Let's dive into how it differs from simplification and explore 4 easy-to-implement strategies to boost efficiency.

What Does Optimization Really Mean in a Productivity System?

While simplification is about making things easier, optimization is focused on enhancing efficiency.Both are crucial but serve different purposes in productivity.

Simplification vs. Optimization

Group similar tasks like emails, admin work, or meetings.Schedule them for specific times to streamline processes.Let your productivity system guide the execution of these batched tasks.

Batching

Tagging helps classify and quickly access your information or actions.In our <a href="https://paperlessmovement.com/clickup-3-0-like-a-pro/">"ClickUp 3.0 like a Pro"</a> course at the <a href="https://paperlessmovement.com/join-paperless-movement-membership/">Paperless Movement®</a>, we show how we use tags to link tasks to our business pillars, ensuring balanced attention across all areas.

Tagging

Adapt plans to current situations for better, faster outcomes.Seizing the moment and being flexible can significantly enhance your productivity.

Momentum

Concentrating fully on a task can drastically improve performance.Achieve your peak level by minimizing distractions and honing in on your work.

Focus

There are plenty of ways to boost optimization, but focusing on these four, batching, tagging, momentum, and focus will definitely ramp up your productivity system and overall performance.Check the full article <a href="https://paperlessmovement.com/articles/what-does-optimization-really-mean-in-a-productivity-system/">here</a>.

Conclusions

Check out our course “Automation like a Pro!” where we transform your workday as a business professional.Use the ICOR®’s REFINE stage to dominate your goals, projects, and tasks!

Delve deeper into Automation!

The moment you refine your productivity system is the moment you level it up!

Automation in a productivity system

Here is a collection of the best ways <a href="https://productive.fish/blog/how-to-improve-memory/">how to improve memory and concentration</a>.

Natural Ways to Improve Your Memory and Attention

A <a href="https://productive.fish/blog/how-to-improve-memory/#stay-active">recent study</a> found that just 10 minutes of light exercise can enhance memory and concentration. This exercise boosts connectivity between the dentate gyrus and hippocampus, key brain areas for information retention. Aerobic activities also protect the brain and improve cognitive functions, fostering the brain's ability to form new neural connections, particularly in the hippocampus. Activities like yoga, swimming, or power walking can thus increase learning efficiency, memory, focus, and productivity.

Stay Active

Meditation not only boosts physical and mental health but also enhances cognitive abilities. Studies show it can increase attention span and focus during tasks. Remarkably, just 13 minutes of daily meditation significantly improves memory and attention, making it an effective method for enhancing both long and short-term memory.

Practice Meditation

Mnemonic methods aid in memorization and information retrieval. Key types include:<ul><li>Acronyms: Forming a word from initial letters of a series, like "HOMES" for the Great Lakes.</li><li>Abbreviations: Sentences where the first letter of each word represents a concept, such as the planetary mnemonic.</li><li>Chunking: Breaking large information into smaller parts, like dividing phone numbers.</li><li>Rhymes and Alliteration: Using rhymes or repeated sounds for memorization, like the Columbus rhyme.</li></ul>

Use Mnemonic Methods

The Mind Palace, also known as the Method of Loci, is a unique mnemonic technique. It involves using a familiar location, like your home, to remember things. You imagine placing each item to remember in different spots in this place. To recall, visualize walking through and “seeing” the items in their locations. This creates a mental memory map using well-known places.

Create Mind Palace

Modern technology, while useful, can lead to mental laziness. Try recalling information mentally before using your phone, as this strengthens your brain's neural pathways. A <a href="https://productive.fish/blog/how-to-improve-memory/#do-not-use-your-phone-immediately">2021 study by Ioannis Saridakis and Spyridon Doukakis</a> showed that solving math puzzles mentally enhances memory. So, opt for mental calculations over using a calculator or phone for a dual benefit: improving math skills and giving your memory a mini-workout.

Do Not Use Your Phone Immediately

Discover ways to enhance your memory and concentration. Learn how practice and maintaining healthy habits can boost your memory skills.

Memory is a skill that can be improved. Find out how to improve your memory and focus with practice and overall healthy habits.

health

Health

education

Learning & Education

problemsolving

Problem Solving

meditation

Meditation

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

12 Ways to Improve Memory and Concentration

A thread embark on a journey of discovery and reflection on note-taking and Personal Knowledge Management (PKM).Join me as I share insights from my experiences.First, a little bit about me.My journey began with an MSX computer when I was 8, and it evolved through various roles in tech and business.I've worked at 5 big corporations and created my first company at the age of 26. Now, running four.

