Recently, I offered a formal definition for teliodosis: A state of living characterized by the integration of doing and being, where actions are naturally aligned with a deep sense of presence and purpose, fostering a harmonious and fulfilling life.
The interplay between doing and being also plays out in our brains, and when we understand the neuroscience, it opens new possibilities and opportunities for teliodosis.
The Doing and Being Networks of the Brain
Scientists have identified two fascinating and distinct networks in the brain:
- Task Positive Network (TPN) – A network of brain regions activated during focused attention, goal-directed tasks, and external engagement, facilitating cognitive processes like problem-solving and decision-making.
- Default Mode Network (DMN) – A network of brain regions active during rest, mind-wandering, and self-referential thinking, often associated with introspection and mental simulations.
I associate the TPN with doing and the DMN with being. Of note is that the two systems inhibit each other. When the TPN is active, the DMN shuts down. When the DMN is active, the TPN shuts down. In learning that, you may be tempted to prove you can activate both networks at the same time. Before you head down this road, it’s worth noting that the only cases where both networks have been observed active at the same time involve a mental disorder such as schizophrenia.*
When it comes to the TPN and DMN, integration is not about activating both at the same time. Integration is about easily shifting back and forth between the two when needed to tap into the strengths of each kind of thinking. Ann Betz offers an excellent metaphor for this.
Wizards and Engineers
In “Putting the Wizards to Work,” Ann offers a metaphor. Our TPN is our engineers, and our DMN is our wizards. When we need to focus on a specific task, think analytically, and execute, we bring in our engineers. We engage our TPN. When we want to engage in creative, big-picture thinking and let our minds wander into the past or the future, we bring in our wizards.
The challenge with our wizards is that if we leave them unchecked, they have a tendency to spiral into less positive thoughts. In my experience, they can also obsess over a specific thought (positive or negative) that doesn’t need to be pondered anymore.
Can you recall a time recently when your mind was racing, either worrying about the future or obsessing over a past action? Perhaps you were lying in bed with insomnia. Or driving home from work while the day played back over and over again in your head. This is your DMN at play.
Ann offers a simple, powerful suggestion – put your wizards to work. When your DMN is active, give it a topic. By picking a topic you want your brain to explore creatively and rooting it in your mind, your DMN can naturally focus on it instead of whatever else may randomly arise.
Understanding how the DMN operates has been transformative for me. I quickly recognized that my morning run activates my DMN. Sometimes, when I’m listening to a book or a podcast, my brain is so stubbornly working on something else that I realize I need to get that audio out of the way and switch to music or nothing at all.
Now, I frequently pause before the start of my run and give my wizards a topic. For example, I reminded my wizards I wanted to write this blog post this morning. While I ran, my wizards began brainstorming content for the post (and in so doing, they did not distract me with other topics I didn’t want them to think about).
Consider the activities where you find your mind wandering – particularly when you are thinking about the past or the future. What’s your equivalent to my morning run? Here are some of the activities I’ve heard from clients:
- Running
- Biking
- Walking/Hiking
- Driving a car
- Painting
- Being in nature
Getting Up On The Balcony
I often work with clients who are very good at the doing. They relate well to the engineers in this story. Many have a stated coaching goal to become more strategic and see the bigger picture. I like to call this getting up on the balcony. I often visualize myself first in the orchestra pit at a theater, looking up at the stage and then up on a balcony, looking down at the entire audience and stage from above.
Western culture rewards our TPN. We are raised in an environment that focuses heavily on the doing and promotes those who demonstrate an ability to execute, focus, and get things done. Many leaders’ ability to leverage their TPN serves them incredibly well—until it doesn’t. At a certain level of leadership, we are expected to think more strategically, have a long-term vision, connect with others, build strong relationships, and see others’ perspectives. All of these behaviors thrive in DMN.
This is one of my favorite coaching topics. I now offer a leadership workshop on the Neuroscience of Doing and Being to help teams embrace their wizards and engineers to improve their effectiveness. In the exercises, we learn to embody TPN and DMN to support shifting from one network to another as needed. It’s a fabulous technique for planning a project, engaging strategic thinking, or really any large, complex challenge.
Putting It Into Practice
Here are some ways to leverage your TPN and DMN:
- Be mindful of your thoughts. Identify what activities engage your wizards and which engage your engineers.
- Put your wizards to work by giving them a specific topic to process before engaging in a DMN activity.
- Consider coaching or a leadership workshop to strengthen your ability to leverage the networks.
I am an executive coach and life coach with software executive roots in higher education and EdTech. I coach because I love to help others accelerate their growth as leaders and humans. I frequently write about #management, #leadership, #coaching, #neuroscience, and #arete.
If you would like to learn more, schedule time with me.
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* I’ve heard of one study with a few monks with decades of experience in meditation, where the monks could demonstrate co-activation of the TPN and DMN in meditation. Should you choose this route to prove you can co-activate the networks, I’m confident you will overcome your attachment to demonstrating your ability to do so long before you reach their level of mastery.