Reading is a very necessary habit for every successful businessperson, it broadens your mind, helps with your written and verbal communication skills, and gives you a certain level of understanding and empathy.

This is a must-read book for anyone in sports, music, education or leadership. It provides an enhanced personalized guide on how to become a problem solver.

Book #1 Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epste

Simon Sinek is a well-known American author and motivational speaker. He is highly regarded for his TED Talks. This book is intended primarily for students who aspire to become better leaders and build a culture of trust, belonging, and safety in their teams.

Book #2 Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

This message-oriented book by Randy Pausch comprises perspective reflections on life, death, and the importance of fulfilling one’s dreams.   Time is all you have, and you may find one day that you have less than you think. This quote summarizes the point of life: to live.

Book #3 The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

This book provides a roadmap for a lifetime of meaningful work and professional accomplishment.  This popular guide is for everyone scouring through job-hunting—whether you got laid off recently, are finding your dream job, are changing careers, or are searching for your first job.

Book #4 What Color Is Your Parachute? By Richard N Bolles

In the book "Surrounded by Idiots" Thomas Erikson explains how understanding our personalities can improve our relationships and communication skills.Key concepts:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">We each have four distinct personalities.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Our personality traits affect our interactions.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The book offers advice on improving communication and relationships.</li></ul>

Book #5 Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson

'Measure What Matters' teaches you how to set clear goals and track your progress using OKRs.OKRs help you aim high and stay accountable towards achieving your objectives. The book shares techniques used by Google and shows how to implement them on a larger scale using OKRs.

Book #6 Measure What Matters By John Doerr

Are you facing a new, challenging role? With new or challenging career roles come career jitters. Dive into this book’s proven framework to tackle your job obstacles within 90 days of starting a new role.

Book #7 The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins

The Confidence Code is a must-read for all women who want to succeed in the workplace. The authors highlight the significance of women's confidence, backed by research and real-life experiences of successful women, to reach their full potential.The book explores how women can tap into their confidence and excel in their careers. It also discusses the importance of women being given equal opportunities to lead and make decisions. With eye-opening insights and captivating stories, this book is a valuable resource for women of all ages.

Book #8 The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

These ideas rolls out the best career books to add to your reading list which contains guidance from some of the brainiest authors.  

Navigating a career is a balancing act, and making career decisions can be challenging for several reasons. The fear of the unknown clouds your choices, and

productivity

Productivity

career

Career

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

writing

Reading & Writing

books

Books

Best Career Books to Read (Update Your Reading List)  

You are not a procastinator, you have a habit of procastinating. There is a big difference. With science habits can be broken.

You Are Not A Procastinator

The moment you find yourself wanting to do something else instead of your task, recognize it. The trigger in case of procastination is always stress. Procastination will only bring more stress.

<ol><li>Recognize you are stressed</li><li>count: 5-4-3-2-1 to make your brain conscious and to break the pattern</li><li>start doing 5 minutes of the work. </li></ol>

Ready to unlock your potential? 🚀 https://bit.ly/2024makeithappen 👈 Sign up for my FREE 2-part training, Make It Happen with Mel Robbins. It’s designed to show you exactly HOW you can go from dreaming to doing!
—

If you keep finding yourself stuck in that loop of stress and avoiding the things you know you need to do, WATCH THIS. 

I give you my tools for dealing with procrastination… I know they’ll work for you too.

If you struggle with procrastination, you're not alone. Research from a PhD at the University of Calgary found that 80–95% of college students are procrastinators. 

There's also nothing wrong with you. You don't lack willpower, drive, and focus. It also has nothing to do with your work and your ability to get it done. 

If you beat yourself up for procrastinating, that ends now. And here's why:

You're looking at procrastination wrong. Rather than a trait or sign of motivation, it's simply a habit.

A habit that comes about in response to life stress.

In this video, learn the only way you can break the habit of procrastination–for good. This simple 4-step strategy will help you stop procrastinating and in the process make you happier and less stressed.

—
Catch full episodes of The Mel Robbins Podcast here on YouTube https://bit.ly/tmrp_playlist 📺

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Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

habits

Habits

timemanagement

Time Management

videos

Videos

NY Times Best Selling Author + Award Winning Podcast Host with 5x #1 best selling audiobooks on Audible.