My Life-Changing 13-Year Odyssey in Note-Taking and PKM

Transitioning to Evernote marked a shift to a 100% paperless lifestyle.It revolutionized how I accessed and managed information, offering control and peace of mind.

March, 2011: Evernote, the starting point of everything

A cornerstone, introducing me to the concepts of outlining and back-linking.What am I supposed to do?That was my thought at that time staring at that minimal daily note page.First approach to 2 concepts we've deeply developed, later on, at the Paperless Movement® in our ICOR® methodology related to the thinking process of information: Deep Thinking and Shallow Thinking.From rapid information processing to in-depth analysis.

September, 2020: Roam Research: The Change of Model

I developed my own comprehensive productivity system.It went beyond mere note-taking and PKM, blending information and action in a cohesive way.However, I soon realized the limitations of a “one app fits all” approach.

September, 2020: Notion, a pivotal moment

I tried to make it (again) a one-size-fits-all solution, combining information and action in one app.This was my second and final failure in such an attempt, a lesson I've truly learned this time.

May, 2021: Obsidian, the perfect tool?

Transitioning to Mem for its AI capabilities, enhancing my PKM system.Thanks to Mem and a tweet, partnering up with Tom Solid, joining the Paperless Movement® in July 2022.

March, 2022: Mem, the power of AI

Implementing Heptabase for Deep Thinking and Tana for Shallow Thinking.These tools provided the perfect balance for managing information and knowledge.

October, 2022: Tana, a step beyond - July, 2023: Heptabase, the perfect fit

The journey in note-taking and PKM is not just about efficiency but also self-discovery.It's about finding the right tools that resonate with our thought process and enhance our productivity.Read the full article <a href="https://paperlessmovement.com/articles/my-life-changing-13-year-odyssey-in-note-taking-and-pkm/">here</a> to go really in-depth through this life-changing journey.<a href="https://paperlessmovement.com/join-paperless-movement-membership/">Join us at the Paperless Movement®</a> and build your productivity system end to end.

Conclusion

This journey literally changed my life: the way I work, the way I live.

Note-taking and Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)

The inherent limitations of the human brain mean we cannot hold lots of complex ideas and connections in our heads alone. To do deep creative and intellectual work, we need to augment our cognition by developing a trusted external system for knowledge and thinking.

Our Minds Are Not Built for Deep Knowledge Work

The act of writing forces us to clarify fuzzy ideas, explicitly connect concepts, identify gaps in knowledge and develop new insights. Writing builds understanding and rational thinking far better than just thinking alone does.

Writing Down Ideas Clarifies Thinking

We can create a future-proof "second brain" to store our ideas using digital notes stored in linked references. This personal knowledge base and library of thoughts can evolve with us over a lifetime.

Build a Digital Home for Your Ideas

For deep learning, take notes in your own words, consciously connect ideas to previous knowledge, summarize periodically and revisit notes over time. This process cements enduring understanding of concepts.

Practice Note-Taking for True Understanding

The real power comes from synthesizing ideas by making connections across notes and concepts to spark new insights. Linking notes creates a web of knowledge greater than the sum of its parts.

Synthesize Ideas by Making Connections 

Organize your notes using tagging, wikilinks, table of contents pages and other structures to make the knowledge accessible when you need it. Curation is key for a functional system.

Curate Your Second Brain with Organization Systems

Building a second brain requires developing daily thinking habits: capturing ideas, connecting concepts, asking questions, synthesizing new insights. Maintain these meta-learning habits over time.

Develop Thinking Habits for Ongoing Growth

The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn deliberately is a skill.

In Building a Second Brain, author Tiago Forte presents a system for knowledge management based on note-taking, organizing, and building a "second brain" to enhance creativity and productivity. Forte draws on insights about the limitations of the human mind and the power of writing things down. He provides practical frameworks for taking better notes, connecting ideas, developing insights and building a robust reference system.

