In his latest book, Linchpin, Seth Godin talks about how our internal resistance is keeping us from being remarkable. As he explains, we use two brains for making decisions. The first brain is the one we use for making rationale choices, while the second one is the one responsible for our instinct. Let’s call this second one the lizard brain.

What’s funny is that this lizard brain still thinks that we’re living in the savana with lions and tigers, and that yields to bizarre behaviors. For example, you’d never make eye contact with strangers if it was for your lizard brain, because it’s dangerous to look at other animals in the eyes.

Fear of public speaking, laziness, inner resistance, etc. are all made up by our lizard brain in order to protect us from a danger that doesn’t really exist.

The only weakness of the lizard brain is that it can’t survive rationalization. For example if you’re experiencing laziness and you consciously think about it, then it will go away after a while. The key is to not judge your emotions, but rather to observe them as if you were a guest on your mind. As soon as your lizard brain figures out that it’s being observed, it retracts, leaving place for creativity and productivity.

Another way to kill your lizard brain is by speaking out loud its intentions. That way your rationale brain will overcome your lizard brain and you’ll be free again.

Below are ten motivational sentences that you can use to kill your lizard brain. They all work in different situations and for different reasons.

To use them, you have to speak them out loud, otherwise they wont work.

  • I’m lazy because my lizard brain doesn’t want me to succeed.
  • I’m browsing the internet right now because it keeps me from doing my work.
  • I’m angry because I can avoid accepting my responsibilities.
  • I’m disappointed because that prevents me from changing my beliefs.
  • My lizard brain is making me nervous.
  • I want to start over with this project because what I’ve done might actually work.
  • I feel bored because that prevents me from creating stuff.
  • I don’t know what to do because this way I can never fail.
  • Never try something new, said the lizard brain.
  • I’m thinking about the past and the future because my lizard brain doesn’t want me to focus on the present moment.

Don’t worry if these sentences feel ridiculous, that’s just your lizard brain trying to prevent you from killing it. You also don’t have to remember them exactly, as long as you can unveil your lizard brain intentions you’ll be fine.