Mel Robbins

The ONLY Way To Stop Procrastinating | Mel Robbins

Showing up to any goal is what helps you progress. The more you show up:~ The more you get done~ The faster you progress~ The easier it becomes to stay consistent

Why Consistency Matters

Learning why you do what you do is vital for results. For this to work you’ll need to examine your subconscious thoughts and beliefs. Often times when we don’t want to do something, our subconscious remembers that and puts limitations on future progress. The opposite is true however and the more love and attention we give to something, the more our subconscious will think about it. When you get your subconscious to start thinking, you’ll get more ideas, and you’ll open up a lot more towards your goals.

Overcoming A Negative Subconscious

With any goal, it can be hard to keep that motivation and consistency to really stick. The main things that drive us, are often much deeper than we give them credit for. Here’s an example:You don’t want to lose weight, but you’re tired of people making fun of you and not having any respect for you.The driving force here is inadequacy. You hate the person you’ve become and want to become better. When we tie our goals to really strong emotions such as hate or love, we connect with them better and can be much more willing to work towards them.

Identifying Why You Want It In The First Place

The goal is to always move forwards. Ultimately if you aren’t progressing, you’re regressing. And after all the work that’s already been it into our goals, that’s the last thing we want. To overcome this, we have to realize that what we achieved yesterday no longer matters. It’s about what we do day after day. Giving up after a week is no way to succeed in a weight loss program. There will come a day where you can relax and focus on other goals, but that day is not today.

The Idea Of Staying Static

To become great in any human metric is going to be difficult, it’s not for everyone. And if you can’t handle a little pain and discomfort, then maybe it’s not for you. Most people give up before they fail, and they never get to see the final result from their labors. The best way to overcome this is to simply realize that it’s going to be difficult, and that’s why it’s worth pursuing. If everyone had it, it wouldn’t have any value would it? It’s valuable because it’s difficult to obtain and that makes people envious of those who can put in the work.

Why People Fail

Staying consistent is what compounds our efforts into our dreams.A negative mindset won’t serve you any more than a broken keyboard helps you type, change your mindset to better cultivate a better reality.Everyone has goals, but unless you have a reason to get behind that goal, it’ll eventually fade. Tie your goals to strong emotional triggers to better work towards them.Staying stagnant means regressing on your goals. Always keep moving, no matter how slow.Failure comes from quitting. If you never give up, you’ll be that much closer to living the life of your dreams.

Conclusion

Learn how important consistency can be, and how you can become more consistent in your goals.

philosophy

Philosophy

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

How to Overcome Consistency in Your Goals

Summary:Cal Newport discusses the importance of capturing high-quality information relevant to work and life while minimizing friction. Overcomplicated systems can hinder productivity, while simpler methods can enhance efficiency and prevent burnout. Actionable Insight:Focus on creating low-friction, simple note-taking systems that allow you to capture important information without overwhelming yourself with complexity.

The Philosophy of Minimalist Note-Taking

Summary:Cal uses a simple method for taking notes from books. He marks the corners of pages with important information and adds small marks or notes in the margins. This allows for quick retrieval of information without extensive effort.Actionable Insight:Adopt the corner marking method for your book notes. It helps you identify and revisit key information efficiently, saving time and effort.

Corner Marking Method for Books

Summary:Cal suggests storing notes related to specific projects in the tools used for those projects (e.g., Scrivener for articles or books). This keeps all relevant information organized and accessible when needed. Actionable Insight:Use project-specific tools to store notes and ideas. This practice ensures that you can easily find and utilize the information when working on the project.

Storing Project-Related Notes

Summary:For personal projects or life ideas, Cal recommends using a physical notebook that feels aspirational. Regularly reviewing and triaging these notes helps maintain focus and prioritize important ideas. Actionable Insight:Keep a dedicated notebook for personal ideas and review it periodically. This helps you stay aligned with your goals and focus on what truly matters.

Personal Projects and Life Ideas

Summary:Minimalist note-taking reduces friction and prevents overload, ensuring important information is captured effectively. Simple systems keep the brain engaged, enhancing memory and decision-making. Actionable Insight:Embrace minimalist note-taking methods to boost productivity and mental clarity. Simple systems can be more effective than complex ones in capturing and utilizing information.

Benefits of Minimalist Note-Taking

Books:	•	Use the corner marking method to highlight important information in books without slowing down your reading.Projects:	•	Store project-related notes in the specific tools used for those projects to maintain organization and efficiency.Personal Life: 	•	Use a dedicated notebook for life ideas and review it regularly to stay focused on what matters most.

Recommendations:

In “Ep. 287: Minimalist Notes” of “Deep Questions with Cal Newport,” Cal explores minimalist note-taking strategies to capture high-quality information efficiently.

