The Organized Mind

The Organized Mind will show you how to adapt your mind to our modern information culture so  you can work efficiently without feeling exhausted.

Our genes haven’t changed much from when we were hunter-gatherers. Back then we needed deep concentration just to survive. The human brain evolved to focus on a few inputs at a time. We can only handle the most important information in that precise moment. This means we focus on the things that, for our ancestors, would make the difference between catching and being caught.

We also developed the ability to notice modifications around us, like things that change or suddenly move, are likely to grab our attention. This is very useful to help us not get hit by flying objects or to escape car accidents but makes it hard to live in a world that changes so fast. In fact, attention costs energy and is a limited resource.

Moreover, today we are bombarded with information, which forces us to make continuous choices. What should I eat? What to wear? Where should I spend my weekend? For each question there’s a world of possibilities, all coming with countless data to analyze.

The problem is the brain consumes energy to take decisions, even if they’re small ones with no real impact on our lives. Furthermore, making choices is time-consuming and distract us from what’s really important. It prevents us from being present and do our best in the here and now.

To make it easier for your mind, organize your house and office to best suit your brain’s approach. If you want to simplify your life, designate a place for every object and put it back in its place after using it – Marie-Kondo style. Our brain is very good at storing locations. It has a dedicated area for that, which we can even train. Its name is the hippocampus. Our mind likes categories, too. Levitin recommends grouping objects according to their appearance or function. For example, you can choose a place for all your pencils based on their gross appearance or you can have a space for grey pencils and another for colored ones, or fine appearance. You may also divide objects in accordance with what they are used for. For example, you might put forks, glasses, and dishes together. There will be items that don’t fit in any category or are too few to deserve their own space. Put them in a junk drawer. Think of it as another category and check what’s in it from time to time. Remember the brain has a special alert that turns on every time something changes around you. Keep your space the same as long as you can and…