Cool shit from quora

Talk to someone about their feelings towards topics

Ask what are you passionate about?
Introduction- ask a warm-up question (what song are you embarrassed to admit you
like- you can stay here for as long as possible, basically causal conversation)- real
question (whats something you often think about, but rarely talk about with
others?)
Before going somewhere with lots of people, stretch like hell
Power posing like fuck
Confidence is education via practice
Do stuff, say fuck it to judgement and comparisons, visualise yourself doing it,
partner in crime, BET (body language, embrace (your nerves and the opportunity
you are creating) and talk (to yourself with positivity and confidence and do the
same to others))
Laugh without smiling

1. Dont try to read other peoples minds

2.Get up 30 minutes earlier so that you dont rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to
explain why youre late/get fired
3. Get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly
4. Stick to your budget
5. Start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare
6. Balance your checkbook
7. Dont try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.
8. Dont try to do business with everyone. Identify your target client and take very good care
of them.
9. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years

10. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others

11. Stay home this Saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish
12. Kiss and make up
13. Make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market
14. Ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month
15. Fill up your gas tank when its half full
16. Dont drink alcohol when youre tired, sad or mad
17. Pay your bills on time
18. Get an annual physical examination
19. Say I love you to your significant other and to your children. Studies show that more
marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day.
20. For just one day, imagine everyones intentions are good because most peoples are
21. Give away clothes that havent been worn in two years
22. Throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and cant be mended
23. When you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Dont let it turn into more than it is.
24. Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities
25. Tell the truth
26. Dont cheat
27. Dont steal
28. If youre holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go
29. Clean your house weekly, so that it doesnt become too large a chore
30. Do your best at work, or at school

31. Dont eat when you arent hungry

32. Eat when you are hungry
33. Be yourself
34. Say no unapologetically
35. Cook simple meals
36. Dont try to keep up with the Joneses
37. Pay off your car before buying a new one
38. Organise your desk at the office
39. Change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when
they fall back
40. Organise your important paperwork
41. Take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday
42. Help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with
their teachers
43. Have white sheets and white towels in childrens rooms/bathrooms, because theyre
easily bleached
44. Spend your time with nice people
45. Avoid drama
46. Dont text or talk on the phone while driving
47. Turn off the television/video games/computer; theyre time consumers
48. Dont engage in office politics
49. Refuse to gossip, or talk behind other peoples backs
50. Do the dishes right after dinner

51. Never go to sleep angry

52. Ask nicely for what you need and want
53. Walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart
54. Do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger
55. Leave work at work
56. Dont befriend anyone that isnt trustworthy
57. Dont envy others
58. Have your oil changed
59. Take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold
60. Dont work more than 8 hours per day
61. Weed your garden weekly
62. Wash your car weekly
63. Have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time
64. You dont need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships
65. Dont drink and drive
66. Dont look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. Youll always be
able to find plenty of each.
67. Be friendly with your neighbours
68. Return emails and phone messages promptly
69. Schedule in free time
70. Dont procrastinate
71. Do what you say youll do, when you say youll do it

72. Be more flexible when youre able to be

73. Forgive and forget. End of story.
74. Break the consumerism habitput a three month moratorium in place on buying
anything not deemed a necessity
75. Start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you wont also have
holiday pounds to lose
76. Take care of any health issues or concerns
77. Have your tyres rotated
78. Have your brakes checked
79. Have your eyes checked
80. Dont let your imagination run away with you
81. Let go of perfection in others
82. Let go of perfection in yourself
83. Dont try to help those that refuse to help themselves
84. Find a way to reduce your commute to work
85. Have an alloted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by
86. Drink more water
87. Eat more salmon
88. Dont make a mountain out of a molehill
89. Wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style
90. Finish what you start
91. Wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style
92. Create a daily routine

93. Have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals
94. Slow down
95. Eat out less often
96. When you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear
the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didnt like the other one
97. Allow your children to grow up
98. Clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasnt been used in the past year
99. Stretch every day
100. If a relationship is over, let it go
Love this list? Heres 100 more ways to uncomplicate your life
How To Never Run Out Of Things To Say
Imagine you have a conversational D-pad. It gives you something to say whenever you run
out of things to say. These are the controls:

Say youre in a conversation about cars, and you dont know anything about cars. You run
out of things to say. What are your options?

Some people prefer to zoom out. They think and talk about general things: ideas and
concepts.
Some people prefer to zoom in. They think and talk about specific things: details and
examples.
Youve probably had conversations with people where you just dont click with them. It
could be because you prefer to zoom in and they prefer to zoom out, or vice versa.
Example
Elena: How was your day?
Pablo: Good. Productive. I got a lot done. How was yours?
Elena: Well! When I woke up I made toast, with butter and vegemite. I left it in the toaster a
little too long and it got a bit burnt, but I scraped it off with a knife and it was fine. Then I
cycled to work. I went down Oxford Street this time instead of my usual route down Henry
Cotton Drive because I wanted a change.
My boss didnt have anything for me to do today so I made an appointment to see the
Doctor next Wednesday at 5pm and spent the rest of the day on Facebook chatting to Sofia
about her baby, Ivan, who has a cold and Esteban about his new Porsche. Then I came home
down Oxford Street again because it was so lovely in the morning. It wasnt as nice in the
evening. And now Im talking to you.
Pablo: So was your day good or not?

Elena: I want to know what you did all day.

