I'm Dr. Jon Finn, best-selling author of 'The Habit Mechanic' (https://geni.us/TheHabitMechanic) and founder the award-winning Tougher Minds consultancy (https://www.tougherminds.co.uk) and the Habit Mechanic University app (https://www.tougherminds.co.uk/habit-mechanic-app/). I have three psychology related degrees and have worked in performance psychology for over 20 years. I started in elite sport (working with world-class athletes and coaches). I now also work with some of the biggest businesses in the world. In this podcast, I share my expertise about how you and your team can use insights from cutting-edge science and elite sport to fulfil your potential in our challenging world. I provide simple and practical tips, tools and techniques to help you develop Resilience, become an outstanding Leader, and create World-Class teams. If you ever have any questions just drop me an email here: [email protected]
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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:
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:
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.
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Get 📘"Training Your Brain for the AI Revolution" for just $1 👉 here
In this episode, we practically unpack how Human-AI Performance Psychology™ gives professionals and teams a real competitive edge in the AI era. You’ll learn why mastering your Brain States—not learning more tools—is the true multiplier for performance, creativity, and resilience. We introduce The Six Habits of High-Performing AI-Era Professionals, a practical blueprint for activating your best work, recovering effectively, and extracting real value from generative AI without burning out.
Here’s what we cover:
• Why your brain—not the tool—is the ultimate AI force multiplier
• The Activation Dial and how to engineer optimal Brain States
• The 30-day focus loop for clarity, momentum, and output
• Recharge protocols for sleep, nutrition, movement, and relationships
• Stress recoding to stop energy leaks before they derail performance
• Confidence engineering through fast, constructive feedback
• Preparing to perform under pressure (and why this matters more with AI)
• Building laser-sharp focus for deep, high-value work
• Real-world results, training options, and certification pathways
• How these Six Habits future-proof your role, your value, and your team
Want to go deeper?
• Explore the Six Habits training on the Tougher Minds® website
• Learn about the Certified Habit Mechanic Coach programme
• We can coach you directly or train your entire team — if you can’t find what you need on the site, just let us know here
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Get 📘"Training Your Brain for the AI Revolution" for just $1 👉 here
Today’s job market feels like a jobless boom — productivity is rising, yet opportunities feel more fragile than ever. In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn explains why that’s happening and reveals how two very different species of AI are reshaping work.
Discover how agentic AI automates routine, low-value tasks — while generative AI acts as a powerful force multiplierfor human expertise. We unpack the snowmobile metaphor to show how professionals can accelerate performance by mastering the six habits that create genuine Human + AI advantage.
You’ll learn:
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In Day 4 – Automate | Build Super Habits: How to Coach Yourself and Thrive in the AI Era, we move from knowing what to do to making it automatic — using the Nine Action Factors and a simple habit-building plan anchored by a daily Willpower Story.
You’ll learn how to coach yourself, use AI to cut busywork, and design smart routines that target Recharge, Medium-Charge, and High-Charge Brain States for sustained performance.
You’ll explore:
• How routines work as linked chains of Super Habits
• Why knowledge fails without automation
• Using the Willpower Story at a set time and place
• The Nine Action Factors and ten practical prompts
• Mapping habits to Recharge, Medium-Charge, and High-Charge tasks
• The personal research loop — observe, adjust, repeat
• Coaching yourself with lessons from elite sport analysis
• Using AI to reduce Medium-Charge work and enhance deep focus
• The path to certification and structured three-month training
🎓 Note: We’re currently offering 75%-funded training grants for people who want to become Certified Human–AI Performance Psychology Coaches.
If you’re not seeing our messages about this, just reach out — we’ll confirm if any grants remain and whether it’s a good fit for you.
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👀 Watch the video ▶️ here
Get 📘"Training Your Brain for the AI Revolution" for just $1 👉 here
In Day 3 – Optimise | Design Your Day: Strengthen Focus, Willpower & Brain State Control, we show how to lead AI by managing your own brain state, building a practical 30-day performance plan, and using the Day Designer to script a focused, energised 24 hours.
The goal is simple: protect deep work, automate recovery, and use AI to accelerate routine “ice-cube” tasks so you can sculpt meaningful results with full attention.
