Optimal Living Daily - Personal Development and Self-Improvement 3832: Get Things Out of Your Head and Build An External Brain by Marc Bilodeau on Building Systems for Mental Clarity
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Dec 6, 2025 Explore the concept of an 'external brain' to enhance mental clarity and streamline your life. Learn how to manage your mental load by offloading tasks to tools like calendars and notepads. Discover the impact of unmanaged backlogs on your thinking and how to minimize overwhelm with structured systems. Get practical tips on effective calendar habits, actionable notepad practices, and achieving inbox zero. Embrace simple habits that can boost your productivity and overall well-being.
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Limited Working Memory Demands External Systems
- Our working memory holds only about five to nine items at once so details slip away quickly if not recorded.
- Building an external brain frees mental bandwidth for critical thinking and handling new information.
Managing Backlog Frees You For Opportunity
- The external brain manages your backlog so new, unexpected events don't overwhelm you.
- With backlog under control, you become more aware and open to opportunities.
Put Events On The Calendar Immediately
- Add appointments to your calendar as soon as you know them and set reminders immediately.
- Once scheduled, rely on the reminder and use freed attention for other tasks.