This episode explains why most attempts at emotional control fail: they occur after the nervous system has already decided.

The conversation centers on Step 2 (physiology) of the 7-Step Reset and the idea that leadership, performance, and anxiety are governed less by conscious thought and more by fast neurological prediction. Humans process millions of bits of sensory input every second, yet only a tiny portion reaches awareness. By the time you try to “think clearly,” your body has often already entered a threat response.

The key is upstream intervention.

Within roughly one second, the brain predicts demand, applies past associations, organizes a reaction, and only then hands control to conscious thought. When reaction and response become identical, people escalate emotionally and rational thinking disappears. Preventing this requires conditioning the system before the moment — through physiology, self-talk, and deliberate association training.

Topics covered:

* Why anxiety spirals feel uncontrollable once triggered

* The difference between thinking and neural associations

* How physiology acts as the dashboard of emotional intelligence

* Using breathing and self-talk to interrupt conditioned reactions

* Homeostasis vs allostasis — stability versus upward adaptation

* Why identity change precedes sustained behavior change

The central claim: self-mastery is not regulation after the fact but preparation before the moment. Leadership effectiveness begins with the ability to detect and shift state before reaction becomes behavior.

On this ski run, every turn changes the entire complexion of the slope ahead. Steepen the edge slightly, adjust pressure, recover early—and the whole line evolves.

Personality works the same way.

Your “identity” isn’t a fixed thing. It’s a construct—built from thousands of micro-adjustments made in real time. If you try to change yourself at the personality level, it’s overwhelming. Too complex. Too slow. That’s 50 bits per second thinking.

Real transformation happens upstream.

Instead of trying to become a different person, build the habit of instantaneous recovery. Adjust sooner. Stabilize faster. Recover at the sub-second level. When recovery becomes automatic, the dip disappears—and the run changes without drama. This is what the Four Pillars of Self Mastery is all about.

Learn more about the upcoming workshop with this link: Self Mastery Workshop

After 50, this matters even more. Longevity isn’t built on big declarations. It’s built on micro-corrections repeated over decades.

Stay active. Stay adaptive. Change at the element level—and let the construct take care of itself.

The Levers & Drivers of The Four Pillars of Self Mastery [Replay]Join me as I demystify the anatomy of habit patterns and how this is the gateway to Agency.You can get information about past events as well as watch selected recordings at: www.7StepReset.com/Live

In this special segment, I describe the four pillars of Self Mastery, which are necessary for transformation.The biggest obstacle to habit change is habit itself and transformation includes breaking free from past habit patterns.Master habit patterns and you simplify transformation.Failure to do so can ensure you repeat the loop that keeps you stuck.Join the conversation live using this link: https://lnkd.in/g96sq-PNYou can get information about past events as well as watch selected recordings at: www.7StepReset.com/Live

In it, I highlight and discuss the power of physiology in the 7 Step Reset. It comes into play in every step but especially in the important 7 - 2 sequence that can have a direct impact on your day.You can find other videos about the various steps at www.7StepReset.com/Live. In January, I will continue with daily live events, but the theme will shift to Self Mastery - a necessary skill to apply Emotional Intelligence in Dynamic Leadership.The Self Mastery topic is a precursor to February, when the topic will shift to leading others using the principles from the 7 Step Reset to make Emotional Intelligence practical and actionable.Co-hosts are welcome on daily events - send me a DM on LinkedIn if you are interested. Most events are on Facebook and YouTube. Once per week, I include LinkedIn.You can find more information on the landing page mentioned above.

In this special event, I will go a level deeper with the 7 Step Reset. Neuroplasticity is the second lever in the first step. The levers are Beliefs, Neuroplasticity, Priming, Mindset and Physiology.

This segment is the second of three on the topic of Neuroplasticity with a focus on making the distinctions between the mind and the network of neurons where habits actually reside. The 7 Step Reset was created for Transformation but it also works for anxiety because virtually everything we do involves some our 100 Billion Neurons. The 7 Step Reset is like a gateway to the rest of your life because it has a direct effect on the thousands of daily stimulus response cycles - the days stack up quickly.The 7 Step Reset is a neuroscience-based coaching model which I originally designed to support my transformation work with clients but it is also ideal for retaining Agency and Personal Leadership which is why I use it in my Daily Anxiety Crusher Series.If this interests you, I invite you to visit: www.7stepreset.com/live to watch prior episodes for a working knowledge of the 7 Steps. It is the foundation of establishing the identity that is aligned with your life design.Whether you’re leading a team, building a business, or simply navigating uncertainty, my series will help you reset your conditioning, align habits with strategy, and take decisive action with confidence.You can find more insights on my Live Events Every Weekday at 8:00 AM Pacific. Learn how to transform stress into strategy, maintain focus under pressure, and build the inner resilience needed to thrive in times of change.Available on Linked IN, Facebook and YouTube. More information at www.7StepReset.com/Live

Three highlights of the two-month experiement.

* The progression works well until the muscle-related limitations are met. Then it gets harder. This is noticeable in hiking as thru hikers going 2,000 or more miles start off with ten mile days and finish with 30 mile days. The Aha is that with walking, you don’t really hit a muscle strength limit, the limit is endurance and this grows along with the neurotransmitter production.

* The connection between homeostasis and allostasis was major breakthrough since it comes into play in both physical and cognitive activities.

* My initial intention was to improve get started sprinting again after a multi-year layoff. One of the issues at my age - 70 - is the potential for injury so I was a little concerned and that is what got me started on the footwork drills, which led to understanding neurotransmitter production and more. My goal was to get back to my sprinting pace of 75 yards from five years ago. Using the neurostransmitter production breakthroughs. The limitations of muscles are not overcome so I needed more time to develop the involved muscles. I also realized I was 15 pounds heavier than when I ran five years so I decided to focus on losing the excess weight. In addition, I switched to wearing a weighted vest to build up my muscles and slow me down since the injuries tended to be high-speed and acceleration at speed related. So far, I am running with an 8-pound vest and I have beaten my time from five years ago. I have four more pounds to lose. Moving forward, I will use cycling weighted and unweighted sprints and other footwork drills weighted and unweighted.

You can find multiple live updates, including demonstrations at nearby parks on my Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/transformationafterfifty. Later, I will create these into a highlight reel with a more formal update.

Feel free to post questions.