“One of my favorite books of the year. It completely reshaped how I think about information and how and why I take notes.” —Daniel Pink, bestselling author of Drive A revolutionary approach to enhancing productivity, creating flow, and vastly increasing your ability to capture, remember, and benefit from the unprecedented amount of information all around us. For the first time in history, we have instantaneous access to the world’s knowledge. There has never been a better time to learn, to contribute, and to improve ourselves. Yet, rather than feeling empowered, we are often left feeling overwhelmed by this constant influx of information. The very knowledge that was supposed to set us free has instead led to the paralyzing stress of believing we’ll never know or remember enough. Now, this eye-opening and accessible guide shows how you can easily create your own personal system for knowledge management, otherwise known as a Second Brain. As a trusted and organized digital repository of your most valued ideas, notes, and creative work synced across all your devices and platforms, a Second Brain gives you the confidence to tackle your most important projects and ambitious goals. Discover the full potential of your ideas and translate what you know into more powerful, more meaningful improvements in your work and life by Building a Second Brain.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

books

Books

Tiago Forte is one of the world’s foremost experts on productivity and has taught thousands of people around the world how timeless principles and the latest technology can revolutionize their productivity, creativity, and personal effectiveness. He has worked with organizations such as Genentech, Toyota Motor Corporation, and the Inter-American Development Bank, and appeared in a variety of publications, such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Harvard Business Review. Find out more at Fortelabs.com.

Tiago Forte

Building a Second Brain

Many people set resolutions, but often they remain fantasies. However, the underlying hope of becoming a better version of oneself is admirable.

Embracing New Year's Resolutions

Aspirations often require forming new habits, which can be challenging amidst a busy schedule. However, the workplace provides a substantial daily block of time for potential improvement.

Overcoming the Challenge of New Habits

Devoting just 10% of the workday to deliberate practice can significantly contribute to personal and professional advancement.

Investing Time in Deliberate Practice

Reflecting on personal career advancement, dedicating time to getting better at existing skills proved to be the key.

Advancement Through Commitment

Experience can streamline familiar tasks, but it might hinder exploration of new approaches. Actively choosing the longer route and focusing on aesthetics through deliberate practice can lead to novel solutions and continuous learning.

Programming: Balancing Experience and Innovation

Searching for aesthetic satisfaction in work, characterized by clarity, cohesion, consistency, and conciseness, often unveils valuable lessons.

The Beauty of Aesthetic Satisfaction

A practical way to apply aesthetic principles is by repeatedly reading and rewriting drafts, whether in programming or decision-making.

Practical Implementation: Reading and Rewriting

The pull request serves not only as a collaborative tool with others but also as a means of self-collaboration. It offers a comprehensive view of the work, aiding in evaluating both functionality and design.

Collaboration with Self: The Pull Request

Juniors often overlook the value of careful, repeated study of their own work, whether in programming or other disciplines. Refining techniques early pays off throughout one's career.

The Importance of Self-Study

Applying the repetition loop—write, revise, repeat—similar to doing reps in a gym, enhances writing skills over time. Incremental improvements through consistent effort yield significant results.

Writing: The Repetition Loop

Career growth is a marathon, not a sprint. Taking time to refine skills pays dividends throughout a long career. Prioritizing quality over speed is essential for long-term success.

The Intellectual Iron Man

Acknowledging the incremental pursuit of betterment and dedicating time to refine techniques is crucial for professional growth. Slowing down to do things smoothly ultimately leads to increased efficiency.

Deciding What Matters

Work provides ample opportunities for improvement; the main challenge is the will to seize them. Make 2024 count by moving obstacles and witnessing the transformative power of a year dedicated to growth.

Seizing Opportunities in 2024

productivity

Productivity

career

Career

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

Commit to Competence in 2024: A Guide to Professional Growth

Syndrome where median nerve is compressed under the flexor retinaculum.

What Is It? 

<ol><li>Repeated activity of wrist, first 3 fingers (e.g- desk job/laptop usage where we rest our wrist on the edge of the table for years)</li><li>Inflammation at joint (RA, OA wrist)</li><li>Post trauma (Colle's fracture)</li><li>Hormones (Acromegaly)</li><li>Space Occupying Lesions at wrist (Tumor, Ganglion)</li><li>Unknown </li></ol>

What Are The Causes?

