To be a London cab driver—the ones who operate the iconic black taxis—they have to pass one of the toughest tests in the world, called The Knowledge.
To be certified to drive one of London’s black cabs, candidates must memorize over 25,000 streets and thousands of points of interest. They have to instantly calculate routes without a map or GPS, responding on the spot to a passenger’s request or a sudden traffic jam.
London cab drivers have been found to have a significantly larger hippocampus—the part of the brain responsible for memory and navigation. Studies even suggest they experience lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease compared to people in other professions. It proves that consistent mental challenge literally reshapes the brain.
The average brain generates about 48.6 thoughts per minute, or roughly 70,000 thoughts per day. And contrary to myth, we don’t use just 10% of our brain—we use all of it, even when we sleep. The human brain, weighing just about three pounds (roughly a half-gallon of milk), is the most powerful learning machine ever built.
Your brain isn’t fully developed until about age 25. The part that controls reasoning and decision-making—the frontal lobe—is the last to form. Ask any parent—they’ll back that up. And most of us can probably confess to doing some pretty stupid stuff when we were young. Growth and learning are lifelong pursuits.
Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner, once said:
“In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time—none. Zero.”
Warren Buffett has spent 80% of his career reading and thinking. The world’s smartest and busiest people dedicate at least one hour a day to deliberate learning.
What do they see that others don’t?
They understand that learning is the single best investment of time you can make.
Benjamin Franklin said:
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
So, what will you do to keep learning, improving, and growing?
Show up to your sales meetings.
Join a training.
Read something that stretches your thinking.
Because whether you’re navigating 25,000 London streets or 25,000 thoughts, your brain is ready to grow—if you are.