PQ Mental Fitness

PQ is a neuroscience-based program that trains people to recognize self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors and shift to a more empowered mindset which positively impacts their productivity, their inner well-being, and their interpersonal work relationships. It is a brilliantly designed 6-week mental fitness program that is easily incorporated into even the busiest professional’s day to day. I can’t say enough about this program – even for myself, it has been a game-changer.

Mental Fitness is the X-Factor

If you’re not physically fit, you’d feel physical stress as you climb a steep hill.  

If you’re not mentally fit, you’d feel mental stress, such as anxiety, frustration, or unhappiness, as you handle work and relationship challenges.  

80% of people score below the minimum level of mental fitness required for peak performance and happiness.  

The great news? With recent breakthroughs in neuroscience and technology, you can now improve your mental fitness significantly within 6 weeks of practice. 

The results? Dramatically improved performance and productivity and a calm, clear and happier mind.  

Measuring Mental Fitness (PQ)

Mental fitness is a measure of the strength of your positive mental muscles (Sage) versus the negative (Saboteur). Saboteurs react to challenges in ways that generate negative emotions such as stress, disappointment, self-doubt, regret, anger, shame, guilt, or worry.

Your Sage handles challenges through positive emotions like empathy, gratitude, curiosity, creativity, self-confidence, and calm, clear-headed, laser-focused action. 

The relative strength of your positive Sage versus negative Saboteurs is called PQ (Positive Intelligence Quotient).  

PQ is the measure of your Mental Fitness. It’s the best predictor of how happy you are and how well you perform relative to your potential. 

You can boost your PQ significantly with practice. 

Breakthrough Research 

PQ is a synthesis of recent breakthroughs in neuroscience, cognitive behavioral and positive psychology, and performance science. 

Research included: 

• hundreds of CEOs
• sales, operations, and technology teams
• Stanford students
• elite athletes
• 500,000 participants from 50 countries

This research was summarized in Shirzad Chamine’s book Positive Intelligence, a New York Times bestseller, translated into 20 languages.  

Within 6-8 weeks of mental fitness training you’d be able to see the results in MRI imaging:  

• Increased grey matter in the PQ Brain region, where your Sage lives 
• Decreased grey matter in the Survivor Brain region, where your Saboteurs live  

Improvements in these competencies lead to substantial results:

• At MetLife, trained salespeople outsold the control group by 37%
• Motorola recorded improved productivity in 93% of trained employees
• In a UK restaurant group, higher competency resulted in 34% greater profit growth
• At Sanofi-Aventis Pharmeceutical, the average salesperson with improved competency sold $55,200 more per month
• At L’Oreal, strength in these competencies resulted in $91,370 increase per sales person
• At CIBC, strength in these competencies account for 32% of booked sales and 71% of pipeline sales

What is Positive Intelligence?

Positive Intelligence (PQ) is a synthesis of recent breakthroughs in neuroscience, cognitive and positive psychology, and performance science validated by over half a million participants in 50 countries.

PQ is a measure of the strength of positive mental muscles (Sage) versus negative ones (Saboteurs).

Saboteurs react to challenges in ways that generate negative emotions such as stress, disappointment, self-doubt, regret, anger, shame, guilt or worry.

The Sage handles challenges through positive emotions like empathy, gratitude, curiosity, creativity, self-confidence and calm, clear-headed, laser-focused action.

The relative strength of the positive Sage versus the negative Saboteurs is called PQ (Positive Intelligence Quotient).

You can find out your PQ score here.

Introducing the PQ Program facilitated by Dani Rukin, Executive & Leadership Coach

In addition to being a long-time, seasoned professional certified Co-Active (CPCC) and credentialed (PCC) leadership coach I am also a Certified Positive Intelligence™ Mental Fitness Coach (CPQC) and have permission from Shirzad Chamine and Positive Intelligence, Inc. to provide and facilitate the flagship Positive Intelligence program as part of my coaching practice.

Designed like a mental fitness bootcamp, the PQ Program gives you the insights, motivation, and structure to practice 15 minutes per day for 6 weeks. The program combines weekly video sessions with daily app-guided practices to boost your 3 core mental fitness muscles. 

What PQ grads are saying!

“I’ve practiced many self-help modalities and am an avid yoga practitioner and meditate regularly, but the PQ Methods get in between all the gaps that still caused me chronic challenges. My main saboteurs are the Controller and Hyper Achiever. I’ve been able to identify my weaknesses and I’ve learned to incorporate PQ reps throughout my day. Once I know something works, I never stop doing it. The POD experience brought our group closer together and I feel an intimate connection with them all. My daily life is much more relaxed, calm and efficient. I pause more before reacting and I’m much more empathetic to others because of the exercises we learned. I also recover quicker when I’m triggered and able to bounce back without regrets. I highly recommend the Positive Intelligence course for anyone wanting to live their best life in relationships, work, etc. It is a program of repetitive actions that makes your mental muscles stronger everyday. And Dani Rukin made it fun and very engaging!”

