Many of us are carrying too much stuff in our brains – meetings, ideas, to-do’s. We mean well, but we’re failing to leave space for the creativity and productivity that awaits us. Learn the what, why, and how of cognitive offloading to give your mind the space it needs to do its best work!
Many of us are carrying too much stuff in our brains – meetings, ideas, to-do’s. We mean well, but we’re failing to leave space for the creativity and productivity that awaits us. Learn the what, why, and how of cognitive offloading to give your mind the space it needs to do its best work!
Hey, it’s Rachel Cooke, your Modern Mentor. I’m the founder of Lead Above Noise—a firm specializing in activating workplaces. Helping you discover ways to amplify performance AND employee engagement. Together. We do leader bootcamps, keynotes, and Pulse checks. Just let us know what you need.
Can we talk for a minute about the secret of my success? I mean… my version of success, of course – though maybe not yours. And maybe also not a secret as I’m talking about it openly and have done so before? OK, but you get my drift. So… it’s my bullet journal.
I swear this thing looks like it comes straight out of 1997. It’s an anthem to analog. And yet, it’s the thing I’d save in the fire. After the dog. And the children. And all my Golden Girls paraphernalia.
People think it’s quirky. But I love it because it captures absolutely everything. From the things I have to do today, this week, this month and this year – to all my ideas for future podcast episodes, TED talks I want to watch, LinkedIn posts I want to write, workouts I want to try. And on and on.
It works for me because my mind is noisy! And the bullet journal is my holding place for all the chaos.
I always just thought it was a thing I did – that lots of people do.
But it turns out this thing I do has a fancy name. It’s called cognitive offloading. Which is, essentially, a schmancy phrase for the tools and strategies you use to manage all the stuff banging around in your brain.
When we leave all the important stuff in our minds, that stuff uses the space and energy it could be using to do much more interesting things. Like innovating and imagining. Like learning. And like being really present in the conversation you’re having.
So let’s talk about some basic ways you can clear the mind-cobwebs and free up that real estate for bigger, better things.
1: Unload that to-do list
So, I hate to brag… but my memory is – wait… what was I saying again? OK, no it’s not that bad. But it’s bad enough that I know not to rely on it to carry my list of to-do’s.
I know plenty of people though (some of whom may share my home address) who believe their memories to be flawless. So they carry their to-do lists up there, and end up to-doing only about half of what's on it.
When our brains are trying to remember all the things we need to do, there’s less room for other, more compelling things to happen up there.
Personally, I like the journal. But you do you. Grab your own journal or use post-its or reminders. But if it has to get done, put it or post it somewhere – anywhere – that’s not your brain.
Not only will this reduce the mental energy spent on remembering tasks and deadlines, but it frees you to actually complete them. Imagine?
2. Schedule what matters – all of it
We – the royal – are generally good at scheduling the essentials. Meetings, appointments, trainings, etc. These are the non-negotiables – the things others are counting on us to show up for.
But when we do this and only this, it becomes too easy to let these non-negotiables take over every minute of our day. And the stuff that’s also important – but mostly to ourselves – falls to the wayside.
I schedule my meetings, of course. But also, my walks. And my check-ins with friends and family. I schedule windows of social media and news scrolling. My workouts. Reading time, listening time, learning time.
You get my point.
Do I ever get derailed? Of course I do. But also I never wake up one day and realize – hey, it’s been a solid month since I’ve read an article or chatted to a friend.
A calendar should feel like a hug – not a handcuff. I can flex as I need to. But I need to hold space for me. But I can only be my most productive and creative when I’m making time for the things that give me energy, ideas, and connection.
3. Book regular brain dumps
I do this weekly. I mean, unofficially I do it daily. But formally, every week, I spend an hour putting all my ideas, my insights, my curiosities somewhere in my bullet journal.
Again, this frees up the real estate in my head, but it also compels me to periodically look for themes. To see what’s coming up time and again that is calling out to me – to test or to try.
Start with just 15 minutes. You may be surprised to realize how much you’ve actually been storing up there. Keep it simple. Have a few prompt questions handy for yourself. Like…
· What did I find interesting or curious this week?
· What did I learn this week – in an article, a course, or a conversation?
· What am I interested in exploring further?
· What questions have I been stuck on that I need to seek answers to?
Make the questions your own. But give yourself the space to just free write. You’re gonna find a pearl in there – trust me.
4. Honor the checklist
Checklists aren’t sexy. They just aren’t. But they can save a life. Like, literally.
There’s a whole book on this – called The Checklist Manifesto, written by Atul Gawande.
And he writes about how in certain environments – like hospitals – having everyone follow a checklist can ensure that hands are washed, stations sterilized, all surgical implements accounted for post-surgery (ahem – as in not accidentally sewn inside the patient). Point is – sometimes having a checklist to follow ensures ease and consistency, so you don’t have to think about it.
Maybe you’re not saving babies. But what process do you have to follow on repeat – generating finance data or building email campaigns or operating machinery in compliance with safety protocol – that has a series of steps to follow?
Imagine if you just kept a handy list that told you what steps to take. Where could your mind go if it didn’t have to work to remember?
5. Stay mindful
Sorry – that one’s mostly for me. The thing I most need to work on. I know better…but I still let myself too often get swept up in the busyness and chaos that are always available.
Yet when I’m racing and churning, I’m never at my best.
So I have to get better at pushing pauses into my day. At stopping every hour or two just to pause and breathe and check in. Am I doing what most needs me right now? Am I doing it wisely and well?
When I remember to do this, I often realize there’s something less urgent but more important that needs my attention. Or that there’s a simpler way to bang out this urgent thing to get to the important one.
A mindful check in helps me to release the head trash I’m carrying and just get more essential things done.
Cognitive offloading is about working smarter, not harder. By freeing up the space in your brain, you’re carrying less, leaving you ready for more productivity and creativity.
So what do you need to offload? Write it down and feel the extra bit of breathing room.
Join me next week for another great episode. Until then, visit my website at leadabovenoise.com if your workplace could use an activation boost – a bootcamp, a keynote, a Pulse check – you choose. You can follow Modern Mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Find and follow me on LinkedIn. Thanks so much for listening and have a successful week.
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