Marcus owned a busy veterinary clinic with 6 vets and 15 support staff.
He was the kind of boss everyone wanted to work for. He had an open-door policy and genuinely cared about helping his team succeed.

The problem was, Marcus couldn't get anything done.

In a veterinary clinic, emergencies don't wait for convenient times. When a dog comes in hit by a car or a cat is having trouble breathing, his team needs Marcus's expertise immediately; there was literally no way around it.

So every 20 minutes, someone would rush into his office with an urgent case that needed his input, and Marcus would help save the animal's life.
But then he'd sit back down at his computer and stare at his screen for 10 minutes, trying to remember what he was even working on before the interruption.

By 2 pm, Marcus felt like his brain was scrambled eggs, and he'd accomplished maybe 30 minutes of actual focused work despite being "busy" all day.

Marcus told me he was staying until 9 pm every night just to get his own work done, and he was exhausted from constantly having to restart his thinking process.

After working together and learning a simple technique for getting back into focus quickly, Marcus could seamlessly transition back to his work after each emergency.
Now he leaves the clinic at 6 pm and actually gets more done than when he was staying late.



While you are doing any task, you without even realizing it, are using your 28 thinking skills.
When the thinking skills you need to use are strong, doing the task happens easily.
If the thinking skill you need to use is weak, doing the task is a challenge.
The struggle that Marcus had came from a weak thinking skill of working memory.
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Working Memory

Working memory is your brain's ability to hold and use the information you need right now.

When a client gives you their credit card number over the phone.
People with strong working memory can type in the numbers without asking for it to be repeated..

Or when you get a 6-digit verification code on your phone and need to enter it on your computer, you glance at it once and remember it long enough to type it in without constantly looking back.


Marcus's Working Memory

Marcus struggled because every interruption caused his brain to dump the information he was holding on to. When he was working on the monthly budget review, his working memory needed to keep track of which departments were over budget, what expenses needed approval, and the deadline for submitting changes.
But the moment someone rushed in with an emergency, all that information got pushed out of his active memory.

When he came back to his computer, Marcus had to remind his brain what he was working on - re-reading emails, recalculating numbers, remembering what decisions he'd already made.


Refocusing After Getting Interrupted  

With Marcus, we started by using a specific technique to help in the moment.
Then during the sessions, we improved working memory. I’ll share with you this technique you can start implementing today, and 4 exercises you can do at home to help yourself with working memory.

What helped Marcus immediately was using the strategy I call “Anchoring.”
It’s finding a specific element within the work that reminds your brain of the work you were doing.

So if Marcus was reviewing the monthly budget, his anchor may be the final number he’s working toward.
That mental anchor kept the important information active in his working memory.
When he came back from the emergency, he’d look for the final number and could immediately continue where he left off.


Here are four ways you can start building stronger working memory:

1) Start Believing It's Possible

This is huge - stop telling yourself you have a terrible memory.
Don't have to lie to yourself and pretend you're perfect, but start talking to yourself like improvement is possible.

Instead of "I can never remember anything," try "I'm getting better at holding onto information" or "My memory is improving with practice."

Marcus was shocked at how much his working memory improved just by expecting it to work instead of assuming it would fail every time.


2) Use More of Your Senses

The more senses you involve, the better your working memory becomes.
On a basic level, saying things out loud is often enough because it adds the auditory element.

When that verification code pops up on your phone, don't just look at it - say "7-4-2-8-9-1" out loud as you see it. Now you're using both visual and auditory parts of your brain.


3) Give Yourself a Working Memory List

Before you walk into the house (or your office) give yourself 3 things you’re gonna do immediately.
Don’t write these 3 tasks down.
Hold them in your working memory and do them.

Once you find yourself having easy time remembering to do 3 tasks, make 4 tasks, then 5 etc.


4) Do a Mental Rehearsal Before Tasks

Before starting any complex task, quickly run through what you need to keep track of.
If you're preparing a proposal, remind yourself: "I need to remember the budget limit, the deadline, their specific requirements, and what we discussed in the last meeting."

This primes your working memory to hold onto the right information while you work.




Strong working memory means spending less time restarting and more time actually accomplishing things. You don’t even realize how much time you save till you improve this thinking skill.


Cheers to Peak Brain Performance!