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In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn continues the How to Motivate Yourself in 2026 series by focusing on a critical but often overlooked step: measuring and strengthening your foundation.

As AI rapidly displaces procedural, medium-charge work, humans will increasingly be valued for high-impact, high-charge thinking. But that kind of performance isn’t possible without strong daily foundations. This episode zooms in on the bottom of the iceberg — the habits that quietly determine your energy, focus, confidence, and consistency.

Guided by Chapter 18 of Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution, Dr. Finn walks you through how to assess your current patterns using a practical Brain State self-assessment. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, you’ll learn how to identify the areas that need the most attention and why starting with super habits (like the 3-to-1 reflection) creates positive change across multiple foundations at the same time.

This episode is designed to help you move from insight to action — showing you how to measure what matters, simplify your focus, and build a foundation that supports motivation, clarity, and performance in the AI era.

If you haven’t listened to Parts 1–4 yet, Dr. Finn recommends starting there before diving into this episode.

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In this episode of the Habit Mechanic Podcast, Dr. Jon Finn is joined by Tougher Minds’ Head of Coaching, Andrew Foster, to unpack what’s emerging from Davos 2026 — and what it means for work, jobs, and human performance in the AI era.

Using a headline claim that AI is impacting labour “like a tsunami” as a starting point, they explore why the pace of AI investment and adoption is accelerating faster than many predictions, and why this is already changing what organisations expect from humans at work.

They also discuss real-world examples of cognitive work being automated or radically accelerated, what this means for people whose roles contain repetitive, procedural tasks, and why the answer isn’t fear — it’s becoming more Brain State intelligent and learning to do the high-charge, high-impact thinking AI can’t reliably replace.

The conversation also covers a crucial theme: AI can be a powerful tool, but humans remain responsible for accuracy, judgement, and outcomes — including the need to fact-check and build reliable systems for using AI well.

The episode closes with a simple reflective prompt to help you take one practical step in the next 24 hours toward using AI (and your Brain States) more deliberately.

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In this episode of the Habit Mechanic Podcast, Dr. Jon Finn is joined by Andrew Foster, Tougher Minds’ Head of Coaching (and a long-time member of the team), for a practical conversation about why so many mainstream explanations of behaviour change — including weight loss — miss the point.

Using a popular article on “the myth of willpower” as the jumping-off point, Jon and Andrew unpack what’s outdated about the usual nature-vs-nurture framing, why habits should be at the centre of any serious discussion about change, and why willpower isn’t a myth — it’s the conduit that allows you to interrupt old patterns and build new ones.

They explore how environment, sleep, stress, and daily routines interact to shape what you eat, how you move, and how you feel — and why many coaching clients “accidentally” lose weight as a side effect of becoming more Brain State intelligent and more deliberate in their habit design.

The conversation also connects this to the AI era: as work changes and demand for high-charge thinking increases, the ability to build better Brain State habits will become more important than ever.

A practical, science-led episode about taking back control — one habit at a time.

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In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn continues the How to Motivate Yourself in 2026 series by focusing on something many people overlook: the foundations that make sustainable motivation possible in an AI-accelerating world.

As businesses rapidly adopt AI and the pace of change increases, motivation won’t come from doing more or trying harder. It will come from having the right daily foundations in place so your brain states can support focus, energy, and high-quality thinking.

Building on the previous episodes — where you clarified your future vision and created your Future Ambitious Meaningful (FAM) Story — this episode introduces Chapter 17 of Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution: Building Your Foundation for Success.

Dr. Finn explains why motivation depends on getting a few core areas working well (sleep, diet, movement, stress, confidence, and focus), and why the fastest way to improve these isn’t by fixing everything at once. Instead, you’ll learn about super habits — simple daily practices that positively influence multiple foundations at the same time and make progress feel achievable rather than overwhelming.

This episode is practical, reflective, and designed to help you simplify your approach so working on your brain states becomes easier, more consistent, and more meaningful.

