Daniel J. Levitin is the James McGill Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience at McGill University. He is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, This Is Your Brain on Music and The World in Six Songs. His website is www.daniellevitin.com.
In the best of all possible worlds, we would be able to organize our lives in such a way that we could make the most of our time and talents. But digitization has put us on a sea of information that threatens to capsize our little vessel.
If you feel assaulted by information overload, Levitin's tips will speak to you. He knocks down the notion that multitasking is an efficient way to work. The brain does not appreciate constant distractions. It would much rather focus attention on one thing. This 400-page book contains suggestions on organizing our homes, offices, social time, and leisure. Here are some of the recommendations from this neuroscientist:
• Take a 15-minute break every hour or two at work to keep your mind open for fresh possibilities.
• Use 3" x 5" index cards as memory aids.
• Hang car keys by a hook near the door.
• Don't be afraid of taking naps to gain efficiency.
• Leave work at the office and give yourself over to leisure pursuits.
We are pleased to report that this resource for busy people ends with a very commonplace object: a Junk Drawer in the kitchen which "is a place where things collect until you have time to organize them, or because there is no better place for them." What is the point of this catchall drawer, as well as many other tips in this book? It shifts the burden of organizing from our brains to the external world.
