They say the devil is in the details. You are probably asking yourself “How am I going to remember all of this?” After reviewing the readings for this unit, what seems most relevant to you and why?
How am I going to remember all of this? I am not!
Most of my work experience has been with the government. Use your imagination to think of the number of training manuals and reference manuals I have had to review and search through to get the required information. Many of those years were pre-computer, where manuals took up a complete wall in an office. I retired from the City of Kelowna in 2021, and they continue to use printed zoning and compliance manuals. My good friend in Calgary who works for Calgary Food Products uses printed manuals to locate tens of thousands of products. He knows where to look. Knowing I do not have to remember “all the stuff” is most relevant to me. It takes a lot of pressure off.
“You Don’t Have to Know Everything. You Just Have to Know Where to Find It.”
This is how Albert Einstein summed up how we should learn in the 21st century. In 1921, Einstein was asked about the speed of sound and replied that he didn’t know because he didn’t carry such information in his mind if it was readily available in textbooks.
Today, we have access to more information than ever before. We can find answers to most questions through our smartphones within just a few minutes, if not seconds. What matters is how you use and store that information and whether you can recall it when needed.
Every single day, we have thousands of mini decisions to make. With each of these decisions, our energy levels fall, and being mindful and productive becomes harder. Maybe that is why Einstein took sleep more seriously than most. He reportedly slept for at least 10 hours per day – nearly one and a half times as much as the average American today (6.8 hours).
Gunel (2020) suggested that you can use Notion, Evernote, Trello, or Google Drive to document and store important information. Once you’ve arranged these tools, you’ll be able to find all the data you need quickly and easily. This will allow you to use your precious brainpower for more critical tasks, such as making important decisions.
Gunel, S. (2020, October 21). 7 Quotes by Albert Einstein That Will Change How You Think. Medium.
On Task Teaching 