Multitasking is evil
When it comes time to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, the human brain is not dissimilar to a sack of mangled hammers. Research shows that partitioning off one’s attentional power causes an impairment of the analytical reasoning faculties, an inability to discern relevant from irrelevant information and crippled memory management (Nass, 2009). During these multitudinous affairs, parts of the brain that usually drive single-task performance are divided under dual-task conditions, causing a sharp drop in task efficiency as our brains chew up resources trying to switch between them (Charron & Koechlin, 2012).
- Set aside a block of time that you can dedicate to a single activity.
- Random reinforcement trumps scheduled reinforcement at grabbing your attention, so turn off any devices that might ping you out of the blue.
Deliberate practice
Deliberate practice isn’t quite like the twilight synth odyssey that occurs between “me time” and the academia-here-I-come-two-thumbs-up! that we normally call “practice”. Instead, it is the necessarily arduous task of carrying out repetitive, goal-directed activities that focus on one’s specific weak points and that elicit immediate feedback (Gobet), research showing that this not only results in performance gains but allows for shorter study periods (Ericsson).
The goal here is not the repetition of already trained skills but instead requires repeated attempts to reach beyond one’s current skill level; this should never get easier, and if it does, you’re doing it wrong. Crossing this plateau, separating us from our latent abilities and weighing us down with insignificant psychological flaws, is the first step towards leveling up.
- Schedule practice when you’re motivated and rested.
- Identify aspects that should be the focus of deliberate practice and decide on methods to push performance beyond them.
- Set aside a small chunk of time to practice these methods
- Practice alone or in a small group.
- Assess your results, any improvements, anticipated future problems, and work these into your next chuck of practice.
Willpower
Willpower is like realising you’ve just drunk dialed an ex girlfriend, sparking a routine of coordinated pride-regaining countermeasures, mostly involving subtle references to her new boyfriend using “scare quotes” around his “name” — a causal brain state that emerges out of the “darkness of prior causes” (Harris).
While much research indicates that the depletion of willpower is satiated with glucose (Baumeister), recent studies show that a large factor in the exhaustion of willpower is one’s mindset. When people believe that their power of will is carved in stone, their willpower is easily depleted. But when people take it on board that willpower is a self-renewing commodity and a motivation to work harder in and of itself, then people successfully exert more willpower (Dweck).
- Get more than six hours of sleep a night (McGonigal).
- Exercise.
- Avoid insulin spikes.
- Let yourself off the hook for lapses in willpower.
Edited by Roundlay, November 06 2012 - 10:08 PM.

 

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  you owe us after that whole 'reset your 10 mech levels' BS). Hopefully there will be 'grossly inconclusive data' and they will need to extend the beta for a week
 you owe us after that whole 'reset your 10 mech levels' BS). Hopefully there will be 'grossly inconclusive data' and they will need to extend the beta for a week 
 
				
				
			 
				
				
			 
				
				
			 
				
				
			
 
				
				
			 
				
				
			
 
				
				
			
 
				
				
			










 
								




