Why We're More Creative When We’re Tired, And 9 Other Surprising Things About How Brains Work. Editor's Note: This is one of the most-read leadership articles of 2013.
Click here to see the full list. One of the things that surprises me time and time again is how we think our brains work and how they actually do. On many occasions, I find myself convinced that there is a certain way to do things, only to find out that actually that’s the completely wrong way to think about it.
For example, I always found it fairly understandable that we can multitask. Well, according to the latest research studies, it’s literally impossible for our brains to handle two tasks at the same time. Recently, I came across more of these fascinating experiments and ideas that helped a ton to adjust my workflow towards how our brain actually works (instead of how I thought it does). So here are 10 of the most surprising things our brain does and what we can learn from this information. 1.
Here’s how it breaks down: For night owls, this is obviously a much later period in the day. 2. 3. 4. Improved memory 5. 6. Are You Living Your Eulogy or Your Résumé? "Today I want every American to see how these men and women lived," President Obama said Sunday, eulogizing the 12 men and women killed in the Washington Navy Yard shooting.
He spoke of volunteers who made time to give back to their communities, like "Frank Kohler, giving dictionaries to every third-grader in his county," and "Marty Bodrog, leading the children's Bible study at church. " There were fathers like Mike Ridgell, "coaching his daughters' softball teams and joining Facebook just to keep up with his girls, one of whom said he was always the cool dad. " There were mothers like Mary Francis Knight, "devoted to her daughters ... who had just recently watched with joy as her older daughter got married," and grandparents like John Johnson, "always smiling, giving bear hugs to his 10 grandchildren ... who would have welcomed his 11th grandchild this fall.
" For most of us, our eulogy will be not just the first formal marking down of what our lives were about but the only one. Or: 20 Mistakes Women Make In Their Twenties - Mistakes Twentysomething Girls Make. 27 Tweets From Night Vale That Will Make You Question Reality. Why You Do What You Do: 4 Things We’re Taught To Love For All The Wrong Reasons. I can never tell what’s worse: how badly we prohibit ourselves from truly experiencing peace, or how effectively we project that onto other people.
6 Habits of Remarkably Likable People. When you meet someone, after, "What do you do?
" you're out of things to say. You suck at small talk, and those first five minutes are tough because you're a little shy and a little insecure. But you want to make a good impression. 5 Things That Really Smart People Do. Most people don't really think much about how they learn.
Generally you assume learning comes naturally. You listen to someone speak either in conversation or in a lecture and you simply absorb what they are saying, right? Not really. In fact, I find as I get older that real learning takes more work. The more I fill my brain with facts, figures, and experience, the less room I have for new ideas and new thoughts. But the need for learning never ends, so your desire to do so should always outweigh your desire to be right. 7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Productivity.
We're always complaining about how little time we have and how overwhelmed we are.
We whine about all the interruptions and communication overload. We spend all sorts of time reading books and searching for ways to improve our time management and personal productivity. It's ironic, I know. Well, get this. 7 Cures for Your Quarter-life Crisis. Picture in your head the quintessential twentysomething.
In their mind is the vague notion that they're destined for greatness and world change, and if they could just find the right avenue to get there, they'd be making a difference. Unfortunately, that avenue has yet to present itself, so they find themselves in a job they tolerate, in a city they wouldn't mind leaving and a life that just doesn't quite seem to be working out the way they had figured it would. They want to take on the world. They want to help. And they feel certain if they could take that first step, then life would turn into an incredible adventure.
Sound familiar? One day you’re jogging along with as upbeat music confirms with every step that you can take on the world. The next day, you’re sprawled out on the couch wishing you could live in a ‘90s sitcom, Death Cab for Cutie in the background confirming with every melody that you can’t even take on your laundry, let alone the world. 1. 2. 3. The Psychological Price of Entrepreneurship.