Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life

Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life
Harvard Health Publications

If you’ve ever lost your keys, missed an appointment or wasted hours because you were distracted by a frivolous text or email message, then this book is for you.The key to a less hectic, less stressful life is not in simply organizing your desk, but organizing your mind. Dr. Paul Hammerness, a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist, is at the forefront of new neuroscience research that has discovered the brain’s extraordinary built-in system of organization.Margaret Moore, a certified wellness coach and cofounder of Harvard’s Institute of Coaching, has helped to turn that science into solutions—showing you how to use the innate organizational power of your brain to make your life less stressful, more productive and, ultimately, more rewarding.Together, Dr. Paul and Coach Meg have created a one-two prescriptive punch that will teach you how to: - regain control of your emotions - embrace effective uni-tasking (because multitasking doesn’t work!) - fluidly shift from one task to another - curb time-consuming impulsivityThis groundbreaking guide is complete with stories of people who have learned to stop feeling powerless against multiplying distractions and start organizing their lives by organizing their minds.

PRAISE FOR ORGANIZE YOUR MIND, ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE

“A treasure trove of tips, tools and techniques, making it possible to stay mindful of your self-care priorities while navigating the challenging stresses of everyday life.”

—Pam Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP

Host, Discovery Health TV’s Could You Survive?

Author of New York Times bestseller Fit to Live

WebMD’s Lifestyle Expert

“Marvelous! This empowering collection of transformative, science-supported tools can help anyone change his or her life in healthier, happier directions. If you want a smart, straightforward guide to taming the crazy-making factors in your life and fulfilling more of your personal potential, this is it!”

—Pilar Gerasimo

Editor-in-Chief, Experience Life magazine

Senior Vice President, Education—Life Time Fitness

“Hammerness and Moore have translated the latest science in brain function into a few, highly effective skills that help us bring order and control in our lives. In a world where distractions are ever growing and taking new forms, this book offers key insights that will help us lead less stressful and more productive lives at work as well as at home.”

—Jon Ayers

Chairman, President & CEO, IDEXX Laboratories

“Together, Dr. Paul and Coach Meg offer hope. They show us what works and help us create a believable, workable plan to be our best in even the most challenging situations. This unique wellness coaching offers reasons, real-life strategies and results.”

—Ruth Ann Harnisch, President

The Harnisch Foundation

“Practical and very accessible, this book significantly empowers anyone’s ability to nimbly manage the massive amounts of information we all must deal with in an increasingly complex high-tech world.”

—Jeffrey M. Schwartz, MD

Research Psychiatrist, UCLA

Coauthor of You Are Not Your Brain and The Mind & the Brain

Organize Your Mind

Organize Your Life

Train Your Brain

to Get More Done in Less Time

Paul Hammerness, MD & Margaret Moore

with John Hanc

CONTENTS

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: The Rules of Order/Dr. Hammerness

CHAPTER 2: A Change Will Do You Good/Coach Meg

CHAPTER 3: Rules of Order/Tame the Frenzy

CHAPTER 4: Rules of Order/Sustain Attention

CHAPTER 5: Rules of Order/Apply the Brakes

CHAPTER 6: Rules of Order/Mold Information

CHAPTER 7: Rules of Order/Shift Sets

CHAPTER 8: Rules of Order/Connect the Dots

CHAPTER 9: Staying on Top of a Fast-Changing World

APPENDIX 1: The Rules of Order At-A-Glance

APPENDIX 2: The Top 10 (Dis)organizational Complaints—and Our Solutions

Notes

References

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

INTRODUCTION

HOW ORGANIZED ARE YOU?

(Please answer A, B or C.)

A. VERY ORGANIZED. My desk is neat, I never miss an appointment or a deadline, my friends are amazed, my co-workers are jealous and my boss loves me.

B. MODERATELY ORGANIZED. I manage to stay on top of things pretty well, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed, not sure what to do first, and I must admit that I’m a little jealous of my colleagues and my boss who seem more organized.