Why It's Good to Let Them F.I.O.
Have you ever asked someone to complete a task that was new or difficult for that person? Then, after a short amount of time, have you decided it would just be easier for you to do the task or just show them exactly how to do it, so you take over? Yeah. Me too! Here’s the thing though. Although our intentions may be good (e.g., we don’t want them to struggle too much; we want the task done like we need/want it exactly or more quickly), we do a disservice to the person we interrupt. Trying to figure something new out has several benefits for the brain! In our house we call figuring something out F.I.O. (figure it out). Here’s what you encourage when you let your athlete (or yourself) F.I.O. (Di Domenico & Ryan, 2017; Sarathy, 2018; Wright et al., 2025):
- You allow for practice of executive functioning. The prefrontal cortex gets to work by assisting in planning, problem-solving, and making decisions.
- New pathways in the brain can form or strengthen (neuroplasticity). Exploring new, different, and challenging tasks help create more reliable memories with more details making it easier to remember the next time.
- You help enhance the ability to recall information which is crucial for learning. F.I.O. lets the brain come to its own solutions (v. passively receiving information). This exercise means the brain will be able to recall the “how to” (information) more accurately and quickly in the future.
- You help the brain work on activating creativity. Figuring it out requires some creative thinking to help solve problems by using the right hemisphere (called making distant associations).
- You leave the door open to experience the much desired “Aha” moment. When the right hemisphere is engaged, it can stop an analytical thought process & allow you to see the problem from a more holistic view which often leads to the “Aha!” And the sense of accomplishment that comes with that!
- You encourage the exploration system (or seeking system). Facilitating a F.I.O. situation can activate a drive to explore the situation & solve the problem. When this happens, the brain releases dopamine (aka feel good!) which fuels curiosity. This curiosity helps the focus shift from only wanting the final outcome to getting energy (motivation) through the problem-solving stage.
At its core, the idea of F.I.O. is discovery learning. The trick is helping your athlete (or self) learn how to get through the initial struggle phase. Tackling a seemingly difficult or new task (a challenge) may send the brain into a friction mode that produces negative thoughts about having to work. Understand this is a normal defense mechanism of the brain. If it thinks you will feel uncomfortable, exposed (or threatened), it will try to warn you by sending negative thoughts to get you to stop (or not do the task). Instead, recognize what this is, that you don’t need protection in that moment, and move through it. Then let the energy build as you watch the power of F.I.O. in action!
References
Di Domenico, S. I., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). The Emerging Neuroscience of Intrinsic Motivation: A New Frontier in Self-Determination Research. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 11, 145. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00145
Sarathy, V. (2018). Real world problem-solving. Front. Hum. Neurosci, 12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00261
Wright, W. J., Hedrick, N. G., & Komiyama, T. (2025). Distinct synaptic plasticity rules operate across dendritic compartments in vivo during learning. Science, 388(6744), 322-328.