What's your brain-power investment strategy?

Toward the end of the year, everyone grapples with budgets. If you’re in a corporate job, this means how to spend those extra funds, how to get more for next year and how to shave just enough to keep everything balanced. If you’re a small business owner, you’re looking at actual revenues versus projects and what you can do now to meet or exceed your annual goals. That you have to budget financial resources is a no-brainer.

But what about your brain budgeting?

Similar to a bank account, your brain can only sustain so much ‘spending’ without regular ‘deposits.’ Below are three takes on brain budgeting, and how you can make sure your Brain Budget meets your needs and matches your goals.

Recoup your funds
The only way you can ensure that you’ll be in top notch mental shape is to give your brain the rest it needs to balance out the strain you put on it every day. While there are thousands of valid techniques to achieve a restful brain, the point is to find a handful that work for you and commit to them. Check out our intrapersonal section for specifics.

Play your hand
Many times, when over-thinking a situation, people overlook the advantages, approaches, resources and ideas they have right in front of them. Instead, they look for a resolution outside of their current abilities and resources, leading to the need for more management, higher stress and the feeling of being out of control, which take up even more brain power. Before spinning your wheels, assess what’s going on and what resources you have right now to resolve it. For instance, can you confidently delegate the responsibility? Have you agreed to a realistic project deadline? Have you communicated clearly?

Pull yourself together
Thinking about a zillion things at once is not multitasking; it’s a beeline to an overstressed and ineffectual brain. Here are a few sure-fire ways to avoid a scattered brain (and pump up your mental reserves):

• Make more of your time
• Redirect that anxiety
• Align your attitude with your goals
• Minimize miscommunication

Aren't you ready to start investing wisely?

Want more real-world nibbles? Graze our Brain Food Cafeteria.