A deep life requires that you encounter and make sense of a large amount of incoming information, from narrow data relevant to a professional project, to broad insights into your purpose. How do you keep track of all of this? In this episode, Cal proposes a minimalist approach aimed at minimizing the friction required to keep tabs on what matters.Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: How to track information that matters [2:55]- How should I make use of non-cognitive time? [27:37]- Can people with ADHD become better at learning? [32:49]- What does Cal think of Gloria Mark’s “4 myths of attention span”? [36:31]- How can I concentrate on my dissertation when I have a full-time job? [47:04]- How can I stop wasting my afternoon time blocks? [53:20]- CALL: How can I better organize my idea notebooks? [1:01:38]CASE STUDY: Avoiding the hyperactive hive mind to work more efficiently [1:05:46]   CAL REACTS: Is it bad to be slow? [1:13:46]Links:dailystoic.com/try-not-to-be-so-slow/gloriamark.com/attention-spanUse this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”: peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/ FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”: calnewport.com/slow  Thanks to our Sponsors: grammarly.com/podcastdrinklmnt.com/deepcozyearth.com (promo code “cal”)expressvpn.com/deepThanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

education

Learning & Education

podcasts

Podcasts

Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Ep. 287: Minimalist Notes

Ep.287 Minimalist Notes

Attitude matters the most. If you have the courage, perseverance and grit and slightly higher than average intelligence, you are way more likely to achieve your goal, than if you have high intelligence, but none of the other things. In the latter - you are just a lazy, high intelligent person. But success comes to the people who are willing to go the extra mile and do not easily give up.

Attitude is more than intelligence

Most of the successful people have this internal and insatiable curiosity. Curiosity allows you to develop a fresh perspective on the things around you. The more information you have, the higher the chance of making unique connections that nobody really sees except you. Think of an AI - the more information it has, the higher the chance of it being good. The other key aspect is processing the information the right way, but more on that later!You prefer deepstash over mindlessly scrolling on facebook/tiktok/instagram - that is already saying a lot about you, so keep going!

Have a multifaceted curiosity

Sometimes we are tempted to not go 100% especially if we are already winning. But that is a mistake. Never underestimate your opponent and never give him unnecessary chances of winning. If we are to draw parallels from chess, there are many lost games that were COMPLETELY won. That's because once you think you won, you start playing less attention and that's exactly when your OPPONENT flips the game and wins. No matter how hard your winning position is, STAY AWARE. This also translates to real life.

Try as hard as possible

History is full of such examples. The smallest chances might cause the biggest wins over time. All the big companies such as Apple or Microsoft, all relied at some point on a small detail to become what they are. For Microsoft it might have been the option in the contract with IBM that allowed them to sell their product to other companies and not solely on IBM. For Apple it might have been the 1984 commercial that made them stand out so much from the other companies.The point is that you should give your best at all times, you do not know which small detail might make you a winning behemoth.

The biggest wins were accomplished by the smallest chances

Some of the essential things required to be successful. It is all in your head.

A recipe for success

It can be hard when it seems like everywhere you look someone else is advancing in life and you’re just stuck.It’s discouraging when you try your hardest but you can’t seem to catch a break while others are getting more and more ahead everyday. Life isn’t a competition but it’s hard not to wonder, why not me?

" Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.”

More often than not. That is our first mistake.We compare our lives to others. Not only does it chip away at our confidence but it builds a wall between us and others.We start to see others as competition rather than meaningful connections that can be equally beneficial on both ends.

Change Of Perspective

<ol><li>Stop comparing yourself to others. </li><li>Remove yourself from dead-end connections. </li><li>Surround yourself with influential people who will bring positivity into your life.</li><li>Think before you decide. Stop rushing into decisions.</li><li>Work on reacting out of emotion. Our emotions can lead us astray.</li><li>Emotional control is key to good decision making.</li><li>Stop waiting to act. Often we make a good decision but we doubt ourselves causing us to either procrastinate or not do it at all.</li><li>Don’t let others know your plans. Not everyone is your friend and far too often they will attempt to throw a wrench in your plans.</li></ol>

8 Ways to Empower Yourself

"Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the decision right.”

You’re not destined for failure; you just made yourself believe you are.

