According to a CEO and neuroscience researcher, doing this one thing can make successful people happier, more productive, and less stressed at work.

According to David Rock, founder and CEO of the NeuroLeadership Institute, a science-based leadership company, there is one key factor that successful individuals employ to achieve their numerous objectives: effectively managing their brain.

Successful individuals "effectively utilize their limited decision-making capacity," he argues. Additionally, they "have learned when to pause attempting to solve a problem and allow their subconscious to take over."

It can be challenging to determine the most efficient way to utilize your brain with the numerous demands on your time and focus.

Here's an exercise Rock suggests trying — and why it can help.

Notice patterns in your attention span

To improve your brain usage, Rock advises paying attention to your attention by observing patterns in the quality of your thinking throughout the day.

He suggests that you "observe how intensely focused you are in the morning and how sluggish you become in the afternoon."

As many individuals experience, they may feel more mentally alert in the morning due to the absence of the numerous responsibilities and obligations they will face later in the day. Nonetheless, as the day progresses, the numerous tasks that arise can make it challenging to concentrate.

Do creative work first

After evaluating the quality of your thoughts throughout the day, you can plan your schedule accordingly.

According to Rock, it is best to do deeper and more complex thinking in the morning because one can focus better at that time.

Rewritten sentence: "I will save less creative work for the moments when I tend to be more distracted."

To maximize the use of your brain's most powerful moments, prioritize creative work first, urgent and important work second, and email and other tasks last, as recommended by Rock.

According to Rock, individuals who adopt this habit, as detailed in his book "Your Brain at Work," experience increased happiness, productivity, and reduced stress levels.

"They just have more brain power," he says.

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