Review of The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel J. Levitin

In today’s world, we are flooded with a huge amount of information and it is more important than ever to be able to filter and process all that data. Organized Mind by Daniel J. Levitin responds to this contemporary issue by presenting readers with knowledge on the brain and the organization of thoughts with a view on productivity and focus. Levitin is involved in the capacities of neuroscientist and cognitive psychologist and thus has the scientific approach to such methods as well as shares proven strategies for dealing with information and sustaining focus in today’s overwhelming world.

In this review, I will reveal major topics and issues covered in The Organized Mind, discuss its strong and weak points, as well as its ability to help overcome the issues of a contemporary human mind. We will also explore how ‘Levitin’s techniques’ can be incorporated into the real world to optimize and increase effectiveness, decrease stress and make better decisions.

Click here to read The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload for free with a 30-day free trial

Overview of the Book

The Organized Mind is an article divided into several sections ranging from capturing information to leveraging such information. Levitin starts by dissecting how our brain is wired to process information in simple societies and then how today’s world floods humans with information that the brain cannot handle. He starts with the most basic assumption, that is attention is a scarce commodity and needs to be properly managed.

From there, he goes deeper into proper methods for implementing and categorizing organizational approaches to information in different areas of life such as work, home, interaction, and decisions. Through personalized tips on how to organise your physical and mental environment, and how to decide what is important and what may be removed or put in place, he shows how we can make better decisions. The book is filled with examples, stories, and empirical evidence of how those principles can be mobilised in daily life.

Cognitive Overload and Basic Attention Principles

On the list of topics explored in the book, cognitive load is one of the primary concerns. Levitin says that the current deluge of information in the form of emails, articles, social network updates, and the like is beyond our ability to handle. This results in lowered rates of efficiency, unsound decision making and increased levels of stress.

Levitin engages neuroscience and psychology in making a point about how the brain is wired to comprehend information and why it cannot cope with today’s challenges. He explains that the brain has two primary modes of attention: the task-positive network that deals with such tasks as problem-solving and the task-negative network that is involved in mind wandering or daydreaming. These two modes are diametric, so when we zap from one to the other (as we are most likely to do when we multitask), it becomes quite taxing on the brain.

The other major topic of importance is more of multitasking. Levitin’s reasoning stems from his claim that there is no such thing as multitasking and what appears like it is the doing of two or more tasks simultaneously is the person moving from one task to another in a short amount of time. This constant switching comes at a cognitive cost: it makes work take longer and you are more prone to making more errors. Levine’s contribution to the topic encompasses guidance on the subject of how they allocate their attention and to do one thing at a time.

Levitin also talks about how we delegate information out of our heads to a different system. He says it is for this reason that our brains are not programmed to store information – that attempting to do so just results in mental exhaustion. Levitin persuasively argues that all that excessive information should be removed and organized by employing a calendar, to-do lists, notes, or any other applications.

Click here to read The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload for free with a 30-day free trial

There are few broad principles you should know to organize the physical space of your office or home.

Cognitive load is not the only thing, which requires organization according to Levitin; he also underlines the need for organization of physical environment where people spend their time. He underlines that tidiness of working space and their absence, from a desk filled with papers and trinkets, through the kitchen table crowded with dirty dishes and snacks, to the overflowing inbox – all this can lead to mental clutter. When the physical environment is unorganized, it is difficult to concentrate and solve problems well.

Chapter 4 provides a detailed guide on how to apply the theories from organizational psychology to declutter our physical environments, and Levitin’s own recommendations. For instance, he advises that similarities should be put together for purposes of organization since they may be required in the near future. He also suggests that labeling systems even if it is for files, tools or household utensils is an effective way of reducing how much we have to think while looking for items.

At the workplace, Levitin suggests that one should design areas for distinct kinds of work. In this way, the available space is used according to the following distinctions and, consequently, people solve the problem of distractions: He also also stresses the need to have some sort of separation, both spatial and temporal, measures. For example, while working from home, having a ‘workspace’ implies that there is a demarcation between working and a black area hence eliminating the possibility of the two overlapping.

Levitin also descriptive notes on how humans relay information from their brains to other systems like computers. Our brains, he argues, are designed not to remember all the information – that is why such attempts cause only a deple­tion of mental resources. Levitin instead suggests that such roles be outsourced to better tools like a calendar, to-do list, or even a note-taking app.

Managing Your Surroundings

Levitin also makes it necessary not just for some neurotransmitter save our cognition from crowding but also for spaces, where we spend most of the time of our day. He notes that physical disorganization – be it a workplace desk, kitchen, or mailbox – may add to mental disorganization. If the physical environment is cluttered, the same appears to happen to our minds and the ability to get work done.