How to Make Better Choices in Life 

Did you know that letting go of the need to make sense all the time can actually be good for you? Here's why:<ul><li>Mental Relaxation: Constantly trying to make sense of everything can be exhausting and cause unnecessary stress.</li><li>Creativity: When you allow yourself to be nonsense, you open up your mind to new and creative ideas.</li><li>Fun and Freedom: Letting go of the seriousness can lead to more fun and freedom, allowing you to be your true self.</li></ul>

Be Nonsense: The Importance of Letting Go

Being nonsensical can lead to new and unique ideas.

Letting go of logic can be a fun and relaxing escape from reality.

If you're feeling stressed, a bit of nonsense now and then is just what you need! Embrace the randomness, let your mind play, and enjoy the moment. Studies show that embracing nonsense can improve creativity and mood, giving your brain a break from the everyday. So go ahead, let out a little laugh, sing a silly song, or dance to a made-up tune. 🎶 Experience the joy of nonsense!Some ideas to get you started:<ul><li>Play a word association game with friends</li><li>Write a silly story with ridiculous characters</li><li>Draw or paint without any goal in mind</li></ul>

The Joy of Nonsense 😜

Just because something doesn't make sense, doesn't mean it's not okay

It's Okay! Why?

Being nonsensical doesn't mean you're crazy or stupid, it just means you're human and creative!

creativity

Creativity

Nonsense 

Data encryption: is like putting your information in a safe. It's even better since it also protects data while being sent.
Regular backups: are like creating photocopies. It's important to make sure they're done and can be used.
Anonymization tactics: are about keeping personal information confidential. It's a good idea to remove anything that can identify someone.

Data Security Best Practices

When it comes to securing your data, there are two main areas you should focus on to keep your applications safe:
<ol>
<li>Database protection: This includes guarding against attacks like SQL injections by securing databases and validating user inputs.</li>
<li>Hardening applications: Consider reducing the attack surface by configuring applications securely. This can involve disabling unnecessary services and removing default accounts.</li>
</ol>

Protect your database from attacks and secure your applications

Network security is crucial for protecting your data. Here are some aspects to consider:
<ul>
 <li>Encrypting traffic to safeguard transmitted data</li>
 <li>Configuring firewalls to allow authorized traffic and block unauthorized access</li>
 <li>Implementing secure authentication and authorization systems to control access</li>
</ul>

Importance of Network Security

Access controls provide an additional layer of protection to keep your premises secure. 
Here are three ways to strengthen this security measure:
<ol>
 <li>Utilize surveillance methods, such as security cameras, to monitor your property.</li>
 <li>Consider implementing backup power, such as generators, to ensure continuous security during power outages.</li>
 <li>Use geographic redundancy by placing backup equipment in different locations to mitigate regional risks.</li>
</ol>

Ways to Increase Security

🔒 Infrastructure security plays a crucial role in protecting an organization's tech assets.
<ul>
 <li>It involves measures and practices to improve an organization's security posture.</li>
 <li>These efforts promote a more secure environment.</li>
</ul>

Increase Security with Infrastructure Security

🔒Infrastructure security protects an organization’s technology assets, including:
<ul>
<li>🖥️Computers and devices</li>
<li>🌐Networking systems</li>
<li>☁️Cloud resources</li>
</ul>
🛡️Ensuring the safety of these assets is critical for any organization’s success.

Infrastructure Security Overview

No ads. Access the best cony-only . For more info visit our website or click on the link in our bio. Read full story in medium.

Distraction-free reading

It’s a crucial aspect of overall cybersecurity, directly contributing to an organization’s security posture. Infrastructure security encompasses the protective measures and practices that safeguard…

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

business

Business

cybersecurity

Cybersecurity

Here Why Infrastructure Security play vital role in Cybersecurity

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you

1. **Don't criticize, condemn, or complain**: Criticism often leads to resentment rather than behavior change.2. **Give honest and sincere appreciation**: People crave appreciation and recognition.3. **Arouse in the other person an eager want**: Talk about what the other person wants and show them how to get it

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

1. **Become genuinely interested in other people**: Show interest in others' lives and listen to them.2. **Smile**: A simple smile can go a long way in making a positive impression.3. **Remember that a person's name is to them the sweetest sound**: Use names often to make people feel valued.4. **Be a good listener**: Encourage others to talk about themselves.5. **Talk in terms of the other person's interests**: Find common ground and discuss topics of interest to others.6. **Make the other person feel important**: Do it sincerely and recognize their importance.

Six Ways to Make People Like You

1. Avoid arguments: They usually end in resentment rather than agreement.2. Show respect for the other person's opinions: Never say, "You're wrong."3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically: This disarms the other person and builds trust.4. Begin in a friendly way: A warm approach sets a positive tone.5. Get the other person saying 'yes, yes' immediately: Lead with questions that get affirmative answers.6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking: They will feel more involved and valued.