You’ll explore:
• Why the AI Revolution is a once-in-a-lifetime leverage window
• How to measure Brain States and match task difficulty for flow
• The danger of Medium-Charge work and its impact on quality
• Applying the AI Success Cycle across a 30-day rhythm
• The Day Designer timeline — from wake to sleep
• Scheduling deep work, breaks, exercise, and shutdown rituals
• Super Habits for sleep, diet, exercise, and stress control
• Taking ownership for accuracy and accountability when using AI
• Building momentum — and coaching others to use the same system
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In Day 2 – Plan | Build Your Long-Term Focus: How to Lead Your Own Life in the AI Era, we connect your long-term ambitions to your daily actions using the science of Human–AI Performance Psychology.
You’ll learn how to turn your future vision into focused action, and how AI can free up time for high-impact workby eliminating low-value tasks. We unpack Brain State Intelligence®, explore the Ice Cubes vs Ice Sculptures approach to planning, and explain why goals are powerful stress-management tools — not wish lists.
You’ll discover:
• A quick recap of Brain State measurement — and why it matters
• How to map long-term goals back to today’s priorities
• Values prompts that reveal your real strengths
• The Ice Cubes vs Ice Sculptures method for better task planning
• How to use agentic and generative AI to speed up meaningful work
• How to estimate effort realistically and cut overwhelm
• Why goals focus attention and regulate stress
• How to run a monthly review and teach others to lock new habits
• A preview of tomorrow’s session — the Day Designer and Willpower Story
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Get 📘"Training Your Brain for the AI Revolution" for just $1 👉 here
We’re launching the 4-Day Audio Challenge — your free introduction to Human–AI Performance Psychology, the science of thriving in the AI era by mastering your Brain States.
In Day 1, you’ll measure where your energy really goes, learn to cut Medium-Charge busywork, and discover how to use AI to free brainpower for deep work, recovery, and new super habits.
You’ll explore:
• How AI is automating cognitive labour — and what that means for your career
• Why Human–AI teams outperform solo effort when you lead with clarity
• How Medium-Charge work drains focus and slows progress
• How to use AI to protect sleep, reduce stress, and strengthen leadership habits
• The Human–AI Readiness Brain State Assessment and scoring profiles
• What your pattern — Cross to Bear, Jagged Jewel, or Arrowhead — reveals about your habits
• The 4-Day Plan: Measure → Strategise → Design → Engineer
• How to become your own Habit Coach — and help others do the same
• Simple next steps to set a 30-day focus and protect willpower
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Get 📘"Training Your Brain for the AI Revolution" for just $1 👉 here
In this episode, we explore how neural-network AI pairs with Brain-State Intelligence® — the foundation of Human-AI Performance Psychology — to help you outsource busy work, focus on high-impact thinking, and build habits that actually stick.
You’ll hear practical frameworks, real-world examples, and a clear path to becoming healthier, happier, and more effective in the AI era.
What You’ll Learn:
• Why habits fail without Brain-State awareness
• Recharge, Medium-Charge, and High-Charge explained
• Agentic AI vs. LLMs — and when to use each
• How to outsource Medium-Charge tasks to reclaim energy
• Accelerating High-Charge work with AI co-working
• Real gains in productivity, cost, and effectiveness
• A 30-day plan and daily strategic ritual
• Future roles: Innovators, Automators, and AI Performance Coaches
• Where to start and how to build momentum
🎧 Listen now to discover how Human-AI Performance Psychology can help you think better, perform smarter, and thrive in the age of AI.
📘 Learn more at tougherminds.co.uk
— and get your copy of Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution for just $1, plus details on our Certified Habit Mechanic® Coaching Program.
Text us a question and we'll answer it on the podcast...
Get 📘"Training Your Brain for the AI Revolution" for just $1 👉 here
In this episode Dr. Jon Finn (creator of Human-AI Performance Psychology) and his AI team show how to win the AI era by training energy and attention before tools. We unpack Recharge, Medium, and High Charge Brain States; the Daily 3:1 Reflection; and the four‑step AI-Edge Success Cycle, with real examples of time and cost gains from pairing optimised brain states with AI.
• Why recharge is the foundation for performance
• The pre‑reflection routine to prime positive circuits
• The Daily 3:1 Reflection to steer attention
• Shifting routine Medium Charge work to AI
• Expanding High Charge hours to four, five, six or seven daily
• AI as amplifier for High Charge work, not a replacement
• The audiobook case study and 90% cost saving
• The Success Cycle: measure, plan, optimise, automate
• Using brain‑first planning to reduce stress and reclaim focus