Mental state > content

I’m trying out a new idea even though I don’t know exactly what it means. Stop focusing on the content of my mind. That content simply falls out from my mental state. My mental state is what generates the good or bad decisions.

Police officers can train long hours in a shooting range and score high scores on accuracy. But the first time they’re in an actual combat situation, their accuracy drops. And that’s because their brain is now flooding with chemicals and they completely lose their fine-motor controls. As it turns out, the police officer is often better off training with a paint gun against a live adversary because it generates the right mental state.

How do I enter a useful mental state? How do I manage a difficult mental state? Those are the questions on my mind.