How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking

7. Let the other person feel the idea is theirs: People are more committed to their own ideas.8. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view: Empathy helps in finding common ground.9. Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires: Show understanding and compassion.10. Appeal to the nobler motives: People like to be seen as ethical and honorable.11. Dramatize your ideas: Use vivid stories and examples to make your points compelling.12. Throw down a challenge: People rise to the occasion when they are challenged.

How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment1. **Begin with praise and honest appreciation**: Start with positive feedback before addressing issues.2. **Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly**: Use subtle hints rather than direct criticism.3. **Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person**: It makes the criticism easier to accept.4. **Ask questions instead of giving direct orders**: This encourages cooperation.

Be a Leader

5. **Let the other person save face**: Avoid making people feel humiliated. 6. **Praise every improvement**: Be specific and sincere in your praise. 7. **Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to**: Highlight their potential and good qualities. 8. **Use encouragement**: Make the fault seem easy to correct. 9. **Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest**: Frame your requests positively

Be a Leader ..

If you want to conquer fear, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.

How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie is a seminal book on interpersonal relationships and effective communication. Here are the key ideas in brief

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 

Having a bad memory is like your brain is perpetually stuck in airplane mode — it’s technically functioning but not really connecting to anything useful. At times, our minds feel less like steel traps and more like sieves with personality. We’ve all dealt with forgotten passwords and end up answering security questions that might as well be riddles posed by a bridge troll. Isn’t adult life fun?And then there’s aging: nature’s ultimate bait-and-switch. Sure doesn’t make your memory any better. The good news is most of the memory issues we deal with as we age are normal.

Neuroscience And Memory

So what do we do about it? Well, we’re going to dive into the science to learn about how your memory works, why it doesn’t sometimes – and how we can make it better.We’re gonna get some help from Daniel Schacter. He’s a professor of psychology at Harvard and his excellent book is “The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers.”

Transience is the weakening or loss of memory over time. Thanks to transience, we can forget embarrassing moments from high school, only to replace them with new embarrassing moments from adulthood. Daniel says with age our memories generally go from “reproductive and specific recollections to reconstructive and more general descriptions.In people’s forties, story recall begins to decline. Word recall gets trickier in our fifties. It’s usually not huge – generally a 10-15% decline versus younger cohorts. Roughly 20% of people in their seventies still have memories as sharp as college students.

TRANSIENCE

It’s likely due to the effects of education. More schooling builds up what neuroscientists call “cognitive reserve.” Strengthen those brain muscles early on and you have a lot more to spare when aging starts doing its withering work. Research shows cognitive reserve not only prevents the memory decline caused by normal aging but also provides a buffer against dementia.Now it might be a little late to go back and get that Master’s degree. So what can we do to keep our memories from fading?

You want to do more “elaboration during encoding.” That’s fancy talk for relating new information to things you already know. This helps to produce less transient memories. When new information has no relationship to old information your brain doesn’t know where to file it and it ends up getting lost. By hanging new memories on hooks provided by previous memories you make more natural connections and are more likely to remember things longer.Memory tricks can help. When we convert things we want to remember into vivid or bizarre visual images, they’re more likely to stick.

You may have heard about “memory palaces.” This is a powerful technique where you mentally stroll through an imaginary location, placing memories in specific spots. Problem is, it’s a lot of work and as complex as trying to follow the plot of “Inception” after a few too many glasses of wine. I’ll stick to writing things down on my hand, thanks. But there’s a lesson here: hard work is the signal your brain responds to when it comes to memory. Just like lifting heavy weights tells muscles, “You need to grow”, effort tells the brain “This needs to be remembered.

A less involved method for reducing transience is “retrieval practice.” The more frequently you remember something, the easier it is to remember it again later. This is why smart students use flash cards. Distributing that practice over time increases the power of this technique. And that’s why cramming for a test rarely results in long term retention. No, I don’t expect you to use flash cards for remembering everyday stuff. So what’s a dead simple way to fight your memory’s tendency toward transience?

