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Psychology6 min read

Programming Your Matrix, Self-Efficacy's Power, And The Muse

Understanding how to program your reticular activating system, developing self-efficacy, and recognizing your personal muse for authentic direction in life.

1) Programming Your Matrix

Have you ever noticed how when you're thinking about buying something specific, suddenly you start seeing it everywhere?

This isn't a coincidence—it's your Reticular Activating System (RAS) at work.

Whether it's a desire occupying your mental bandwidth, a lyric from a song, a negative thought, or anything. What occupies your mind tends to get noticed in the world.

The RAS is like your brain's personal "matrix," filtering information and shaping your reality based on what you focus on.

When you consistently direct your attention towards certain goals or ideas, your RAS goes to work, bringing more of those things into your awareness.

It can work IN your favor or AGAINST it.

The key is to program your RAS intentionally. By visualizing your goals, repeating affirmations, and consistently focusing on what you want, you're essentially reprogramming your matrix to work in your favor. It's not about denying reality, but rather about training your brain to notice opportunities and resources that align with your objectives.

Remember, your RAS doesn't distinguish between positive and negative focus. If you constantly worry about failure, guess what? You'll start noticing more reasons to be anxious. On the flip hand, if you prime yourself to look for success and opportunities, that's precisely what you'll find more of.

I spoke about being intentional with your focus in a previous newsletter, where if you think you're lucky, coincidentally, you'll spot more opportunities to prove it.

Our brains are goal-striving machines. You set a goal, it'll go to work to achieve it. However, from a first principles standpoint, you must program the hardware (the RAS) with some software (knowledge).

So, how can you harness this power?

Over time, you'll find your "matrix" revealing more and more of what truly matters to you.

2) The Power of Self-Efficacy

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to effortlessly achieve their goals while others struggle?

The secret often lies in a psychological concept known as self-efficacy—our belief in our ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task.

Self-efficacy is like the engine of your success vehicle whereas a strong self-image is the engine itself (more on self-image here). It's not just about having the skills, resources, mentors, tools, or degree; it's about believing in your capacity to use everything at your disposal effectively.

The fascinating thing is, this belief can be more powerful than your actual abilities in determining your performance and success.

One of the most potent ways to boost your self-efficacy is through what psychologists call "social modeling." This means observing people similar to you succeeding by sustained effort. When you see someone relatable achieving their goals, it increases your belief that you, too, can master comparable activities.

For me, any time I set a goal or set out to do anything I find someone I can look up to for inspiration. I got this tip from a speech by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The idea is to find someone who's been on a path similar to yours because then it becomes more relatable and believable that hey...you can do it too!

For Arnold, this was Reg Park. What Park did for Arnold was give him the blueprint to the life he wanted.

Whenever I'm down or experiencing a low in my life, I just look at my "tribe of mentors"—people who've done what I want to do and who've started in a similar situation as me. I then just deconstruct their lives and see how their different phases of life relate to mine to see how I can use their wisdom and lessons to overcome any challenges in front of me.

Another key to developing self-efficacy is through small wins and persistence.

Each time you overcome a challenge or achieve a goal, no matter how small, you're building evidence of your capabilities. These experiences accumulate, forming a solid foundation of self-belief that can carry you through bigger challenges.

One thing I do to make this more fun is I set up rewards after I hit small goals, do deep work, or complete a task. It can be anything. The idea is to program your brain to expect rewards after doing something that'll move you forward in life in order to be motivated and excited to do some work.

For me, it can be anything from:

Get creative with it.

For those who want a list of steps, here's how you can cultivate a stronger self-efficacy:

  1. Seek out positive role models and learn from their strategies
  2. Set small, achievable goals and celebrate your victories with rewards
  3. Reframe setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures
  4. Practice positive self-talk and visualization of success
  5. Continuously educate yourself and develop new skills to measure your progress as proof

3) Don't Ignore Your Muse

We often hear about finding our passion or discovering our purpose, as if these are fixed destinations we can reach. But what if there's a more enduring force guiding us through life's journey?

Enter the concept of the muse—that intangible source of inspiration and creativity that seems to follow us throughout our lives.

Unlike fleeting passions or manufactured purposes, your muse is a constant companion. It's not something you choose; rather, it chooses you.

It's the recurring theme in your life, the ideas, passions, and interests that keep coming back to you no matter where you are or what you're doing.

Think about it—what are the concepts, themes, or creative impulses that have consistently fascinated you over the years? What ideas do you find yourself returning to, even as other interests come and go? These persistent inspirations are likely manifestations of your muse.

The beauty of embracing your muse is that it transcends the pressure of finding a single, all-encompassing passion or purpose.

It allows for evolution and growth while maintaining a core essence that is uniquely yours.

Your muse might express itself differently at various stages of your life, but its fundamental nature remains constant.

Since a kid, I've always been attracted to activities which are strategy-orientated. From games like Wizard101 to tycoon games on Roblox—it's always been around strategy that's visual.

As I've matured, it's morphed into entrepreneurship. I'd sell candy in middle school then get in trouble for it. At 17, I started my first "real" online business. And just this past year, I made an attempt at an online startup to help people quit vaping (failed but a lot of lessons learned).

I can drift from reading about ancient philosophy, history about the renaissance era, or dive deep into the psychology of human behavior. However, the core theme has always been business which transcends all the interests. For some reason, I always listen to business podcasts or watch videos on the topic. I even work for the time being at a tech startup gaining insider knowledge and experience.

This is what I mean about your muse. You can tell yourself you want to be an artist, doctor, or astronaut. But does your life reflect that? Is that where all your money is being spent? Where all your attention is given?

The muse will follow you and hint signs at you—in an obvious way.

You just have to choose to see it and let it truthfully speak to you that, "hey, this is what intrinsically interests me and is naturally following me in my life with low effort on my end."

Don't ignore it, listen to the muse and form a life around it.