You need cognitive flexibility

What if the solution is to stop insisting?

Cognitive flexibility is the ability to adapt your way of thinking and acting when the situation changes or you face something unexpected. It’s what allows you to pivot to a better option when you realize what you’re doing isn’t working.

Without this ability, we fall into cognitive rigidity: insisting on the same approach even when it’s not getting results. Has this ever happened to you? That feeling of pushing against a door that’s clearly locked. Cognitive flexibility helps you let go of futile effort and redirect your energy toward what can actually move you forward.

How can you become more flexible?

When you don’t know what to do in a new, changing, or unexpected situation, pause and ask yourself:

1. What information do I have right now?
2. Is it enough to make a decision?
3. What’s the best thing I can do right now?

Just do that one thing. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Then observe what happens: did it work? What new information do you have now to try something different?

Personal example: when stopping running was the right decision

A few months ago, I had successfully built my habit of running 40 minutes three times a week. Everything was going well until spring arrived… along with my allergy to olive tree pollen.

Each run left me feeling worse than the last. I could’ve pushed through — I have the discipline to do it — but it wasn’t the right move.

So I made a change: I started using a stationary bike indoors. The severe allergy symptoms disappeared, and I could continue training in Zone 2, which was my real goal.

Being flexible isn’t giving up — it’s moving forward by adapting to the terrain.

Warm regards,
Fernando Nóbel