Maximising the Processing Power of Your Mind

In this rapidly growing age of technology, we have experienced an incredible shift in the way we communicate and receive information. By connecting the whole world through social media and keeping everyone updated on current events up to the second it is a wonder anyone is able to fully process this vast deluge of information we receive on a daily basis and store it in a way which allows us to effectively use it.

Our brains work very much like a computer hard drive, a finite space of memory that allows random access. However, they are not perfect filing cabinet systems, if you have ever tried to recall a specific memory you may have found this distorted, unclear or even completely inaccurate to the true events. This is because of the many associated memories triggered by the same stimuli you are using to drag up the memory you want, all competing for space in your consciousness.

‘The evolved architecture of the brain is haphazard and disjointed, and has multiple systems, each of which has a mind of it’s own’ Daniel Levitin, The Organized Mind

As humans have evolved, so too has our ability to externalise mundane and simple information we try to hold in our mind, freeing it up to be more creative and innovative and address much bigger questions without that constant noise providing a distraction. So how can we maximise the capacity of our minds?

Before entering into any task, ask yourself, ‘Is there anything that I need to remember to do?’. If the answer to this is yes and you carry it with you into your meeting, no matter how much willpower you possess, your brain will constantly be reminding you of this due to the importance you have placed upon it, diverting your focus from whatever it is you need to concentrate on. Next time, write it down, it will allow you the security of knowing that this will not slip through the cracks subsequently freeing your mind to engage fully in the task at hand

Offload as many of your personal tasks as possible, to-do lists are obviously a great way of doing this as well as using a calendar to organise your events. It is much easier to have your phone sending you reminders at specific times before the event than to keep this information stored at the forefront of your memory whilst so much more is needing to be taken in and consolidated.

In a physical sense, arranging your personal belongings into easily manageable ‘piles’ offsets a lot of the mental burden of locating these items when needed, for instance keeping things you use regularly or will need the next day in plain sight offers a reminder to grab these things before you leave. For instance I keep my phone, wallet, keys and staff ID all together on my bedside table so when I leave for work in the morning I can grab everything without the need for remembering to do this. In a similar token, if the weather forecast for the next day predicts rain, I will put an umbrella by the front door the night before, then when it comes to leaving my house the next day the novelty of having an umbrella by the door will remind me that rain is forecast and I need to take it.

These are all small habits anyone can pick up to begin to improve your ability to retain the knowledge that tends to escape you and as you start to get into the mindset of externalising the small stuff, you will start to find your own ways of maximising the processing power of your mind.