“As someone who has done therapy, recovery, and all manner of self-help programs, I find the PQ program to be one of the most effective because it’s a daily practice that can easily be incorporated into a packed schedule. For me, Hyper-Vigilance was problem #1 and the PQ program has given me concrete methods to deal with it when it crops up! Problem #2 is Avoidance. Again, PQ has helped me manage this. While not cured, I can recognize it when it’s happening, do a 5 minute rep and get going. The list goes on but, suffice it to say, I plan to make the reps a daily thing. It works if I work it! Thanks to Dani Rukin for her wisdom and guidance! Dani made the POD meetings fun!”

“Negative emotions like worry have often sidelined me. I struggle to stay in the present moment. Our PQ Pod became a safe space for me. I loved feeling supported by our group while I worked on overcoming judgement of myself and others — so I may live my best life. As a result, my relationships are more balanced and I am feeling more empowered than ever! Anyone can benefit from this smart, yet simple practice. Dani is an inspirational teacher and with next-level mastery of this program. I recommend Positive Intelligence for anybody that wants to achieve their external goals and dreams while simultaneously caring for their own hearts and minds.”

Here’s what the program schedule looks like

You’ll move through the program with a pod of approximately 5-10 participants. If you are not part of an existing group doing the program together, you will be assigned to a pod. Your pod will agree on a time to meet for 30-45 minutes to support one another with your PQ practice.

In addition to the weekly pod calls, you will receive support from Dani throughout the program. All of my guidance is designed to support you and answer your questions, so you can evolve your practice and strengthen your mental fitness in support of your goals.

Each week you access a one-hour video lesson from Shirzad Chamine, creator of the Positive Intelligence program, in the PQ app. And each weekday you will access the PQ app for 15 minutes to get you out of theory and build your PQ mental muscles through exercises and practice. Optionally, you can add live private coaching sessions with Dani, your PQ Coach, during the program to lock-in the learning, go much deeper than you can go in pod discussions, and receive much more customized support throughout the program.

In the PQ app, you will also have access to the broader PQ community channel for the program, where, if you wish, you can share your progress, insights, and a-ha moments with others going through the program at the same time and support each other’s growth and learning. At the end of the program, participants will have the option to enroll in “Grow” for those who want to continue growing their mental fitness.

Pods form every six weeks or sooner when a group of at least 5 people with common interests (or an intact work team) is ready to go.

Take the first step and complete the free 5 minute Saboteur assessment. Once you have the results, schedule a call with Dani to assess your saboteurs and discuss which format of the PQ Mental Fitness program will best support your goals.

For organizations who wish to offer this training to multiple teams or departments, contact me directly to discuss customized formats and pricing.

Weekly 1-hour Video Sessions

In these highly engaging sessions, Shirzad guides you through experiential exercises that deepen and personalize your understanding of the mental fitness tools. You leave inspired and energized for the week’s daily practices.

Exclusive App Guiding Your Daily Practice

Each day a different focus for daily practice is assigned through a personalized companion app available exclusively to program participants. 

This builds one small muscle at a time, laying down new neural pathways to form lasting positive habits of your mind. The cumulative impact by program’s end is substantial.

Interactive PQ Gym

Innovative 10-second PQ Reps build up your Self-Command muscle. You learn to be clear-headed and calm even in the midst of great challenges, able to command your mind to shift from Saboteur to Sage response.

Daily Progress Tracking

The app tracks your daily progress against minimum targets associated with new neural pathway (muscle) formation. Personalized daily coaching tips from Shirzad continue to both encourage and challenge you to keep going.

My Pod Online Community Support with Dani 

Dani remains an active member of your pod, answering your questions or providing online coaching. Participants report the online cohort community to be key to sustaining their enthusiasm for daily practice.

Six Weeks of Inspired Practice

Week 1: Boost Your Self-Command Muscle

The first week you learn innovative 10-second PQ Reps that boost your self-command. This enables you to run your brain rather than being run by your Saboteur-hijacked brain. Self-command is key to intercepting unhelpful mental habits and rewiring your brain to respond more effectively.  

• Try out and discover PQ Reps that are most effective for you.
• Reach the minimum target for PQ Reps/day to achieve rewiring goal within 6 weeks.
• Use the app’s breakthrough PQ Charge Meter to ensure optimal brain activation before important activities.
• Declare an audacious aspiration–what you want to achieve through this program.  

Week 2: Intercept the Judge Saboteur

For this entire week, you’ll intercept and weaken the most damaging Saboteur, the Judge. You discover how judging yourself, others, and circumstances is a key source of your stress and quite damaging to your performance. Most participants discover their Judge to be far more prevalent and damaging than they suspected. 

• Expose your Judge’s hidden lies, limiting beliefs, and negative patterns.
• Reveal your Judge’s impact on performance, relationships, and stress.
• Practice intercepting your Judge before it hijacks you. 
• Rewire your negative neural pathways by redirecting the Judge response.  

