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Imagine you’ve worked hard. You’ve worked long. Mentally, physically you’re done. But then I offer you $1,000 if you can keep going for another 10 minutes. And suddenly you’re good to go. Hold that thought. Mental toughness. Determination. Willpower. Perseverance. However you describe it, the ability to push through mental and physical fatigue to achieve long-term goals is often what sets successful people apart. When others stop trying, the last person to give upespecially on themselvesis often the person who succeeds. But why do some people keep going when others won’t? In part because they understand, if only intuitively, the 40% rule, a concept popularized by Dave Goggins in Jesse Itzlers book Living With a SEAL. The premise is simple. When our minds say we’re exhausted, fried, and totally tapped out, we’re really only 40% done: We still have 60% left in our tanks. So why do we stop? According to a new study published in Journal of Neuroscience, two brain regions activate when you feel mentally fatigued. (Physical fatigue is, in effect, mental fatigue. Your muscles don’t give up when you’re tired. Your mind gives up long before; otherwise you wouldn’t stop until you physically collapse.) One culprit is the right insula, an area deep in the brain associated with feelings of fatigue. The other is the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, areas on both sides of the brain that control working memory. All of these areas work together to decide when it’s time to avoid more cognitive effortto decide when you’re done. Except the decisions they make aren’t particularly accurate. According to the researchers: Our study was designed to induce cognitive fatigue and see how people’s choices to exert effort change when they feel fatigue, as well as identify locations in the brain where these decisions are made. However, there may be a discrepancy between perceptions in cognitive fatigue and what the human brain is actually capable of doing. Take incentives. When participants were fatigued, they were more likely to choose to pass up on higher levels of reward for more effort. The more fatigued they became, the greater the reward had to be. But with the right reward, they wouldand obviously couldkeep going. That makes intuitive sense. Deciding to give up is always a benefits/rewards decision. If you’re creating a sales demo, you won’t put in more effort unless you think it’s worth it: If more work will create an appreciably better result, or if the demo’s potential outcome is sufficiently great. Your brain weighs the effort against the outcome. That’s why my offering you $1,000 for 10 more minutes makes you suddenly find mental or physical energy reserves you didn’t think you had. Another factor is time. A study published in PLoS One found that people asked to pedal an exercise bike set at a certain resistance level as long as they could lasted about 12 minutes, until they said they could do no more. But when they were then asked to repeat a five second, maximum-effort power test, they could produce three times more power than they did during the endurance test. Their muscles weren’t depleted. Their mind was depleted. Even if you think youre exhausted, cranking out another five seconds is (relatively) nothing. The endurance test is a different beast. Stuck on a bike, hamster-wheeling away, heart pounding and legs screaming, and not knowing how long the pain will last? Indefinite effort is physically and mentally draining, a combination that makes it much harder to keep pushing past what you perceive as your limit. Even though you could, if offered the right incentive. That’s the primary takeaway. The ability to push through mental or physical fatigue is a trait you can definitely develop. But over the shorter term, if you want to keep going, the key is to find reasonsmeaningful reasonsto stay the course. Getting in better shape so your clothes fit better is a worthwhile goal; getting in better shape so you can live a longer, healthier life and be there for your family is a meaningful goal. Finishing a sales demo because you’ll make the call tomorrow is a worthwhile goal, but crafting a demo that will truly resonate with a potential long-term clientwhich will help you build a thriving businessis a meaningful goal. The key is to find a greater, more long-term “why,” one that will outweigh the feeling that you’re done. And to set time limits on your effort. Not knowing when you’ll be done? You’ll probably decide in, say, 30 minutes, even if you could go longer. But if you say, “I’ll give this one more hour,” now there’s a limit, one you’ll find the energy reserves to reach. When you think you’re done, you really aren’t. Your right insula and dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex have just decided you are. And you can just as easilywith the right incentives, and the right perspectivedecide you’re not done. By Jeff Haden This article originally appeared on Fast Company‘s sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
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E-Commerce
The NBA on Wednesday unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by private equity mogul Bill Chisholm, a deal that values the franchise at $6.1 billion.The league said the transaction is expected to close shortly. When it does, Chisholm will take ownership of at least 51% of the team, with full control coming by 2028 at a price that could bring the total value to $7.3 billion.That’s the largest price ever paid for an American professional sports team, though Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter has agreed to buy a controlling share of the Lakers in a deal that would place the value of the entire franchise at $10 billion. It’s not clear how much Walter would own; current owner Jeanie Buss is expected to retain at least 15% of the team.The previous record for a U.S. sports franchise was the $6.05 billion paid for the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023. The record price for an NBA team was the $4 billion mortgage firm owner Mat Ishbia paid for the Phoenix Suns in 2023.A Massachusetts native and graduate of Dartmouth College and Penn’s Wharton School of business, Chisholm is the managing partner of California-based Symphony Technology Group. The new ownership group also includes Boston businessmen Rob Hale, who is a current Celtics shareholder, and Bruce Beal Jr.Wyc Grousbeck led the ownership group that bought the team in 2002 for $360 million and presided over NBA championships in 2008 and ’24. The franchise’s 18 NBA titles is a record.Chisholm outbid at least two other groups, one led by previous Celtics minority partner Steve Pagliuca. Pagliuca has since announced plans to but the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun for $325 million and move them to Boston, but the women’s league has balked at the deal. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Jimmy Golen, AP Sports Writer
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E-Commerce
The summer holidays are here and many of us will heading off on trips to hot and sunny destinations, and bringing our electronic devices along.But don’t forget that phones, tablets and other electronics are vulnerable to extreme heat. Southern European nations like Spain, Italy and Greece have been baking under the sun, while forecasters have consistently issued heat advisories across the United States, particularly in the Southeast.Here’s what device makers and experts say on keeping your electronics cool: What heat does to a phone: Most electronic devices work best in a specific temperature range. Apple says iPhones and iPads are designed to be used in temperatures between 32-95 degrees Fahrenheit (0-35 degrees Celsius).A device might change its behavior to deal with extreme temperatures, Apple warns. “Using an iOS or iPadOS device in very hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life.”Your phone might temporarily warm up if you’re charging wirelessly, downloading big files, streaming high-quality video or doing anything else that requires lots of power or data. Samsung says that’s normal and it won’t affect the performance or battery lifespan. What happens if the device gets too hot If your phone gets so hot that it becomes uncomfortable to hold, Samsung recommends that you stop using it.An overheating iPhone will alert users with a warning message that it needs to cool down before it can be used. Android devices will display a similar message, telling user that the screen will dim, apps will be closed and charging will be paused. What not to do There are things you can do to protect your device from high heat.Don’t leave it in a car on hot day and don’t leave it in direct sunlight for long.Apple also warns against using some features when it’s very hot or in direct sunlight for long periods, like GPS navigation when driving, playing a graphics-heavy video game or using the camera.Google, which makes Pixel Android phones, advises users not to use resource-intensive features or apps while charging. Keep your gear cool The best thing you can do in extreme heat is turn off your device completely.“Even background processes can generate heat,” say experts at British electronics chain Curry’s. “A full shutdown helps it cool faster.”Remove the case, if your phone or tablet has one, because they can trap heat.Also keep it out of direct sunlight and put it somewhere cool, like an air-conditioned room or in front of a fan. But be careful about putting it in cool places.“Never put your device in the fridge or freezer, as condensation can cause water damage,” Curry’s says. Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip. Kelvin Chan, AP Technology Writer
Category:
E-Commerce
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