4. Establish Your Core Practices

Some of the most salient aspects of being a designer, such as thinking creatively and critically, rely significantly on a region of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is formed by the area of he anterior pole of the mammalian brain that receives projections from the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus. With its highly evolved neuronal networks, the prefrontal cortex is capable of generating mental representation without sensory stimulation from the environment and responsible for your high-order cognition. In this chapter, you will learn how to establish your core practices. You will learn how to fulfill the precondition for your prefrontal cortex to operate in an optimal social and cognitive configuration that maximizes its executive functions. You will analyze how to control these conditions to promote creative and critical thinking in the service of decision-making and adaptive behavior. You will also learn how to connect with your purpose, identify your priorities, and strategize your week, creating a schedule that allows you to find your focus and achieve a high level of performance.