Week 3: Intercept your Accomplice Saboteurs

This week you intercept and weaken the top accomplice to your Judge Saboteur, identified through the Saboteur Assessment from the following: Avoider, Controller, Hyper-Achiever, Hyper-Rational, Hyper-Vigilant, Pleaser, Restless, Stickler, Victim. 

• Expose your accomplice Saboteur’s hidden lies, limiting beliefs and negative patterns.
• Reveal this Saboteur’s impact on performance, relationships, and stress.
• Discover how to quickly intercept this Saboteur before it hijacks you. 
• Rewire your negative neural pathways by redirecting this Saboteur’s response.  

Week 4: Shift From Saboteur to Sage 

After weakening your Saboteurs, it is now time to strengthen your Sage, the counterpart to your Saboteurs. Your Sage lives in an entirely different part of your brain, generates all your positive emotions, and achieves peak performance through a calm and clear mind. 

• Practice the Sage Perspective that every outcome or circumstance can be turned into a gift and opportunity. 
• Use the 3 Gifts Technique to find the opportunity in setbacks.  
• Replace draining self-judgment with energizing self-acceptance and empathy. 
• Boost speed of recovery from failures and setbacks.  

Week 5: Boost the Sage Powers

The Sage region of the brain enables 5 primary powers. Analogous to the 3 primary colors, these 5 powers recombine to form all of the emotional intelligence competencies considered crucial to professional success. 

• Augment your mental toolbox with 5 Sage powers. 
• Practice 3 techniques to activate each power.
• Know when to use which power—right tool at the right time. 
• Boost emotional intelligence through combinations of the 5 primary powers.  

Week 6: Take Clear-Headed, Laser-Focused Action

In our final week, you use your Sage’s Navigate and Activate powers to take clear-headed, laser-focused, decisive action.

• Use your Sage’s Navigate power to align your actions with a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.
• Use your Sage’s Activate power to act without fear or emotional distractions even in midst of great crises.
• Discover your Sage’s deep wisdom, far surpassing your analytical intelligence.
• Discover how your Sage generates your highest performance while enjoying every step—”in the zone.”

Final Session: Sustain the Momentum 

In this final session, you discover how to continue using your PQ tools for a variety of work and life applications.

• Learn how to further apply to peak performance in selling and persuading, conquering stress, managing conflict, and relationships mastery 
• Discover how to use the PQ app to maintain your new mental muscles and Sage habits
• Chart your path to keep progressing towards your audacious aspirations
• Establish support and accountability agreements to sustain your momentum

PQ Program vs. Traditional Training

Traditional training and development tends to have short-lived impact for 3 reasons:  

• Focus on insight rather than muscle. For example,the insight that being frustrated isn’t helpful doesn’t automatically lead to you not feeling frustrated. That would require mental muscles to shift brain activation. 
• Treating symptoms rather than cause. For example, teaching you techniques of active listening to improve empathy will have temporary impact if your deeply-seated Judge Saboteur is not exposed and intercepted. 
• No common operating system. Since each training you attend uses a different framework—the 7 steps of managing conflict, the 5 secrets of managing time, etc.—the frameworks compete for mind share and all fade away. 

Through extensive factor analysis research, PQ has identified the 10 root-level negative factors (Saboteurs) and the 5 primary powers (Sage). This enables a common operating system.  

All personal and professional development become applications of the PQ operating system. Whether learning to manage conflicts, manage time, or perform better under pressure, you’d apply the same exact operating system: 

• Intercept Saboteurs
• Issue Self-Command (through 10-second PQ Reps)
• Mobilize Sage (Empathize, Explore, Innovate, Navigate, Actvate)  

You’d be using one simple framework for a variety of applications, boosting root-level mental fitness.

This dramatically simplifies personal and professional development. 

Impact on Emotional Intelligence

Due to the power of factor analysis, the PQ Program boosts the root-level building blocks that automatically boost all 18 Emotional Intelligence competencies.

Self-Awareness	Social Awareness
Emotional Self-Awareness	Empathy
Accurate Self-Assessment	Organizational Awareness
Self-Confidence	Service Orientation
Self-Management	Relationship Management
Emotional Self-Control	Developing Others
Transparency	Inspirational Leadership
Adaptability	Change Catalyst
Achievement	Influence
Initiative	Conflict Management
Optimism	Teamwork & Collaboration

PQ (Positive Intelligence) is the only mental fitness operating system you will ever need to install in yourself. It is the foundation for your success AND happiness. Have you been successful but neither fully happy or satisfied with your accomplishments? Have you been happy but not as successful as you wish? No need to keep pushing the boulder up the hill and invest the time now to forever change your life in the areas of work performance, quality relationships, and personal wellness.

I now include PQ as a foundational component for all coaching engagements: that is how impactful it is for those who commit to the intensive six-week program.

Email me to schedule a call to talk further about registering for the 6-week PQ coaching program.