- Share:
Multitasking can lower a man’s IQ by 15 points and a woman by 5 points contributing to poor decision making according to David Rock author of Your Brain at Work. [I highly recommend reading to assist in our ‘always on’ society..]
The prefrontal cortex [forehead region] is the biological region where you hold conscious thought. He explains the prefrontal cortex as the area of the brain where decisions are made.
Rock suggests imagining your prefrontal cortex as a stage and your conscious thoughts as actors.
Too many actors [tasks, to dos, projects, decisions] on stage at the same time uses a lot of energy as you must work very hard to keep attention and focus on one actor/thought while the other actors/thoughts vie for your attention. Remember your brain uses 25% of your daily energy…
Attempting to hold many different ‘todos’ in your conscious thought at the same time lowers IQ and is not an ideal state to make good decisions.
If you continually have too many actors [things to do] on the stage [prefrontal cortex] you will tire out quickly, have brain fog, and make poor decisions. This can even lead to depression, short temper, and anxiety.
His solution is to practice having but one actor on the stage at a time.
To accomplish this make a list on paper of all the key projects, items and decisions you have on your mind. Then prioritize the list!! Take the most important item first and place it on the stage [prefrontal cortex]. When one actor/task is done get it off stage and bring on the next priority actor/task.
In time, I have found, this becomes easier with a significant difference in the clarity of my thought process.
We have all heard we should prioritize our tasks however brain imagery now proves this not only is important to keep you focused but also allows for better decision making and more energy throughout the day.
If you find yourself often in ‘overwhelm’ I suggest you pick up a copy of ‘Your Brain at Work’ or at the least write down everything on your mind and prioritize.
Jeffrey Gittomer, sales training guru, claims he always has a good night sleep. Before going to bed he writes down everything on his mind which allows his brain to relax, creates a restful sleep and he wakes up with more energy.
Related Articles
Personal Whether Forecast
Words, thoughts, feelings, beliefs and actions contribute to our personal ‘whether system’. Each of these determine whether we have a good day or bad, whether friends, family or customers feel warm or cold around us, whether we create havoc or harmony and overall whether we are toxic or environmentally friendly. I understand there are outside […]
Article
The Sales Personality
Bernie Siegel MD made an interesting discovery working with patients with multiple personality disorder. As the patients experienced distinct change in personality they also experienced distinct change in ailments and addictions. As example in one personality a patient may have a severe skin rash while in another the rash would clear up or in one […]
Article
Know what you are BEST at
Leadership and management are often thought to be the same. If someone is a manager they are assumed to be a leader. From my experience I have not found this to be true. Though both are vital to the success of any business leadership and management are two different roles and often a good manager […]