1. Read anything (that’s beneficial).
The benefits of reading are the same whether you are
enjoying Game of Thrones, Harry Potter or the
latest issue of the Wall Street Journal, translations of the Glorious Quran. Reading reduces stress,
which makes you feel better about yourself, and increases all three types of
intelligence -- crystallised, fluid and emotional. That helps with problem
solving, putting different pieces of knowledge together to better navigate
everyday life, detecting patterns, understanding processes and accurately interpreting
and responding to other people’s feelings.
At work, this translates into better understanding how
to make things happen and better managerial skills.
2. Exercise regularly.
Occasional exercise alone doesn’t do the trick. Regular exercise is much more effective than hard
work-outs every now and then. When exercising regularly the cells are flooded
with BDNF, a protein that helps with memory, learning, focus,
concentration and understanding. This is also often referred to as mental
acuity.
Some scientists speculate that sitting down for
prolonged periods of time has the opposite affect and actually hinders our
brain from working as well as it could.
3. Learn a new language.
Forget solving puzzles to improve your memory and
learn a foreign language instead. Research has shown that people who are bilingual are better at solving puzzles than
people who speak only one language. Successfully learning new languages enables
your brain to better perform any mentally demanding tasks. This includes the
typical executive skills such as planning and problem-solving.
Additionally, speaking at least two languages
positively affects your skill to monitor your environment and to better direct
your attention to processes. Many people are told that because
executives speak languages, they should learn Spanish or French if they want to
move up the ranks. Based on how the brain reacts to learning languages, it
might be the other way around. Learning another language might be the last
missing link people need to get their brain ready to take on challenging jobs.
4. Test your cumulative learning.
Many intelligent students in high school and
college "cram'' for finals and seem to have mastered the topic the
day of the big test. The trouble with that is we tend to forget these things quickly because we are
rarely, if ever, required to repeat that knowledge in that same way.
One reason studying a new language makes us smarter is because
it requires cumulative learning. Because we need them over and over
again, the grammar and vocabulary we learn is repeated countless times as
we improve our foreign language skills.
Apply the concept of cumulative learning to everyday
life and your work place by keeping track of noteworthy bits of knowledge
you acquire. Go through takeaways from recent books, observations during an
important negotiation, or keep a small journal with anything that strikes your
attention. Start integrating cumulative learning into your self-improvement
program.
5. Work out your brain.
Sudoku, puzzles, riddles, board games, card
games, computer chess and similar activities increase
neuroplasticity. This encompasses a wide variety of changes in neural
pathways and synapses that is basically the ability of the brain to reorganize
itself. When nerve cells respond in new ways that increases
neuroplasticity, which allows us more ability to see things from
different points-of-view and understand cause and effect of behaviors and
emotions. We become aware of new patterns and our cognitive abilities
are improved.
Considering that neuroplasticity is involved in
impairments such as tinnitus, an increased amount can help prevent certain
conditions. For instance, people with high neuroplasticity are less prone to
anxiety and depression while learning faster and memorizing more.
6. Meditate (better still – Divine remembrance/zikrullah).
Meditation became interesting to ambitious people
because the study implied that we can control our own brain waves and feel
whatever we want to feel whenever we want to. This means we can feel more powerful
right before a negotiation, more confident when asking for a raise and more
convincing during a sales call.
The general idea is that the brain can
develop further and you can do it on purpose. Different activities stimulate
different areas of your brain, so you can work on becoming unbeatable at your
strengths as well as improving your weaknesses. Focusing self-improvement on
the brain is a good idea for anyone who feels they are at their professional
peak (or maybe just have stopped getting better), ambitious professionals
and of course entrepreneurs who are looking to maximize their potential.
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