Want to expand your mind? A little bit of effort every day goes a long way.
In the Quora thread, "What would you do to be a little smarter every single day?", readers shared the habits they follow to fuel their brains.
Here are some simple actions that could help you become a smarter person.1. Come up with 10 ideas every day.
Think about how to reduce poverty, how to solve a daily
problem you have, interesting movie ideas, or anything. It doesn't
matter what subject your ideas fall into, as long as you're working your
brain and your idea muscles. Your list might even lead to a new startup
idea or writing subject. —Claudia Azula Altucher
2. Read the newspaper.
It will help you become more aware of the important things
happening around the word. You'll learn to form your own opinions and
connect the dots between seemingly unrelated things. You'll also have a
lot more to talk about at parties or with friends. —Manas J Saloi
3. Play devil's advocate.
Take something you recently learned and generate a unique
opinion on it that wouldn't immediately come to mind. Try to support it
with evidence, and be open to the idea that new evidence will change
your opinion. Repeat this every day, and you'll become much better at
thinking outside the box.
If you're feeling stuck, try reading and critically
evaluating the editorial section of papers. They will help you
understand how other people form arguments and express their opinions. —Peter DePaulo
4. Read a chapter in a fiction or nonfiction book.
Aim to read a book a week. You can always find pockets of
time to read, whether on your daily commute or while you're waiting in
line. Goodreads is a great way to keep track of everything you read and
to also find a community of other readers.
Fiction books are great for understanding characters and
getting absorbed into another perspective, while non-fiction books are
great for introducing you to new topics, from politics to psychology. —Claudia Azula Altucher
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| Flickr/Kamil Porembiński |
5. Instead of watching TV, watch educational videos.
Sometimes, it's more fun to watch things about a subject
you love than to read about it, and you can learn a lot from other
people's experiences.
You can find fun, educational videos on Khan Academy or watch TED talks. You can also find good ones on Youtube's channel SmarterEveryDay. In videos, the information is often presented in a digestible, memorable way, so you can be assured they'll stick. —Hendrik Sleeckx
6. Subscribe to feeds of interesting information.
Follow interesting voices on Facebook and Twitter, so
you'll always learn something new when you look at your newsfeed or
dashboard. For example, if you want to keep up with the latest news in science and technology, subscribe to the "I F------ Love Science" page on Facebook. You can also follow email newsletters, such as Cal Newport's Study Hacks and Today I Found Out. —Saurabh Shah
7. Check in with your favorite knowledge sources.
Every day,
scroll through Quora, Stack Overflow, specialty blogs, or any other
sources that satiate your hunger for knowledge. This is an extremely
easy habit, because other users are curating the content for you, so all
you have to do is follow the ones who write about topics interesting to
you. Try using Pocket to save articles for later reading, and then try
to get through them before going to sleep at night. —Manas J Saloi
8. Share what you learn with other people.
If you find someone to debate and analyze ideas with, you
can add to each other's knowledge and gain new perspectives. Also, when
you can explain ideas to someone else, it means you've definitely
mastered the concept. You can even share what you learn without directly
talking to someone. Many people like to start blogs so they can engage
others in online dialogue. —Mike Xie
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| Shutterstock |
9. Make two "To Do" lists: one of work-related skills you want to learn now, and another of things you want to achieve in the future.
Google Docs is a convenient way to keep track of your
lists. For both, decide what you want to learn, compile sources that
will teach you these skills, and then work on them each day.
For example, if you work in a computer-science related
field, your first list might suggest you learn something new in Python
one day or that you try using MongoDB another day.