Studies show the more we talk and think about things in our everyday life, the better we retain them. So if you want to remember something, discuss it with friends. Read more about it. Even conversing with yourself about stuff you want to retain has been shown to help. And the next memory issue we need to tangle with? Wait — where’d I put it? It’s around here somewhere…

This isn’t when memories fade with time – it’s when you can’t find your keys or forget you had a lunch meeting today.You walk into a room and suddenly your brain pulls a Houdini on you. You’re left standing in the kitchen, holding a can opener, wondering if you were about to fight a robot or make tuna salad. It’s like your brain is playing a never-ending game of hide and seek with your intentions. Your brain laughs at you like Vincent Price in a campy horror movie, followed by maniacal organ music.

What causes this? It’s not transience – it’s because you didn’t really encode the information to begin with. You weren’t paying attention when you put your keys down, so you never created a memory of where they are. The reason this happens so frequently with keys and eyeglasses is because these are things we do on autopilot. We’re not thinking and so the information doesn’t get stored. Of course, this problem gets worse with age because memory encoding isn’t as efficient in our later years.

How do we deal with absent-mindedness? The basic recommendation is simple: pay attention. (I used to think I had the attention span of a goldfish, but I think I owe goldfish an apology at this point.) If something is important, get off autopilot and deliberately focus on it.

May be easier said than done. In that case, convert memories to physical reminders. You put lunch meetings on your calendar. Always put your keys in the same place. Set alarms. Get things out of your head and into the world. There’s a reason Post-It notes are a multi-zillion dollar industry. (My living space looks less like a home and more like the scene of a conspiracy theorist’s last stand.)Alright, next memory issue is… Oh, what’s the name. It’s on the tip of my tongue. Starts with a “B”…

Blocking is when the memory is in there but you can’t get it out. It’s like a mental paywall on an article you really want to read. You’re standing there, mouth agape, trying to remember that celebrity’s name, and your brain is like a lazy cat that just flicks its tail and stares at you. Suddenly “That actor from that movie with the thing…” becomes a fun group activity.

BLOCKING

Depressingly, blocking gets more common with age. Research shows college students have 1-2 “tip of the tongue” experiences per week while elderly folks have twice that. And middle-aged people score right in between. Studies show it’s the #1 biggest cognitive complaint of people over 50, by far. Blocking keeps life spicy. Who needs the monotony of always knowing what you’re talking about?The research here is fascinating. Blocking occurs most often with proper names. They even have a cool name for the underlying issue: “the Baker/Baker paradox.”

Proper names are arbitrary. The fact that someone’s name is Baker doesn’t connect with anything about them. It’s random. But remembering that someone’s profession is a baker calls up a wealth of associations and connections in your mind. (Ooh, fresh bread.) So you’re much more likely to recall that someone works as a baker, but remembering that their name is Baker is a challenge. (There’s even an amusing study that showed people were more likely to block on the names Aladdin, Mary Poppins, and Pinocchio than with Grumpy, Snow White, and Scrooge. The latter are all descriptive.)

Also, with most words our brains can quickly compensate with synonyms (if you don’t remember “banker”, you can say “works in finance” and nobody’s the wiser). But with proper names there’s no substitute – you either remember “Christopher Nolan” and “Memento” or you end up saying, “Um, that director-guy who did the movie about not remembering anything.”So what can we do about it? First off, don’t give up. Time helps. The majority of blocks resolve within a minute and the more time people spend the more likely they are to recover the memory.

There are moments when the issue with memory is not getting it to work but figuring out how to make it stop. Persistence is when you keep recalling things you don’t want to. You enter the enormous mental Costco warehouse of regret, guilt, and shame but can’t find the exit. Internal monologue becomes infernal monologue.We retain emotional memories better than unemotional ones. It makes sense. If something is dangerous or strange your brain is like, “Hmm, better keep this one at the top of the pile.” And it’s why a powerful mnemonic trick is creating bizarre or silly images.

PERSISTENCE

Pushing the ugly memory away doesn’t help. That’s the “don’t think of a white bear” issue, first explained by Harvard’s Daniel Wegner. So how do we hit the “mark as read” button on those distressing memories? Discussing these thoughts can help. May sound ironic given that earlier we saw that talking about memories strengthens them, but here the talking helps dissipate the emotion that keeps them coming back. This is why therapists — the human equivalent of IT support for emotions – can help.

Another trick is writing about them. Writing creates a narrative around the memories that helps you make sense of them. This is extraordinarily powerful. Putting your thoughts on a page means there are fewer of them jangling around inside your head. People who write about their problems report improved mood, higher GPA’s, reduced work absenteeism, and higher rates of reemployment after losing a job.

mentalhealth

Mental Health

problemsolving

Problem Solving

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

New Neuroscience reveals 4 secrets that will improve your memory 

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