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Our life is a constant improvement of our skills. Our goal is to cope with everything faster and more effectively. To do that, we need to optimize the thinking process and spend less time on decision making and analysis. These techniques can help you do exactly that.
Physical Exercises
According to a recent research, exercises help the brain to reorganize itself to handle stress better. Regular exercises help your brain to get better acclimated to the stresses we face every day. Your mind and body will be ready to give a fast respond to the problems and, therefore, take less of your time and efforts to cope with them.
Healthy Food
Eating healthy and organic food improves brain strength, memory, and concentration. Fruits, fish, and vegetables should be your first choice. But it does not mean you will have to give up on the food you like. For instance, dark chocolate can improve your thinking process. Dopamine, which is the result of your guilty pleasure, gives you an opportunity to learn and remember faster. Boosting your brain by giving it all the vitamins it needs can be the first easy thing to start your improvement program.
Train Your Brain
We’ve already established that exercises have a positive impact on the brain. But it is not the only option for training it. You can solve some simple puzzles offered by numerous online resources, like BrainHQ, for example. Choose from 6 categories and start improving.
This leads us to one more point you should know. These exercises are effective because with some time your brain will be able to solve puzzles without paying the usual amount of effort. It will chunk the information down and start finding solutions faster. Any problem you experience can be simplified to a number of smaller ones. If 80% of those smaller problems is something your brain recognizes and can solve, you reach the goal much faster.
Reading books is another way of training. Get into the habit of reading and you will learn about other people’s experience and their ways of solving problems. Once that information is in your brain, handling everyday stress will become easier.
No Multitasking
Although almost all of us have to multitask every day at the workplace, it is a vicious habit. It slows down the learning process and is based on constant distraction. Your brain is forced to skip between tasks and ideas. That makes it exhausted faster. Besides, your brain needs up to 10 minutes to get back to the initial task after distraction. If you want to be productive, this is not the way to go.
1. Think Before You Talk
Communicating depends on the fact that you are able to say the word. If you have to think about it, you will lose time. That’s why before starting a conversation, take a moment and organize your arguments.
2. Make It a Habit to Prepare for Meetings
Meetings are the plague of the modern working life. They can be very effective if they are used properly. Before any meeting, make a list of your goals and pre-decide on the main points of the discussion. You will never forget what you want to say.
3. Use the 20-Second Rule
This is a very simple idea. Before making any decision, count to 20. It will give you the clarity of mind to make a better decision.
4. Decide in a Second
You should never overthink. If you have to, make your decision within 20 seconds. It will be the best decision you will ever make.
5. Harness the Power of the Pareto Principle
The 80-20 rule is a general rule used to describe how things work in reality. According to this rule, 80% of results are created by 20% of efforts. If you use this rule correctly you will be able to focus on the most important things.
6. Use the Decision-Making Method
To make a good decision, you need to know the facts. You need to find facts and analyze them. This is a good technique, but it doesn’t work all the time. Sometimes you need to make a decision based on instinct.
7. Use the ABCDE Method
When you have to make a decision, you have to break it down to a few steps. While you are doing it, you have to think about possible consequences.
8. Use the RACI Method
This is a great decision-making method for teams. Each team member has a different role in the project. Without the help of the team you will never be able to create a perfect decision.
9. Think About Your Own Idea
The best way to make a decision is to think about it yourself. In this way you will be able to see the issue from different perspectives and you will be able to find a solution.
10. It’s OK to Ask for Help
Even the smartest people ask for help. If you don’t ask for help you will never get the full benefit of the team.
11. Consider the Possibility of a Mistake
The best way to make a good decision is to consider the possibility of a mistake. By considering this possibility you will never make a choice that you will regret later.
12. Make a Quick Decision
Making a quick decision will save you a lot of time. It will also reduce the risk of mistakes.
13. Don’t Think About Your Mistakes, Just Move Forward
There are very few people in the world who never make mistakes. The best way to deal with your mistakes is to look at them in the past. It’s useless to think about them.
14. Eliminate Options
The more options you have, the more time you will take to make a decision. You should always eliminate options.
15. Keep Your Options Open
If you have to make a decision, you can’t close the doors. You should always keep your options open and you should always keep the possibility of change.
16. Make a Quick Decision
You should never take the decision too long. One of the reasons for that is that other people will be waiting for you to make a choice.
17. Make a Decision on Your Own
Even if you are a member of a team organization, you should never make decisions on your own. That’s why you should apply the RACI method.