Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life (15 page)

As a management theorist once put it, the brain that is good at molding information and representational thinking is the “tomorrow” mind, as opposed to the “yesterday” mind. That doesn't mean that someone with good working memory can't think about the past or that someone without it can't function in the present. What it means is that the mind that is adept at this Rule of Order is the mind that takes information, steps back, considers and reflects—often looking at things in new and different ways. The ability to mold information is a problem-solving step, as well as an analytical and creative step. And here again it can apply to anything, not just business situations, and it is so critical in the process of being organized. Although, chances are, some people are more comfortable molding the information visually, verbally or spatially, this is a skill to know, embrace and develop.

THE SCIENCE OF WORKING MEMORY

Because working memory is considered to have such a key role in how we think and act, there is a wealth of scientific study on the topic. The mental workspace, as working memory is called, can be seriously disrupted in different forms of emotional and neurological disorders and diseases, and there is a range within that that is considered “normal” as
well. Researchers are actively debating and studying the topic—trying to decide how best to study it, how best to describe it, and what the fundamental limits of working memory are.

Here's the latest thinking on this kind of thinking: while it has been suggested that three to four “items” (thoughts, impressions, facts) is the limit of typical working memory, it is also possible that there is no set number, that instead there is a flexible range that depends on the memories being loaded—e.g., the more complex the information, the fewer total items. In a recent study published in the journal
Science,
authors from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College, London, concluded that there are highly flexible limits to information capacity stored in working memory. The researchers described the process of working memory this way: as you direct your attention to something (as seen by the movement of the subject's eyes), you dedicate more memory resources to it than other things, so it is remembered in more detail. But this detail can fade, as you move on to focus on the next piece of information. It's as if your brain is like one of those old “instant” cameras. Long before the days of digital imaging, these were cameras that printed out a picture, and everyone huddled around it excitedly, watching it “develop” in front of you, the image gradually coming into focus. Think about that happening as you focus in on something—the picture of what you're seeing takes shape and becomes crystal clear—but now, when you turn away, imagine the picture fades back out, as you move on to the next “scene,” the next piece of information. Perhaps some people can hold on to precise details for longer periods of time, but everyone has a limit.

Brain wave and neuroimaging studies have examined working memory in order to test its limits and see which brain areas are involved. These studies have shown increased activity in specific brain areas as an individual “flexes” his or her working memory, perhaps representing the firing of large groupings of nerve cells, active at the same time
but slightly out of step with each other so that different information is actively held. The areas involved include the frontal and parietal lobes and the horseshoe-shaped hippocampus, located within the temporal lobe near the amygdala, a key structure for learning and the development of long-term memory.

In these studies, researchers have shown evidence of an interaction between attentional and memory brain systems—meaning that your attention and memory networks are working closely together to produce this remarkable and valuable skill of working memory. In a study of this interplay between attention and memory (with the provocative title “Conducting the Train of Thought”), researchers described working memory as limited by the ability to sustain attention to a task.

Now, let's put all this in perspective, in terms of the bigger picture of this book.

Remember, we are building a more organized brain. After taming our frenzy and achieving sustained focus, we can now mold information as we hold multiple streams of information in our working memory. Things are starting to come together nicely on our quest to become better organized.

In following these first three Rules of Order, our brain networks are truly active, engaged and firing away. And it takes networks—brain networks working together—to get to this stage of the game and this level of cognitive complexity. Specifically, with molding information, we are talking about the interface (or networking) between attention and memory. We want to support these networks; we want to improve these abilities, knowing that, like all things, our abilities can decline with age. But the good news is that brain function
can
improve. Before we turn it over to Coach Meg to find out how we can make those improvements, let's close with one last example of the remarkable modern science in working memory.

A group of researchers from Japan recently discovered evidence of a “dose-dependent positive effect” (researcher talk for more memory training with greater effect) on the integrity of white-matter brain connections involved in working memory. White matter is the connections of brain cells, the communication highways in the brain. This finding supports theories about the plasticity of the brain—that the brain is plastic, flexible and mutable as opposed to hard and inviolate; this means that skill building can yield brain changes for the better.

That's encouraging news for individuals like you who want to improve the quality of their thinking and the quality and capacity of their organizational abilities. The organized brain we've been discussing is indeed within your power to create.

COACH MEG'S TIPS

Recently, we heard a commercial speaking to the issue of working memory—in a very different way.

This commercial wasn't for a research project but rather for a product—and a questionable one at that: a drug, available by mail order, that allegedly sharpens memory and clears away this so-called “brain fog.”

The truth is that there is no magic bullet for memory improvement. While there are pharmacological treatments that can help in some clinical cases of ADHD—such as in Frank—these are not the same as
non–FDA approved, mail-order drugs, the kind being touted in commercials like these. We certainly don't recommend them.

However, despite some encouraging findings like the study in Japan that Dr. Hammerness referred to, it's worth noting that the whole question of whether working memory can be improved is still contentious. “There is no penicillin for memory,” says Dr. John Hart, a neurologist at the University of Texas's Center for BrainHealth in Dallas. “It's clear that pharmacologically, you can change someone's working memory abilities. There have been other studies and techniques that people have tried and are using. But I have not seen one that has worked 100 percent.”

