Tierra Lab
How do you stay sharp?
On a recent flight I sat next to an elderly gentleman who did a challenging crossword in record time (before the plane took off!) then busted out an enormous and intimidating volume of non-fiction, all the while cracking sarcastic jokes under his breath for my benefit. While half of our plane spent the flight head-back and drooling, this man wasn’t idle for a second. I was impressed and kind of weirdly jealous.
Like many folks at Tierra and elsewhere, I spend most of my work days in problem-solving mode. Making something visual, writing, wire framing or talking to a client are all a means to this end. So needless to say, I strive to be nimble when it comes to solving problems. I’ve read that our brains thrive when we mix things up. Solving new and different kinds problems can even make us better at solving the ones we encounter regularly. That probably means I should try doing calculus on the weekends…but that’s not going to happen. Baby steps.
For the past few months I’ve been addicted to Nintendo DS games like Brain Age and My Word Coach. I’ll throw down with a sudoku puzzle on the DS at any chance I get – on the subway, waiting for my takeout, during boring conversations with friends (kidding). But the magic of these games is starting to wear off. They used to make me feel like I’d just had a little jolt of caffeine, but that feeling is fading away as they become more familiar.
I’m very curious about the different ways that people keep their brains fit. Some friends and I were once annihilated at Trivial Pursuit by a woman I’d previously considered to be a party girl. Afterwards I asked her how she stayed so sharp and she said that she did the crossword every single morning. My husband sometimes reads signs backwards as a little puzzle to entertain himself. My friend Tina, a creative strategist, makes complex weaving and knittery.
Is there anything you like to do to stay sharp?
4 Responses to “How do you stay sharp?”
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May 7th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I am addicted to Free Cell. I don’t really play any other games aside from that and I’ve somehow convinced myself that it helps me stay sharp by looking for patterns and problem solving.
I tried the Nintendo DS Brain Age game too, but I unknown to the machine, I was smart enough to put in my fiancee’s name to match my pathetic score, so I guess making other people look dumb is another way I try to keep sharp.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Jezzball for PC is my game. 30 balls at one time!
May 8th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I like to read books about somewhat obscure topics – how the color mauve was invented and changed the world, why the black plague spread, the real scoop on the lobster industry and what really happened to the Dodo bird. My mind seems to have this bizarre ability to retain nearly every detail about somewhat inconsequential events in history. I wish the content was more relevant but I figure if my brain likes this kind of information I might as well indulge. My latest discovery – Hellen Keller brought the Akita to the US in 1937.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:14 am
I keep two copies of the latest “bathoom reader” in the bathroom. You’ll be amazed at the random facts you’ll find in them!