Teachers – Reasons to Clear Your Psychic RAM (and How to Do It)

A computer’s RAM (Random Access Memory) can become overloaded and then shut down the entire computer. In his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, David Allen describes the concept of ‘psychic RAM’ and notes that it can also be overloaded and shut down. This article gives you some great reasons to empty your psychic RAM and some tips on how to do it. Get ready to be more productive!

Consider your amazing brain and all the things it’s trying to take into account at any given time as your ‘psychic RAM’ and tend to it. It is a powerful concept. Some reasons why you need to clear your psychic RAM include:

1. Your stress is reduced.
2. You won’t let things go unnoticed by taking them out of your head and putting them on paper or an electronic system.
3. You are more lucid.
4. You are more efficient.
5. You are more efficient.
6. You are less likely to feel overwhelmed.
7. You are more creative.
8. You are a better listener.
9. You can sleep. And hold on to your hat because here comes the reason to trump all reasons, when you’ve emptied your psychic RAM…
10. There is space in your head to really think.

Phew! These are not good reasons!

Now here are some ideas on how to clear your psychic RAM:

1. Never miss an opportunity to write something.
2. Have good places to capture your thoughts (planner, PDA, etc.).
3. Process those places regularly.
4. Avoid having too many places to collect your thoughts.
5. Check your calendar… day by day, month by month and see what comes to mind. Then write it down and get it out of your psychic RAM!
6. Just sit and think. Your brain is happy to tell you what’s going on in there. Just give him time to do it. Then write it down and pull it out of her psychic RAM.
7. Walk around your house and see what comes to mind and capture those thoughts.
8. Walk around your office, classroom, or lab and see what comes to mind and capture those thoughts.
9. Ask those close to you: “Is there something I need to attend to?” Capture what they tell you.
10. As you sit in a meeting, notice what comes to mind, and it may or may not be related to the meeting. Alright. Capture it (see Tip #1 above).

Once you start keeping a clean psychic RAM, you won’t believe the difference. So take a few minutes and get started right now. And then….