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How would you like to improve your life a
little each and every day? After all, that’s how almost everyone
achieves overwhelming success. It’s easy to look at the
achievements of a great athlete or neurosurgeon and think they
were born that way – with all that knowledge and skill. That’s
because you only see the final product. The truth of the matter
is – when you see the fastest man or woman on the planet winning
a gold medal at the Olympics, it’s not only about what happened
in the 10 seconds of that race. What’s REALLY important is the
20 or more years it took them to get to that moment … and… all
the small things they did… consistently… to get there. And the
same is true about knowledge, health, and just about anything
else you want to master.
So here’s a great list of 77 tips related to knowledge and
learning that can help you a little every day. There’s not
enough room here for all 77, so this is just a teaser. If you
like what you see, the rest can be viewed at:
http://oedb.org/library/college-basics/hacking-knowledge.
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So here’s a partial list:
Food for thought: Eat breakfast. A lot of people skip
breakfast, but creativity is often optimal in the early
morning and it helps to have some protein in you to feed
your brain. A lack of protein can actually cause headaches.
Reduce stress + depression: Stress and depression may
reduce the ability to recall information and thus inhibit
learning. Sometimes, all you need to reduce depression is
more white light and fewer refined foods.
Sleep on it: Dr. Maxwell Maltz wrote in his book
Psycho-Cybernetics about a man who was paid good money to
come up with ideas. He would lock his office door, close the
blinds, and turn off the lights. He'd focus on the problem
at hand then take a short nap on a couch. When he awoke, he
usually had the problem solved.
Change your focus: Sometimes there simply isn't
enough time to take a long break. If so, change the subject
of your focus. Alternate between technical and non-technical
subjects. Focus and immerse yourself. Focus on whatever
you're studying. Don't try to watch TV at the same time or
worry yourself about other things. Anxiety does not make for
absorption of information and ideas.
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Take a bath or shower: Both
activities loosen you up, making your mind more receptive to
recognizing brilliant ideas.
Listen to music: Researchers have long shown that certain
types of music are a great "key" for recalling memories.
Information learned while listening to a particular song or
collection can often be recalled simply by "playing" the songs
mentally.
Speed read: Some people believe that speed reading causes
you to miss vital information. The fact remains that efficient
speed reading results in filtering out irrelevant information.
If necessary, you can always read and re-read at slower speeds.
Slow reading actually hinders the ability to absorb general
ideas. (Although technical subjects often require slower
reading.) If you're reading online, you can try the free Speeder
Web-based application.
Use acronyms and other mnemonic devices: Mnemonics are
essentially tricks for remembering information. Some tricks are
so effective that proper application will let you recall loads
of mundane information years later.
Every picture tells a story: Draw or sketch whatever it
is you are trying to achieve. Having a concrete goal in mind
helps you progress towards that goal. Use visual learning
techniques. Try gliffy for structured diagrams. Also see
Inspiration.com for an explanation of webs, idea maps, concept
maps, and plots.
Stimulate ideas: Play rhyming games, utter nonsense
words. These loosen you up, making you more receptive to
learning.
Brainstorm: This is a time-honored technique that
combines verbal activity, writing, and collaboration. (One
person can brainstorm, but it's more effective in a group.) It's
fruitful if you remember some simple rules: First, don't shut
anyone's idea out. Second, don't "edit" in progress; just record
all ideas first, then dissect them later. Participating in
brainstorming helps assess what you already know about
something, and what you didn't know. |
