This Note-Taking System Turns You Into An Efficiency Expert

Note-taking is a skill not easily acquired. In the hands of an artist, designer, or Hollywood serial killer (à la Seven’s John Doe), an idea-crammed notebook can even become a rarified, and in the case of the latter, creepy, object all on its own. Too often, however, the ability to take comprehensive, ruminative, or even attractive notes and sketches is conflated with simply buying a stylish book of paper, say from Moleskine or Field Notes. Wrong. The first thing you notice about the Bullet Journal notebook is...no physical notebook. Carroll outlines the simple how-to in the video above, and emphasizes that the ease of his system lies in its familiarity. The Bullet Journal, Carroll says, was motivate by and has helped him overcome some personal hurdles, like childhood learning disabilities, that prevented him from properly organizing his life and work.

8 Tips To Remember What You Read Despite television, cell phones, and Twitter, traditional reading is still an important skill. Whether it is school textbooks, magazines, or regular books, people still read, though not as much as they used to. One reason that many people don’t read much is that they don’t read well. Why? Some of the blame can be placed on the fads in reading teaching, such as phonics and “whole language,” which sometimes are promoted by zealots who don’t respect the need for both approaches. For all those who missed out on good reading skills, it is not too late. Read with a purpose.Skim first.Get the reading mechanics right.Be judicious in highlighting and note taking.Think in pictures.Rehearse as you go along.Stay within your attention span and work to increase that span.Rehearse again soon. 1) Know Your Purpose Everyone should have a purpose for their reading and think about how that purpose is being fulfilled during the actual reading. 2) Skim First Some reading tasks require no more than skimming.

8 Things Everybody Ought to Know About Concentrating “Music helps me concentrate,” Mike said to me glancing briefly over his shoulder. Mike was in his room writing a paper for his U.S. History class. On his desk next to his computer sat crunched Red Bulls, empty Gatorade bottles, some extra pocket change and scattered pieces of paper. Mike made a shift about every thirty seconds between all of the above. Do you know a person like this? The Science Behind Concentration In the above account, Mike’s obviously stuck in a routine that many of us may have found ourselves in, yet in the moment we feel it’s almost an impossible routine to get out of. When we constantly multitask to get things done, we’re not multitasking, we’re rapidly shifting our attention. Phase 1: Blood Rush Alert When Mike decides to start writing his History essay, blood rushes to his anterior prefrontal cortex. Phase 2: Find and Execute Phase 3: Disengagement While in this state, Mike then hears an email notification. The process repeats itself sequentially. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.