CTS progresses in 4 stages. <ul><li>Stage I - discomfort in wrist, first 3 fingers, morning stiffness.</li><li>Stage II - localised tingling pain, numbness.</li><li>Stage III - clumsy hand, loss of grip. </li><li>Stage IV - sensory loss along first 3 fingers, hand muscle atrophy/wasting.</li></ul>

Symptoms & Features 

<ol><li>Phalen's Test </li><li>Reverse Phalen's Test </li><li>Carpal Compression Test </li><li>NCV, EMG </li><li>Blood Test ( to rule out other affections</li></ol>

Tests For Diagnosis? 

It is important to understand that Surgical method is the last resort. It can be managed by just Physiotherapy! <ol><li>Physiotherapy - exercises, stretching</li><li>NSAIDs - for temporary pain relief</li><li>Steroid injection</li><li>Surgical decompression - slitting the flexor retinaculum.</li></ol>

How To Manage 

You don't need to wait for the symptoms to appear in order to manage the condition! Preventive measures are of more importance specially for those who have a desk job<ol><li>Timely break from typing/ laptop work</li><li>Correct, ergonomically appropriate desk, chair (the table height matters!) If you want add a cushioning to the edge of the table</li><li>Wrist exercises : rotations, flexion-extention(up-down movt), stretches regularly at work. </li><li>Equal amount of rest to our wrist and fingers is required as for our brain! </li></ol>

Prevention 

Do you wake with pins and needles and numbness at night in your hand?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Cultivate vigor, patience, will, purity; avoid malice and pride. Then, you will achieve your destiny."

You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of the work.

“Even if one’s father is a misdemeanor, even if the world abandons him, it is the duty of the son to worship the father like God.”

mindfulness

Mindfulness

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

Rising from Falls: Wisdom from Inspirational Minds

Brain asymmetry defines a neurological peculiarity in which there are structural and functional differences between the two hemispheres. This affects many areas of human development. Not all people show the same anatomical shape of this organ. As a matter of fact, each human brain is unique and presents particular characteristics.In 1864, the neurologist, Paul Broca, discovered that this functional asymmetry caused language to be located, to a greater degree, in the left hemisphere. Lateralization (being right-handed or left-handed) is linked to structural asymmetries of the cerebral cortex.

Brain asymmetry

Cerebral asymmetry affects behavioral, cognitive, and psychological domains . The impact of this anatomical and functional characteristic is such that, a study conducted by the University of León (Spain), claims there’s a need to promote neuropsychology as a mechanism to better understand learning processes in humans. Mental conditions such as schizophrenia reveal certain brain asymmetry in areas that mediate exhaustion and lack of initiative (apathy).

The effects of neurological asymmetry

The asymmetry of the brain could explain why people are right or left-handed. However, according to an article published in the journal, PNAS, there seems to be a genetic trigger. It seems that, while being left-handed is associated with differences in brain asymmetry, the same happens in some regions linked to language, manual control, vision, and working memory.While in right-handers, the left hemisphere controls the dominant right hand, in left-handers, it’s the opposite.

Laterality

Cerebral asymmetry is a fundamental characteristic of the organization of the nervous system. It can create anatomical variations and alter the functioning of multiple neurological processes. Therefore, it’s not surprising that this biological peculiarity triggers a number of mental health problems.

Mental disorders and brain asymmetry

<ul><li>Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</li><li>ASD (autism spectrum disorder). Sufferers exhibit altered lateralized neurodevelopment. However, scientists highlight the need to carry out further research and reviews to reach clearer conclusions</li><li>Theres a link between major depression and brain asymmetry. It claims there’s less activity in the left hemisphere and hyperactivity in the right frontal area</li><li>A study claims patients with schizophrenia present greater asymmetry in their gray matter . This anomaly appears during a child’s neurodevelopment</li></ul>

Common Disorders

Curiously, the asymmetry of the brain makes us have a greater tendency to chew on one side and not the other. A study conducted by the University of Barcelona (Spain) states that this preference is the effect of lateralization and particularities in the neurological anatomy between the hemispheres.Predilections have been found in the use of sensory organs such as the eyes , with the right being the preferred one in most cases. If you want to know what your preference is, try looking through a lock. Which eye do you automatically use?

A favorite side to chew on and a favorite eye to look with

We should clarify that creative thinking requires using a good part of both hemispheres. This cognitive process demands high doses of intuition and imagination, combined with logical analysis, reasoning, reading, and language.The researchers discovered that the most creative people exhibit brain asymmetry linked to the functionality of dopamine. In fact, these individuals receive a lower level of this neurotransmitter in their right hemisphere. This allows them to combine remote and original concepts to shape innovative and effective ideas.