Neither have I. But there are experts in working memory and health professionals on the frontline who have found techniques that are effective at least most of the time and that I believe can help you as you develop your skills in this Rule of Order—the ability to mold information and to use your working memory—which is a vital step in our journey toward a more sane, better organized life.

But first, just as Dr. Hammerness did earlier in this chapter, we need to step back and remind ourselves of the big picture here: at this point in our pursuit of a better ordered, saner life, we've tamed the frenzy, our attention is focused, and we've learned to control our impulses and apply the cognitive brakes when necessary.

Now it's time to really get organized.

Our last three rules are where the rubber hits the road, where we plug in all of the channels of our working memory and leap to new insights. From there, we can connect the dots and see the bigger picture—whether it relates to losing keys, having a difficult conversation with a work colleague or figuring out where we'd like to be ten years from now—which is hard to do when you can't seem to get through today without losing something or getting distracted.

One of the great things about being a coach is that I get to go through this process every coaching session; the intense collaboration of two brains produces an expansive working memory, sparks plenty of insights and delivers a fast path to higher ground—where one can look down on the frenzy left behind. When doing this, I often look for metaphors to help explain some of our change strategies. The one I use for working memory comes from my love of music.

As an audiophile, I imagine working memory as multichannel stereo speakers, a jazz band or an orchestra. Lots of channels or voices all plugged in at the same time, layered one on top of each other and working together to make an integrated whole. I sometimes stretch out my hands and fingers before a coaching session as if to switch on ten channels of my working memory and call them to the task at hand. I can feel my eyes and my mind grow wider as I stretch to hold all of the channels in the moment. It's pure pleasure to draw on each channel of working memory, one after another, when working on a task. You can harmonize these memories or shine a spotlight on one channel—or, to keep to our musical metaphor, turn up the dial and listen as this memory sings to you, sometimes loudly, other times more faintly. Like isolating the string section in a symphony or the bass line of a great jazz song, you can tune into it. Take a bit of memory and turn it over and side to side in your mind, savoring what it has to offer before moving the spotlight to another bit of memory. Amazingly when you shine the light on a bit of memory and it's gone—ugh! It's gone, can't remember it!—you can move on without fretting, and that forgotten nugget of information will pop up later.

I offer that to you as a way to look at working memory—not as
work,
as its name implies, and not as an obstacle, as it often seems when we can't remember a specific fact or name at the moment, but rather as a process or maybe even a pleasure.

Let's look now at ways to help sharpen your working memory—one of the key steps on the way to better organization.

For our tips on how to improve the ability to mold information, we depart slightly from the approach in the last few chapters. I'm drawing on some tried-and-true advice from professionals in the “memory game,” in particular Dr. Marie Pasinski, MD, a neurologist at Harvard Medical School and author of
Beautiful Brain, Beautiful You
, and Martha Wolf, Director of the Alzheimer Center at Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation in New Hyde Park, New York, one of the country's foremost treatment centers for Alzheimer's patients. Martha is a frontline professional in a field where memory loss is not just an inconvenience but a critical function.

Some of their memory-sharpening techniques are evidence-based; others are common sense or tested in the crucible of a rehabilitation center where the anguish of age-related dementia gives us all pause to put our own organizational challenges in perspective.

Either way, these can help us sharpen and improve our ability to remember and to mold information more effectively.

Sleep to rest…and remember

You've heard me stress the importance of sleep. But according to Dr. Pasinski, it's particularly important for this Rule of Order. “The role of sleep in memory consolidation is huge,” she says. “It's during sleep that we actually process new information.”

How much sleep? The general recommendation is seven to eight hours. “Some people can get by on six hours a night, but most people think they can get by on less than they need,” she says, adding that
quality
of sleep is as big a consideration as quantity. “I think what's important is that you wake up and feel rested. You should be able to wake up in the morning and feel refreshed, not be dragging or dependent on caffeine to get you through the day.”

One other tip for restorative sleep, Pasinski says, is to keep regular sleep and wake cycles. When our circadian rhythms are disrupted, hormonal levels and neurotransmitter functioning in the brain can all be affected. This, in turn, will compromise our brain function, and our ability to use information. “A regular sleep schedule is what your brain needs,” she says. “If you're not getting adequate and regular sleep, you're not going to remember things as well.”

Consider time when developing memory

When
you choose to learn important new material and information will affect how well you remember it and how available it will be when you need it.

Here again, sleep plays a role. Pasinski cites a study in which subjects were far more likely to learn a new skill when they were taught the night before. Following a good night's sleep, they showed greater improvement than if they were taught the skill during the day and tested that night. “They really did sleep on it!” Pasinski said. “The study suggests that we actually learn when we sleep.”

Because learning is reinforced during sleep, it's a good idea to get a good night's sleep after learning the new material. You will likely perform better than if you didn't get some shuteye in between the time you learned or practiced the skills and were tested on it.

Also, when you prepare, break your study sessions down to two sessions, so that you can cover the same ground twice. “Repetition is really important for learning,” Pasinski says. If you have an hour to practice something you're better off practicing in two thirty-minute sessions…covering the same ground twice…which seems to reinforce learning.