Life Hacks: The beginning of my experiment on productivity and focus.

Like most, I have spent a fair while procrastinating over many a thing of late from daily tasks to those "I'd love to do that but just don't have the time" such as a PhD and learning some other skills in related fields such as electronics. The PhD in particular is one I could think of many excuses why I couldn't find the time to do it. After reading around differing study theories and especially seeing Scott Young's MIT challenge I figure that now is as good as a time as any to make a start.

My daily routine at the moment involves getting up around 6am, make breakfast, walk and train dogs at half seven and sit down to read any tech papers at 8:30. Or more than likely sit and read through Facebook and any videos I missed the day previously. Then work from 9am to 5pm, procrastinating as I go with many distractions provided by the internet. More training and walking with the dogs 5 - 6pm, home for tea around 7 and then spend the next couple of hours reading around subjects such as (at the moment) On and Off-Grid solar systems.

I soon realised that i'm stuck in a rut and I feel the need to do something with all this information and at the same time learn more. So I probably have one to two hours per day for this, of which I really need to maximise the time and effort, not procrastinate and most importantly, retain the information.

There are lots of hints and tips out there that you can use, such as turning the phone onto silent when studying etc but I am more interested in the science of brainwaves and optimising the conditions that I work and study in to be as efficient as possible. So in the following weeks I shall post some updates on the experiment where I will be monitoring the effect on my cognitive ability using some controlled tests and monitors such as an EEG headset.

What is the overall hypothesis?

This study is designed to test the hypothesis that it is possible to rapidly change brain patterns to sustain an optimum mental state for study and processing of data using a combination of factors.

What are some of the measurable targets?

Well, there's the PhD for a start but that's a bit far in the future and I'd like to apply the knowledge from this to the research in the PhD so I have some courses to act as a gauge of success along the way.

• Certified Ethical Hacker Exam
• BSc (Hons) Computing and Applied Mathematics
• Private Pilots License paper based exams
• My own productivity at work

Am I academic?

Not in the slightest! I came out of school with 3 GCSE's and after a motorbike accident at 25 I went back to college to study for various computing certificates, CCNA, CISCO A+, HNC, HND with an average assignment mark of merit across the board.

What factors am I testing?

• Binaural beats link
• Research Techniques i.e. feynman technique
• Chemical Stimuli
• Food
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Emotion

There is a vast amount of research proving that our brains resonate at certain frequencies when we are in a particular state. For example the Alpha brainwave pattern is indicative of a state of concentration and focus. It is my intent to find the best way of inducing those certain states and IF it is at all possible using the factors above. Answering questions such as "How quick does my brain change to an Alpha state when listening to a pure Alpha binaural beat?"

So rather than scribble notes down into a diary for my own use I figured I would post onto here for all to see.

Granted the effects here are my experiences only and I do not suggest anyone follows any examples especially when I get down to the one on Chemical Stimuli !