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Hello, and welcome to this week’s WEN-zine nuggets.

Well, we survived the nor’easter and the “totality” eclipse. So the area economy enjoyed an extra day of snowmobilers and a couple days of hundreds of visitors from as far away as West Virginia (per license plates) ... all good ... now back to simpler pleasures such as reading ...

1. Why you should read everyday ... well, besides enjoying a good story ...

Not only is reading educational and informative, which is beneficial in itself, but it also rewires the connections in your brain, leading to many benefits. Among these ...

• Memory improvement. Reading has been shown to slow the rate of memory deterioration and even improve your memory and thinking skills.

• Better focus. Researchers have found that, compared to using social media, reading helps improve concentration by increasing the capacity for longer attention spans.

• Stronger analytical skills. When reading fiction, your brain takes notes of all of the details and gets into critical thinking mode to try to figure out what happens next, a practice that is useful not just when reading but in day-to-day life and work.

For more benefits of reading, plus links to the studies, visit https://nesslabs.com/benefits-of-reading

2. The 1-3-5 Rule for Prioritization ...

The 1-3-5 Rule is a straightforward task management technique designed to help you prioritize your daily activities. It enhances your productivity and sharpens your focus.

To apply the 1-3-5 Rule, you categorize your daily tasks into three levels of importance:

1 Big Task: Consider this the most crucial task that you need to accomplish no matter what. Ensure that this task is significant and will make the most impact on your progress. Choose something that is urgent and necessary but also manageable within a day’s work.

3 Medium Tasks: These tasks are important but less critical than your one big task. These are tasks of moderate importance and complexity that support your big task or your overall goals. They might not be as critical as your big task, but they are substantial enough to require focused effort. Make sure these are tasks that can be completed along with your big task, without causing too much stress.

5 Small Tasks: These are tasks that are good to get done today, but it’s not the end of the world if they are postponed. They can be routine, administrative, or even preparatory tasks leading up to more significant work

When you list your tasks in this way, it encourages a more balanced and achievable approach to your workload.

Source: Introvert Millionaire Habits Newsletter! By Steve Scott, www.developgoodhabits.com

2a. And here’s a useful infographic ...

15 Methods to Master Your Time

3. FYI items

▪ Mental Spring Cleaning Unchallenge, April 22-26 – Leading visual thinker Brandy Agerbeck is hosting the free “unchallenge” ... consisting of five 45-minute work sessions (not lectures or how-tos), during which she’ll share easy, accessible, hands-on visual tools to erase overwhelm, sort through feelings and ideas, and organize your thinking. Info: www.loosetooth.com/unchallenge – shared by Terri Lonier, SOLO Newsletter, www.terrilonier.com/

▪ Hear the pieces Mozart composed when he was Only Five Years Old – This is almost scary; certainly shivery good: Listen at OpenCulture.com – shared by Morning Brew

▪ This could be helpful for naming characters in historic fiction – Stuck in the middle: Discover the most popular middle names from past decades: www.mentalfloss.com/posts/popular-middle-names – another share by Morning Brew

▪ Circadian Rhythms & Attention – Specific times during the day are optimal for goal work. Dr. Pablo Valdez describes three peak times each day when our attention and focus are at their highest. As a rough guide, 30 minutes, 3 hours, and 11 hours after you wake up are great times for hard work. This happens because of the body’s circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) and rhythmicity of body temperature and associated neurochemicals. Source: Huberman Lab Neural Network, www.hubermanlab.com – To read the referenced study. Go here.

Enjoy!

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To Your Writing Success,

Dana K Cassell

Editor

(Dana Cassell is founder of Writers-Editors Network, and has been freelancing/creating full-time for 47 years. In addition to writing, editing, and fact-checking for numerous business clients, she has published more than 2,000 articles and has ghosted or authored more than a dozen books.)

Not a Network member? Join now: https://freelancekeys.com/join-now/ Temporary discount codes:

Save $10 on Basic options: use TESTING coupon code

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