisclosed, naturally you will feel discourage towards attending such meeting or lecture. 

Having a timeblock is essential for building a period of focus and concentration in the work at hand. Using the studying example, after picking cue, the table, determine the time period or duration of each session, 30min /5min break, 45min/10min break etc.  

Step 3, and the Most Essential Step, Immediate reward/ Immediate gratification; There is one simple reason why bed habit tends to stick more then good habit, because bad habit gets immediately rewarded, there is a feel of instant gratification when doing such habit, eg cornography or smoking, they provide a sense of instant gratification.

In life we all have goals or result oriented task we are doing, but most of this tasks the payoff is in the long term, not the short term, hence that gratification or immediate reward system isn’t built in for the brain to enjoy doing that tasks.

Simply imagining it in this perspective “What is in it, for me”- THE BRAIN, this is the statement that has to resonate with you, because the brain is always asking this question. If the results are for the long term, the more resistance there will be between you and the task, however if there exist an immediate reward that you follow through with, every time you finished that tasks or routine, the brain gets hocked in your productivity loop.

I enjoyed using this system of immediate gratification in my secondary school days. After every 30minute session of reading, I watched the disastrous life of saiki K, which was about ten minutes’ longs. This small act kept me more engaged in the study session, because I had a long term benefit in mind of having good grade, couple with a short term reward of watching anime.

My university was a bit different, instead of waatching anime, because I barely had time to watch it. I used, unique snacks that I liked, food and social interaction. Eg, after I finished this subject, I will go and hang out with this person, (This helped in keeping my social life alive) as a reward.

Different Cues which can be Implemented  

1. olfactory Cue- The “The Scent Hack”

The first sensory cue you can use is scent, the scent hack, meaning using a particular scent or fragrance when doing that productivity task, and isolate the use of that particular fragrance for that task alone, in order to strengthen the trigger.

I remember using this scent heck in university, well it didn’t go quite as planned. I bought a particular perfume for reading, and when I want to read I spray it, but I guess the scent was too nice, because someone will always ask to use it, LIKE ALWAYS, so that experiment was busted, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.

A research study conducted by Donato Cereghetti and ors, state that smell boost brain productivity, thus the use specifically designed fragrances will enhance mental performance and focus.

2. Visual Cues

Visual cues are solely dependent on the environment, meaning using one particular environment to enhance productivity and efficiency on a particular task.

I love visual cue, and I used it a lot in university.  I have a particular class in the faculty that I go to just read and do work. It also helped me reduce the friction of making reoccurring decision of “where will I read today.” Anytime I entered that class, I knew it was work time.

3. Auditory Cue

THIIIISSSSSS, I already wrote a blog on this on nostalgia and learning, and I implemented this cue a lot, still do.

This is the association of music, or mantra with a particular task. Listening to a particular song (mainly instrumental music) when doing a particular task, although it can get boring listening to only one music. I recommend having a music to start the session, hence anytime you want to start a study session, start it while listening to that music. My own starting music is the Bunny Girl Senpai instrumental theme song, fukashigi no carte (PEAK)

Mantras, a simple word, statement or phrase that is repeated often to expresses beliefs or to motivate. People do this all the time, especially athlete when they want to start playing a game. 

4. Physical Cue

Lastly physical cues, either your clothing, an ornament or any physical equipment, what you wear or what you use. Productivity expert often prefer this method a lot, they wear a particular outfit for a particular task, or a particular accessory such as glasses, rings, contact lenses, etc. To reduces the friction between them and the task, and to prime their brain to engage in such task effortlessly. I personally just wear one single black top when shooting content, it reduces the friction of decision making on what cloth to wear, and gets the brain ready for an efficient performance.

My Brain Priming Process

As you can already tell, I use various cues to prime my brain to be productive in relation with various tasks. One I recently started doing when diving into research on brain priming, was wearing a ring, on my left wedding finger, anytime I wanted to read or do research on a blog post, I put on the ring, then immediately when the session finishes, i follow it up with instant gratification (eg watching Nichijou or buying myself cake). It works, it worked to well in fact, then one of my co-worker pointed something out to me, when I was telling her about this my research finding, she commended it but also said something that I didn’t quite take into consideration when brain storming this method of efficient performance. She was of the valid opinion, that in the process of brain priming with physical items, some person might develop a dependency on that item and will lead to such individual not being able to perform without it.

I was like that true, the person might confuse such cue with a good luck charm and will think they can’t function without it, or think that their productivity output is low without it. Which took me back to the drawing board for a while, I started thinking, of other loopholes what if they are unable to get that exact perfume, what if they misplace that shirt, sweater or glasses. Then I subconsciously realize something I always say to myself when I want to start reading, a mantra repeated by one of my favourite lecturers that “I have the Mind of CHRIST.” That when it hit me, the safest means brain priming is auditory, spoken word or mantra, very specific to that task to get you motivated.

Hope this post was insightful towards boosting your brain productivity, and reducing friction between you and your goal, by priming your brain to love doing the needful. Try this for a minimum of 21 days, that the average number of days it takes to build a habit.  Cue + Timeblock + Immediate Reward = BRAIN PRIMING, and remember to be productive.

Reference

Cereghetti, Donato, et al. “Smell to boost your brain: ambient fragrances enhance mental performance.” Food Quality and Preference (2025): 105772.

Bylicki, Jacek. “The Scent of Productivity: How Fragrance Impacts Performance in the Workplace – Make Sense Media.” Make Sense Media, 13 Oct. 2025, makesensemedia.eu/blog/the-scent-of-productivity-how-fragrance-impacts-performance-in-the-workplace/

Decker, Keith S. “Task environment centered simulation.” (1996).