Levitin gives specific advice on how to clean up the physical environment, using concepts from organisational psychology. For instance, he suggests that instead of being cluttered, items should be classified and stacked in a way that brings them out in sets when necessary. He also points out labeling system, which can be used while dealing with files, tools, or any number of household items to spare the brain the effort of hunting for anything.

In the workplace, according to Levitin, people should divide the working areas according to the type of activity carried out. That is, one may divide their workspace into those spaces that are dedicated to completing work on specific projects, coming up with ideas, and doing paperwork. He also stresses the significance of the separation – that is the spatial and temporal separation. For instance, setting up a room in a home environment means that one has to draw a clear line between working and having fun and therefore cannot keep changing the one into the other.

Click here to read The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload for free with a 30-day free trial

The Use of Technology in Overwhelming Information

However, Technology contribute a lot to information overload, and here Levitin paid much attention in illustrating its influence towards cognition. Although the fulfilment of the concept of knowledge has been made efficiently through technology the downfall is the disturbed attention due to emails, notifications etc.

Finally, at work, Levitin gives advice on how to deal with technology, for instance, the extent to which one should read emails or visit the social networks. He calls on readers to set up particular hours or areas in the house that are free of the use of technology gadgets or devices. Another source of information, which Levitin also speaks about, is that of digital information which should be effectively managed as well as files and emails, and newsletters should be unsubscribed, and filters should be applied to communication.

This approach underpins the second and key lesson taken from this section that conscious use of technology is important in determining the impact that it has on specific instructional activities. In competition with more constant stimulation, it is not beyond the reader of this book to consciously control one’s information environment rather than simply reacting to the parade of available stimuli.

Organizing social networks, Google Plus, linking and maintaining your relationships

To this effect, Levitin does not only discuss how we can marshal the environment around us into order at work and home, but also at the social level. He mentions that interpersonal relationships are important to human mind and body, however it is not psychologically wise to have many friends, relatives and working partners.

Levitin offers solutions for organizing social contacts – calendars and notifications for important instances and messages. He also spends a good amount of time talking about the depth vs. breadth of relationships. This means that people who are selective in their choice of friends and awesome in one’s learning capacity will create fewer total bonds but these will be far superior both qualitatively and quantitatively than those created before.

Abstract: In this paper, the neuroscience of memory and information processing is discussed.

Memory and information processing takes a fairly large amount of space in The Organized Mind book. As a scientist, Levitin discusses the short-term memory, long-term memory as well as working memory, and their relation. He says despite the fact that STM has limited capacity, we can enhance our information storage and retrieval process by chunking.

Levitin also explains the fact that people can utilize “chunking”), which means clustering of information. For instance when one is trying to recall a series of numbers it is easier to do so if the numbers are grouped like phone numbers or dates grouped. It may be used in other ways, for example when arranging tasks or when dividing a large project into steps.

Levitin also pronounces the role of sleep and, in general, rest to memory storage and related processes. He offers that during sleep, the brain and mind assimilate the knowledge that has been learnt during the day and hypertrophy the circuits within the brain. He encourages talking now and then to let the brain have some time to deal with information.

Practical Applications: Analysing Levitin’s advice and how to implement it

Another useful characteristic of the book is that some recommendations given by the authors can be implemented by the readers immediately. A major benefit of Levitin’s book is the numerous tips they provide from organizing one’s work environment to ways of being more productive when time is scarce.

Some of the key takeaways include:

Use external tools: Take advantage of calendar and to-do list apps, as well as note-taking apps to write off a lot of what you’d otherwise try to remember.

Prioritize tasks: Do not be overwhelmed by unessential issues; this involves doing your best to concentrate on what matters most.

Set boundaries: Avoid interrupting the work by using the schedule for work and freedom from devices.

Declutter your space: Delegate your physical environment so as to let your mind declutter and therefore perform its best.

Simplify choices: Minimise decision exhaustion by relegating many such decisions to realisation by algorithms or other people and avoiding excessive choice possibilities.

Conclusion

The Organized Mind by Daniel J. Levitin is a timely and insightful book that addresses one of the most pressing challenges of modern life: information overload. As a result of the author’s background as a neuroscientist and music composer, in addition to his work as a professor and producer, Levitin arms readers with the weapons they need to successfully navigate the world of information inundation and organize their lives.

Some may argue that some of the rationale described in the book seems too technical, but the ways in which it can be put to practice are straightforward enough for anyone to follow. Regardless you need help with juggling work, keeping a clean home, or improving your decision making, such a book as The Organized Mind contains helpful tips on how to clear up mind and use some new available source more effectively.

Click here to read The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload for free with a 30-day free trial