Lara Honos-Webb - Brain Hacks

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Designer: Debbie Berne

designer: Amy King

Cover art: Bestbrk/iStock

Editor: Camille Hayes

Production Editor: Erum Khan

: Sarah Deragon

Illustration Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images

ISBN: Print 978-1-64152-160-4 | eBook 978-1-64152-161-1

To Ken, Kenny, and Audrey Webb for the ultimate brain hacks: their love, support, and encouragement

CONTENTS

Executive functioning describes the cluster of advanced cognitive skillsincluding working memory, organization, and emotional controlthat acts as your command center as you navigate all the complicated tasks of daily life. Simply put, it comprises the thinking skills that allow you to be the boss of your life. Executive functioning determines your ability to stay focused, plan ahead and organize, resist temptations, and stop something once youve started it. It also helps with emotional regulation and your ability to make transitions and solve problems with flexibility.

People who struggle with their executive functioning, such as those with ADHD, can face serious challenges getting ahead and meeting their goals, experiencing things like distractibility, disorganization, and even emotional outbursts. But the fact is that everyone can benefit from strengthening their executive functioning. Who wouldnt want to enjoy better organization at home or improved focus at work?

This book offers a powerful toolbox of strategies to help you make an evolutionary leap by tapping into these critical mental skills. With a little time and effort, you will transform from being distracted by your brain to being the director of your brain. When you harness the power of your executive functions, youll work smarter, look before you leap, and build a life based on your own plan, instead of trying to put out fires as you white-knuckle through each day.

Executive functioning is associated with your brain's prefrontal cortex, shown in the following illustration. This part of your gray matter is essentially the CEO of your brain. It is the last of the brain regions to fully develop, and it controls most of the higher-order thinking that is essential for functioning smoothly in adult life. Imagine a corporation without a CEO, where no one has a clear job description or sense of purpose in the company. It would be a recipe for a failed business. The same is true for people. If your executive functioning is weak, youll find that its difficult to keep the business of your life afloat. The more you build your executive functions, the better equipped youll be to succeed in all areas of your life. By hacking these fundamental brain skills, you can learn to work smarter and get better results.

Lets look at a quick example of executive functioning in action to examine what we use it for and what can go wrong with it.

Imagine that Emma is planning a three-day trip to Las Vegas in June. To prepare, Emma asks herself questions such as, What will the weather be like? and How long will I be there? and What will I be doing? Asking and answering questions like that allows her to plan which clothes to pack and what supplies shell need to take along: sunblock, enough clothing for three days, a book to read on the plane, electronic chargers, and so on. As shes planning, she writes out a list so she doesnt forget anything. Its executive functioning that allows her to ask these seemingly simple questions, which are actually the keys to effective planning.

Now, imagine Olivia is going on the same trip, but she struggles with her executive functioning. Maybe she put off planning for the trip until the last minute, or maybe she didnt plan at all. The night before the trip is chaotic and anxiety-ridden. She mindlessly grabs a family-size suitcase and stuffs in random articles of clothing, including a couple of sweaters she wont need because its going to be over 100 degrees. She ends up packing more than a weeks worth of clothes, even though she only needs enough for three days. And she forgets to pack her phone charger and other important items, including her ID.

Emma, who is efficiently using her executive functions, has a more enjoyable trip than Olivia. She caught her flight, didnt have any unnecessary expenditures, and avoided other mishaps that plague people with weak executive functioning.

Whether youre more like Emma, more like Olivia, or somewhere in between, the techniques youll learn in this book will help you be a happy traveler of life. Whether youre organizing a work project or planning your summer vacation, strong executive functioning will ensure that you get where you need to go on time and are fully prepared to meet whatever comes next.