Brains and how they work

A few years ago I blogged extensively about this book, Quiet Leadership, by David Rock. It, excuse the pun, rocked my world and is possibly one of the most memorable leadership books I've ever read. 

During the week we popped into my parents' house while they were overseas. Dad is also a David Rock fan, and I noticed this book, Your Brain at Work, sitting on his shelf. I quickly snaffled it for a read while I could. Too bad Dad... you should have taken it with you!

The subtitle says 'Strategies for overcoming distraction, regaining focus and working smarter all day long.' Basically, it's all about how to use your brain more effectively, and it's as good as I expected it to be. No, I don't have an office or executive job, but I get distracted, I have multiple things to do and I have to constantly multi-task and deal with interruptions, so I figure I'm a good candidate for learning what this book has to offer.

The first thing that hit me was that research shows that the processing part of your brain can only hold four things together. And you can only deal with one of those four things at a time. No wonder I feel overwhelmed when I come home with groceries and have to deal with excited conversation from four different children and a husband all at once. Just knowing that I don't have the capacity for such overload makes me feel better!

The second thing that struck me was the need to prioritise and be proactive, before distractions get in my head and overwhelm me. I knew this already, but it's a good reminder. When we arrived home from holidays yesterday I suddenly realised that I had about six big things to do this week and I was starting to panic, so I made a list and prioritised. It's amazing how the panic subsides!

Anyway, do yourself a favour and read David Rock - any or all of his books. I'm a fan.