Do most creative people have any brain asymmetry?

Brain asymmetry affects various psychological areas of the human being, including mental disorders. Find out more here.

creativity

Creativity

Brain Asymmetry and Psychological Processes

In 'A Christmas Carol' by Dickens, we learn that tough experiences don't just happen once and disappear. They hang around, coming back again, much like Freud later explained. It's a deep idea that helps us understand why certain experiences stay with us.

Trauma Stays with Us  

Scrooge's grumpiness isn't just about being old; it goes back to his lonely childhood. Dickens shows us how our early years can shape who we become. It's a reminder to consider people's pasts when understanding them.

Scrooge's Lonely Childhood 

Even before Freud, Dickens suggests that facing and mourning our past can be healing. Scrooge's journey involves tears and acceptance. It's a touching idea that tells us embracing our history, with all its pain, can lead to personal growth.

Healing through Mourning

movies

Movies & Shows

Lessons from 'A Christmas Carol'

This concept explores the transformative role of cooking in human evolution. Cooking, a seemingly mundane activity, is a key factor that set early humans apart from other animals. It involves the use of fire to prepare food, which had profound implications. Firstly, cooked food is easier to digest, allowing early humans to absorb more nutrients and energy, which contributed to brain growth and development.

How Cooking Distinguished Humans from Animals

Humans have unusually large brains relative to their body size, a trait that sets us apart from many other species. This significant brain size has a direct impact on our metabolic demands. The brain, despite being only about 2% of our body weight, consumes approximately 20% of our energy intake.

Brain Power: Why Our Large Brains Demand More Fuel

Cooking is a pivotal process that transforms raw food into forms that are not only more palatable but also more nutritious and safe for consumption. The act of cooking involves applying heat to food, which fundamentally changes its chemical and physical properties. This transformation has several key benefits:<ul><li>Increased Nutrient Availability</li><li>Enhanced Flavor and Texture</li><li>﻿Food Preservation</li></ul>

 Enhancing Nutrition and Safety in Food

Explanation: The advancement of cooking techniques has had a profound impact on human society, far beyond just the realm of food preparation. As cooking methods evolved, they inadvertently shaped the course of human civilization in several key ways:<ul><li>Reduced Eating and Chewing Time</li><li>Nutritional Efficiency</li><li>Creation of Free Time for Innovation</li><li>﻿Socialization and Culture</li></ul>In essence, the advancements in cooking did not just change how we eat; they played a pivotal role in our evolution, allowing us to "eat our way" into forming more complex and sophisticated societies.

How Cooking Paved the Way for Societal Advancement

 A great channel where we can learn a lot more about the world the we live !

PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY
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Your brain is hungry. Here's how to feed it.

SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub 

Ever wonder why we cook our food? We do it because it tastes good, of course, and because our customs and traditions are built around it. But we also cook our food for some basic biological reasons, because of evolution. Some scientists think that figuring out how to cook actually MADE us human! 

If conversation gets a little dry around your holiday table, now you'll have some awesome science to share with everyone!

Richard Wrangham - "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human" http://amzn.to/1cg5flN 

"The Raw and the Stolen" (PDF) - Richard Wrangham et al. http://bit.ly/JTLYfe 
(that one has some of the counterarguments, too)
Greg Laden's summary: http://bit.ly/1dx46oc 

Cooked Foods Needed for Early Human Brain: http://bit.ly/1l8bqJE 

Man Entered the Kitchen 1.9 Million Years Ago: http://bit.ly/1c1vcB5 

What made us human: http://bit.ly/19lp4cU and http://www.epjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/EP08340342.pdf 

The story might not be quite so simple, though: http://blogs.plos.org/neuroanthropology/2010/10/28/food-for-thought-cooking-in-human-evolution/ 

Joe Hanson - Host
Joe Nicolosi - Director
Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKatie Graham - Director of Photography
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Isaac Hammons - Audio Recordist
Stephen Bohls, Editor, Kino-Eye POST
Christopher Chiles, Motion Graphics
Kate Eads - Production Manager
Intro music - Victor Herbert Orchestra, "Chinese Dance of the Mirillitons from the Nutcracker 1913"
Body music - Podington Bear's "AlgoRhythmNatural"
Special thanks to Thinkery Austin

Produced for PBS Digital Studios 
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Why Do We Cook?

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