6 steps of an "optimization primer" -- and the connection to creativity

Your brain has the ability to hold a bunch of thoughts in its short-term, or "working,"memory. You can improve your ability to harness your working memory by exercising, getting a good night's sleep, writing things down, and listening to divergent points of view.

These things go hand in hand. For instance, if you work out, you clear your head and have more creative ideas. The physical activity tires you, so you sleep better.

So that time you invested in exercise pays huge dividends.

This advice from Margaret Moore co-author of Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life.

She says work, family, and worries about the world at large keep many of us in a state of constant disorder. Here’s 6 ways she suggests to stop the chaos:

1. Tame the frenzy
2. Sustain Attention
3. Mold Information
4. Apply the Brakes
5. Shift Sets
6. Connect the Dots

Read more at SPIRIT Magazine