How about planning?
No matter how good our memory is, we aren’t able to remember everything. And sometimes, instead of remembering really important things, such as wishing your grandmother a happy birthday or paying bills, our brains endlessly play that annoying song from the supermarket.
Keeping all the things we need to do in our head, consumes the resources of our brain. Resources that could be used for solving a particular problem. But we expect them not to forget anything.
If you are interested in becoming more productive and want to unload your own brain for more important things, it would be a good idea to think about such a thing as planning. In addition to it, our Raven's Wisdom formula would be useful for boosting your efficiency.
The topic of planning constantly pops up at team building sessions, in motivational speeches with managers and in articles of psychologists. This topic is so important because without planning, a person is prone to chaotic and situational behavior. For example, you would only perform small "urgent" tasks, the purpose of which may not be clear and don't lead to a real result.
It is logical that at work you are expected to get the best result, so you're protected from chaos and taught various cognitive planning techniques. But there is a deeper reason to start planning.
Our brain is in love with planning and wants to spend as much time with it as possible.
Planning is the cognitive ability to "anticipate the future". A person builds an optimal plan for the performance of work. It makes it easier for us and our brain to work because it becomes clear where to direct attention, what knowledge to update and what actions to take.
The work of the brain with or without a plan can be compared to finding the right address in an unfamiliar city. If you have clear instructions and a map at hand, you can quickly manage and get where you need to go. And if you don't, you'll have to wander around and ask passers-by what will slow you down and most likely make you angry.
That is, when planning, the brain receives clear instructions that it begins to think about and gradually perform.
But that's not all the reasons why the brain likes planning.
In situations where we don't know what to do, we experience tension and irritability. As a result, “psychological safety” or calmness is lost. That is, without control over the situation, we experience stress that devours our brain and doesn't allow it to function normally.
Thus, planning creates a comfortable atmosphere for the brain and saves us from unnecessary stress. If you want to remember and perform better, enjoy your work, then you can learn planning techniques and apply them to your life. And remember, planning helps us not only at work but also in everyday matters.
