Next Version of Me · the course
Stage 1 · 30 minutes

What is your brain’s vision for you?

Meet the two parts of your brain, see what each one wants, and use your first two tools to imagine your dream life.

Your workbook

One workbook for the whole course. This stage starts on page 5. Your New Life tracker is at the back of the workbook (page 28). Your Dream Life grows into it from Stage 2 onwards. Already downloaded it? Keep using your copy. Lost it? Download it again (a new copy starts blank).

Download (PDF)

Three tools, all course long

Everything in this course uses three tools. You’ll use all three every day, and each one gets its own stage later on.

  1. VisualisationSee it in your mind before it exists.Stage 3
  2. EmotionFeel it as if it’s already real.Stage 4
  3. RepetitionDo it again and again until it’s automatic.Stage 5

They work because each one speaks the language of your animal brain. By the end of this page you’ll know why.

Your brain’s hidden vision for your life

Did you know that your brain has a vision for your life? You were born with it. It’s your default setting, and it’s the same as every other sentient animal’s.

Do you want to know what it is? Alive and Well.

In a little more detail: Alive, Safe, Minimal Effort and Simple Pleasures, in that order.

Why “minimal effort”? Your brain uses about 20% of your body’s energy, even though it’s only around 2% of your body weight. So it saves effort on everything except staying alive and safe.

Those four make up the bottom of your brain’s priority list. Here’s the whole list.

Your brain’s eight drivers

Read it from the bottom up. Your brain looks after level 1 first, then level 2, and so on. The higher levels only get energy once the lower ones feel handled.

Human brainNeocortex and prefrontal cortex. Abilities you can use.
8Complex experiencesemotions, creativity, ambition, love, purposeVE
7Social bondingattachment, belonging
6Learn and adaptneuroplasticityR
5Predict and controlplanning, impulse control, certaintyV
Animal brainAutomatic, instinctive, there from birth.
4Seek pleasure and rewardsmotivation, dopamineE
3Conserve energyefficiency, habits, automationR
2Avoid harmthreat detection, fight, flight, freeze
1Stay alivebreathing, heart rate, temperature
Every human function is regulated by, filtered through and constrained by the drives of the animal brain. V visualisation E emotion R repetition

Three things to take from it

  1. When you feel unsafe or drained, the top shuts down. That’s why planning and creativity feel impossible under stress. It isn’t a flaw in you. It’s the order of priorities.
  2. Only your human brain can imagine the future. Your animal brain lives in the present.
  3. “Can” doesn’t mean “do”. The human levels are abilities, not automatic. You have to choose to use them, or your animal brain runs the show.
Animals live in the present. Humans imagine the future. That’s the fundamental distinction.

Why the three tools work

Each tool borrows one of your animal brain’s own drivers, so instead of fighting it, you put it to work for you.

ToolDriver it borrowsWhat happens
V Visualisation5 Predict and controlYour brain builds a model of the future you picture, then starts noticing what matches it.
E Emotion4 Seek pleasure and rewardsFeeling good while you imagine releases dopamine, and your brain tags the picture as worth chasing.
R Repetition3 Conserve energy and 6 Learn and adaptWhat you repeat gets wired in and becomes a habit. Then your brain protects it to save energy.
You don’t have to fight your animal brain. You can get it on your side.

Which is your dominant brain?

How much of your human brain do you actually use? Or do you mainly run on your animal brain?

Write it down 2 min

Score your two brains

Score your Human Brain and your Animal Brain out of 10. Write it in your workbook.

e.g. Human 7, Animal 9

Imagine your Dream Life: Exercise 1.0

Today you use tools one and two: visualisation and emotion.

Imagine 6 min

Use all five senses

Close your eyes and imagine your ideal life in as much detail as you can, like an epic movie trailer. Go through each sense:

  • See where you are, who’s with you
  • Hear the sounds, what people say
  • Feel it in your body
  • Smell the air, the place
  • Taste the food, the drink

Then notice how it makes you feel. Let the feeling get big.

Guided audio · Dream Life · 6 min

Find somewhere quiet, press play and close your eyes. Headphones help.

Score it

Score your Dream Life, the probability you’ll achieve it, and how achievable it feels, out of 10 each.

Note it down: “Dream life <score>, Probability <score>, Achievability <score>”, e.g. Dream life 10, Probability 8, Achievability 6

Repeat

Do the Dream Life exercise at least once more today. That’s tool three, repetition, and it starts now.

Fast track

Done it once and you can already feel it? Score your Dream life.

  • 7 or more: one go today is enough. Move on to the next stage tomorrow.
  • Under 7, or not moving: do the extra goes and reread your trackers. That’s what moves it.

Stuck later, or a part of your new life still feels strange? Come back and repeat this stage.

Well done! That’s it for today. Let your brain consolidate today’s learning and we’ll see you tomorrow.

← Welcome Contents Stage 2: Make your brain work for you →

This course is educational and not a substitute for therapy or medical advice.