Two more episodes remain in the series, where the focus will shift even deeper into applying these ideas in daily life.

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In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn continues the How to Motivate Yourself for 2026 series by tackling a critical question: how do you turn a future vision into clear, meaningful action in an increasingly complex, AI-driven world?

As organisations prepare to scale AI and reduce headcount, many of the tasks humans have traditionally been paid to do are changing or disappearing. Dr. Finn explains why the key to thriving in this environment isn’t working harder or setting more goals — it’s learning how to manage your Brain States and align them with what truly matters to you.

Building on Parts 1 and 2, this episode focuses on creating and breaking down your Future Ambitious Meaningful (FAM) Story — a practical planning system that connects your long-term vision (health, happiness, contribution) to what you need to focus on this year, this month, this week, and today.

You’ll be guided through Chapter 16 of Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution: Breaking Down Your FAM Journey, where Dr. Finn walks you step by step through translating aspirations into a flexible, actionable plan that supports motivation, clarity, and sustainable performance.

This episode is designed to be practical, reflective, and non-overwhelming — helping you create direction in uncertainty and make working on your brain states feel meaningful right now.

Part 4 will continue the series by exploring the daily habits that turn your FAM Story into consistent action.

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In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn continues the Motivating Yourself for 2026 series by guiding you through the next step in building your Future Ambitious, Meaningful (FAM) Story.

Following on from Part 1, this episode focuses on creating the foundations of sustainable motivation by clarifying what truly matters to you — and how that connects to your brain states, habits, and daily focus.

Dr. Finn shares a brief real-world coaching insight before walking you through Chapter 15 of Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution: Creating Your FAM Story with the Task Director. You’ll be guided through a simple, reflective exercise designed to help you think more clearly about:

• who inspires you and why
• the qualities and strengths you want to cultivate
• what helps you feel at your best
• and how these connect to the future you want to create

This episode is designed to be practical, reflective, and non-overwhelming — helping you build clarity step by step so that working on your brain states today feels more meaningful and motivating.

Part 3 will focus on breaking your FAM Story down into a clear, step-by-step action plan.

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In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn explores what motivation really means as we enter 2026 — and why it will look fundamentally different in the AI era.

As AI increasingly takes over tasks humans have traditionally been paid to do, motivation will no longer come from pressure, deadlines, or external rewards. Instead, the people who thrive will be those who understand how to work with their Brain States and consistently access high-charge thinking that AI cannot replicate.

This episode introduces the first of the Six Habits of High-Performing AI-Era Professionals: building a 30-day focus loop. Dr. Finn explains why motivation starts with clarity of purpose, how understanding your brain states creates sustainable energy, and why knowing what you’re optimising your brain for is the foundation of future performance, wellbeing, and meaning.

You’ll also hear why creating a Future Ambitious Meaningful (FAM) Story is becoming essential in a world of constant change — helping you connect daily habits and brain state management to long-term health, happiness, and contribution.

This is Part 1 of a short series designed to help you build a clear, motivating foundation for 2026 and beyond.

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In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn shares the single most important thing he’s learned about managing stress — not from theory, but from coaching himself over many years.

We live in a world of constant transition: post-COVID disruption, rising uncertainty, and the accelerating AI era. Yet most traditional approaches to stress were never designed around how the brain actually works. The brain doesn’t run on information — it runs in Brain States, driven by habits.

Dr. Finn explains why stress is fundamentally a disconnection of meaning in the brain, how these stress responses silently drain hours of cognitive energy every day, and why so many people become stuck in unhelpful thinking loops without even realising it.

He also shares why the real breakthrough came when he stopped trying to “think his way out” of stress and instead learned how to coach himself using the same approach he now uses with clients. The episode explores why focused reflection is one of the most powerful habits for reprocessing stress — and why learning to coach others is often the fastest route to mastering your own brain.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, distracted, or as though you don’t have time to work on stress, this episode may help you see why you don’t have time not to.