For your second list, you can think about long-term goals,
such as whether you want to go into marketing or architecture. Write
down the small steps you need to take to reach that goal, whether it's
by reading the experts in those fields or taking classes at a local
college. —Manas J Saloi
10. Write an "I Did" list.
At the end of each day, write down what you completed. This
will help you feel better about all the things you accomplished,
especially if you're feeling discouraged. It will also help you reflect
on how productive you were and how you can re-structure your to-do lists
for the next day. —Claudia Azula Altucher
11. Start a "Stop Doing" list.
To clear out the mental clutter, take note of the mindless
ways you spend your time. Break old habits, and make time for new,
better ones. As Warren Buffett says, "The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful say 'no' to almost everything." —Shane Parrish
12. Write down what you learn.
You can start a blog or use an app like Inkpad to help you
keep track of everything you learn. Not only will this be a great way to
keep a record of everything you're doing, but it's also a good source
of motivation to keep you accountable. You will want to learn more if
you know that at the end of the day you'll have to write about it. —Manas J Saloi
13. Stimulate your mind.
Going on a daily run is a
great way to get your brain flowing and to keep your mental health in
shape. It's also a great way to think through difficult decisions or
process new information. —Rick Bruno
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| Flickr / Dev Bootcamp |
14. Take online courses.
Check out this list of the most popular online courses for professionals.
Make sure you don't overload yourself; commit to one to two and truly
focus on them. The syllabus will also keep you on track, so you know you
will be doing something every day, whether it's listening to a lecture
or working on an assignment. —Manas J Saloi
15. Talk to someone you find interesting.
Even if they're strangers, don't be afraid to approach them. Ask about their interests and how they discovered them. Oftentimes, you learn the most from people you barely know. —Manas J Saloi16. Hang out with people who are smarter than you.
Spend as much time as you can
with smart people. Every day, you should strive to have a coffee date
or walk with someone who inspires you.
Always be humble and willing
to learn. Ask as many questions as possible. If you are always around
people who are more knowledgeable than you, you'll have no choice but to
learn more. —Manas J Saloi
17. Follow your questions.
If you see or hear about
something cool, don't just let the moment pass. Follow up — pursue your
curiosity and find the answer to your question. —Mike Xie
18. Use a word-of-the-day app.
You will increase your
vocabulary, which can help you in competitive tests like the SAT or GRE,
or even just sound more eloquent in daily interactions.
You can also try to learn new
vocabulary in a different language. Every day, try to add five to 10
more words to the foreign language you are trying to pursue. You can use
LiveMocha, Basuu, or DuoLingo. —Manas J Saloi
19. Do something scary.
"Getting out of our comfort
zone always makes us wiser." Every day, push yourself a little further.
Try public speaking by joining a ToastMasters class, lead a meeting by
volunteering a proposal at work, or reach out to someone you really
admire by sending a quick letter or email. —Claudia Azula Altucher
20. Explore new areas.
If you can't travel every day, at least try to find
something new within your hometown. You'll meet different people, learn
new facts, and understand something new about the world. It's a lot more
productive than staying at home and watching TV. —Manas J Saloi
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| Sion Touhig/Getty |
21. Play "smart" games.
Some games, like chess and Scrabble, expand your mind.
Challenge yourself when you play them. For example, play Scrabble
without a dictionary. You can also solve puzzles via games like Sudoku,
2048, and Doors. —Saurabh Shah
22. Set aside some time to do nothing.
Oftentimes, sitting in silence can help you get inspiration and reflect on your day. —Claudia Azula Altucher
23. Adopt a productive hobby.
If you have something you can work on every day, from
knitting to fly fishing, you can actively learn more just from doing.
For instance, you may try to play a new piece of music every day, read a
physics textbook, write a few more pages in your novel, or learn a new
computer skill. —Mayank Rajput
24. Apply what you learn.
If you recently learned a new coding skill or how to
play an instrument, make sure you are using that skill in your life as
often as possible. Learning by doing is one of the most effective ways
to become smarter. —Himanshu Pal
25. Exercise and eat a healthy diet.
Opt for brain foods
to fuel your thinking, and avoid alcohol and heavy meals that will make
you sluggish. When your energy dips, take a walk. "The more blood
flowing into your brain, the better your performance. Great thinkers
like Mahatma Gandhi and Charles Darwin were famous for their long
walks." —Janne Piiroinen
This is an update of an article originally written by Maggie Zhang.
original post: http://www.businessinsider.com/daily-habits-to-be-smarter-2015-5
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