It’s a common misconception that geniuses are born, not created. You just need the right techniques to start unlocking your mind and realizing your true potential. Here are 12 ways to beef up your brain!
1. Shake Things Up
Doing the same things over and over will create neural “shortcuts” in your brain that automate everyday processes. While this is great for not thinking about your morning commute, it’s death to creative problem-solving.
2. Follow the Right People
If you want to be smart, start listening to smart people. Research the success of men like Robert Rosenkranz, the founder of Intelligence Squared U.S. Keep tabs on whatever Stephen Hawking is doing.
3. Know Your Weaknesses
Be honest. Why do your plans fail? What could you be doing better in your life to achieve greater success? Don’t try to excuse your flaws away; this isn’t a job interview. Only through brutal self-reflection can you hope to self-improve.
4. Read, Read, Read
Did you know that most college graduates never pick up another book in their life? Don’t allow your mind to stagnate by depriving it of the written word. Even airport bodice rippers are better than not reading at all.
5. Exercise
Physical activity gives energy to the brain. The next time you’re struggling to fix something or come up with a great idea, hit the treadmill for 30 minutes. You might be surprised by what happens next.
6. Listen to Debates
Not only will they expose you to new ideas, but they’ll also challenge you to consider both points of view for any given issue. You’ll develop a reasoned, layered kind of intelligence that can examine problems from every angle.
7. Improve Your Memory
Your memory is a muscle that needs to be strengthened like anything else. Start by forcing yourself to memorize phone numbers and license plates; then graduate to remembering full passages from textbooks or corporate manuals.
8. Talk to Yourself
Verbal communication forces you to articulate your thoughts in an easy-to-understand manner. Instead of vague ideas floating uselessly in your brain, you’ll be able to arrange them, understand them and spot patterns that you might have otherwise missed.
9. Use Shortcuts to Assimilate Knowledge
Mnemonic devices are great ways to retain information for years and even decades after the fact. Can you name every color of the rainbow? No? Then what does Roy G. Biv mean?
10. Socialize with Smart People
It may be a nice feeling to know you’re the smartest person in the room, but it won’t actually increase your own intelligence levels. This is only accomplished when you put yourself in challenging environments where you have to keep up or admit defeat.
11. Catalogue Everything
Get in the habit of making lists and records of your thought processes. They’ll keep your mind more organized and allow you to retrace your steps later once you realize you struck gold somewhere.
12. Fail
This may sound strange, but failure teaches you much more than success. Don’t be afraid to try something crazy or out of your league for fear of looking stupid. Mistakes make you wiser for next time.
These are just 12 tips for boosting your brainpower. While they won’t do your taxes for you, they’ll certainly make the process a little easier!
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