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In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn shares a powerful story about a senior coder who became unexpectedly angry — because a simple Brain State insight transformed his performance overnight.

This real-world example reveals:

• why your Brain States determine how you think, feel, and perform
• how one small daily habit can shift you into a high-charge Brain State
• why the AI era makes Brain State management more essential than ever
• how Habit Mechanics adapt, learn faster, and thrive under pressure
• why building Brain State Habits is the foundation of lasting mastery

If you want to perform at your best in a world where AI is accelerating change, this episode will help you understand why you’re only ever one Brain State Habit away.

Have questions? Send them in — and Dr. Jon will answer them in future episodes.

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In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn takes you behind the scenes of one of the most important breakthroughs in Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution: Brain States — the hidden driver of everything you think, feel, and do.

Jon shares the origin story of Brain States for the very first time, tracing the idea back nearly a decade to formative experiences teaching activation levels to schoolchildren, collaborating with Professor Jim McKenna, and realising that different tasks in life require completely different neurological settings.

You’ll discover:

• Why Brain States are the foundation of all human performance
• How understanding them transforms everything — from reducing overwhelm to achieving deep focus
• The surprising link between Brain States and the behaviour of modern AI systems
• The journey from early neuroscience insights to the clear, practical three-Brain-State model used in the Habit Mechanic® and AI-Era Performance systems
• Why knowledge alone isn’t enough — and why Brain State habits are the key to lasting change
• How helping others with their habits dramatically accelerates your own growth (and why this is built into the Certified Habit Mechanic Coach® programme)

Jon explains how the six Brain State Habits were created, why this time of year is pivotal for getting your Brain States right, and how one small Brain State breakthrough can meaningfully change the course of your health, happiness, and performance in 2026.

Whether you’re already familiar with Brain State Intelligence® or hearing this story for the first time, this episode will deepen your understanding of how your brain really works — and why you’re only ever one Brain State habit away from being who you want to become.

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🗓️ Book a FREE call with Andrew Foster (Tougher Minds, Head of Coaching) 👉here to see whether one-to-one coaching for AI-Era Success is a good fit for you.

AI is advancing faster than people can adapt — and for many professionals, that feels scary. In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn returns after several weeks inside the AI frontline: panel events with NHS leaders, private dinners with business executives, and discussions with academics and technologists building the next generation of agentic and generative AI systems.

What he found is clear: the technology is accelerating, the opportunity is enormous, and people are overwhelmed.This episode explains why — and what to do about it.

Jon breaks down what’s really happening in the AI build-out (including trillion-dollar valuations and unprecedented chip demand), why “bubble” headlines miss the point, and why experts in medicine and business now trust AI to improve safety and accuracy in ways humans often can’t.

But the heart of the episode is human:
Why does AI feel threatening? Why is everyone anxious? And how do you stay confident, clear-headed, and high-performing while everything around you accelerates?

Jon introduces the Six Habits of High-Performing AI-Era Professionals, the practical behaviour system built from 25 years of neuroscience and behavioural science:

• Build a 30-day focus loop to ignite daily motivation
• Recharge your cognitive battery with sleep, diet, exercise habits
• Recode your stress response to stop overwhelm at its source
• Engineer robust confidence that survives uncertainty
• Prepare for pressure so you can deliver in High-Charge moments
• Develop laser-sharp focus for your most leveraged work

You’ll hear how these habits underpin Brain State Intelligence™, why traditional change-management approaches fail in the AI era, and why businesses now urgently need experts who can help humans adopt new behaviours — not just new tools.

Finally, Jon introduces a new way to get personalised support:
One-to-One Coaching for AI-Era Success, led by Andrew Foster — Tougher Minds’ Head of Coaching and one of the world’s leading practitioners in habit formation for the AI era.

This is for coaches, leaders, forward-thinking professionals, and even parents who want to understand the new world of work their children are growing into.

If you want to thrive — not just cope — in the AI era, this episode shows you what to focus on and how to get started.