Pablo likes ideas and concepts (zoomed out). Elena likes details and examples (zoomed in).
Pablo is bored senseless by Elenas details and Elena feels like Pablo doesnt want to share
things with her.
Pablo is interested in the big picture. He wants to understand the point of what Elena is
telling him. What does it mean? Did she have a good day or a bad day?
Elena is interested in specifics. She wants to know what made Pablos day good or bad.
What does he mean by productive? What did he get done?
If you find yourself in a conversation that just isnt working you might be speaking to
someone who has a different zoom preference. All you have to do to connect with them is
zoom in or out to match their preference.
If they prefer to zoom in, give them details and examples. If they prefer to zoom out, give
them the meaning behind your details and examples.
If you want to learn how to connect with people more deeply through conversation get my
free 10-minute guide. It tells you what to say, how to say it and why to say it:

27/6/16
Most important thing, dont ever look at the ground

Step out of your comfort zone

o Go somewhere youve never been
o Try a new food
o Talk to a stranger
o Push yourself in exercise

Read lots of books

Dont be a perfectionist but put all your effort to make something as well as you can

Wanna know if a person likes you?

Try to pick a word or synonymous word phrases and every time she or he uses it, try to smile
and nod. If that person really like you then he or she will start using the word all the time.
Rock, paper, scissors champion!
If you wanna win this game, right before playing it, ask your opponent a random question.
Usually he or she will throw scissors, because your friend will be confused.

Do you want people to agree with you?

Try to nod while youre talking. Why? The nod sign means everything Im saying is true.
Also following social behavior patterns, people tend to nod back. So give a shot!
How to forgot song, that is stuck in your mind?
Remember the end of that song? Think about it. According to the Zeigarnik effect, our brain
tends to remember the things that weve left unfinished.
Do you want someones help?
Try to start your phrase with the words - I need your help. As we know People dont like to
feel guilty, they hate it. Thats why they they wont be able to refuse to help.
When person doesnt like you
Kindly ask if you can borrow his pencil or pen. Why? Because on one hand, people tend not
to help those whom they dont like, but on the other hand, its such a small favor that your
hater most likely wont be able to say No. Eventually that person will come to the
conclusion that youre not that bad.
If someone grabs you, the best way to get rid of their arm is by grabbing their wrist
and pushing their tendons with your fingers?- practice at home

When you get up,sit outside in the back garden and take 10 deep breaths- for me,
stick my head out the window
Yoga, gym and tai chi
Drink lots of water- this guy drinks 3 leters, it helped his skin, gave more engery,
better smelling breath, no headaches, slept better and woke up easier
Pomodoro seems really useful

"The only thing distinctly different about me is that I am not afraid to die on a treadmill. I
will not be outworked period."
Will Smith
Basically only you can be more productive, you like the idea ot be more productive
but not to be more productive
Do something outside your comfort zone- be in a position which demands you to be
present and in the centre of attention- hopefully without alcohol
Introduction for an interview great to meet you X, I am really looking forward to our
chat today

When youre on your first few ours- stop expencting to be good

Talent is over-rated
As long as youre good enough- deliberate practice is what will set you apart- you
have to put 100% at your craft to master it
Stop facebook for 30 days- so much free time
Exfoliate 3-5 times a week- for me Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
confidence, self-esteem, and attitude are hands down the items that with daily selfreflection will make you the most beautiful over time.
How to reject flattery
If nice how kind of you to say that then smile
If bad how like you to say that then smile

1. Dont stop when youre tired/upset/exhausted, stop when youre

done. By stop, I mean stop trying and telling yourself its done before its
actually done. Its not, challenges, failures and setbacks are temporary. Now,
move on!
2. Say get to instead of have to. Change your vocabulary and start
appreciate everything happen for you.

If you fuck up, man up and apologize. That's it. Don't try to cover it up. It's
a major turn off. Only kids refuse to accept responsibility. People will respect
you for this.

Best way to deal with crying baby- give to father, people are less judgemental
15. Dont wait: Dont do something based on whether it feels right, this is not an
option. If you wait to feel right before exercising, putting that piece of cake in your
mouth or making that important phone call, you will never be self-disciplined. Dont
wait, do it now!
19. External deadline: Working to deliver what others expect from you, can
enormously increase your self-discipline. If you dont have any external deadlines,
make some.

You do not need to "increase" your self-worth. You need to redefine where you derive
your worth. Life is easier if you live from this place of self-acceptance instead of
constantly striving to look for approval from others.
How to be more charismatic
2. Make eye contact and hold it. Dont be the first person to look away. It might sound
creepy to just stare into someones eyes, but it is not. What is creepy is making eye contact
and quickly looking away. Breaking eye contact makes you look nervous and ashamed.
3. Smile. Nobody likes a grump. Be sure to smile, not only with your mouth, but your eyes
as well. Fake smiles are more transparent than you realize (see for yourself). The key to
having a good smile is to have something to smile about. Think happy thoughts. If that
seems too hard, fake it until you convince yourself you are happy.
4. Dont nod and fidget so much. A confident person does not fidget. You dont see
James Bond playing with his cuff links. Similarly, dont nod your head so much when
someone is talking to you. It makes you look desperate to appease them. Instead, keep eye
contact and smile.
5. Pause before speaking. Process what the person is saying before you say anything.
Dont just wait for your turn to speak. Take two seconds to process what was said, and let
your face react. You will come across as more sincere and a good listener.
6. Let them impress you. Keep the other person talking. If you ask the right questions,
you can eventually get others to open up and talk about the things they love to talk about
(usually themselves).
7. Never interrupt. No matter what you have to say, or how insightful your comment is,
the speaker will resent you if you interrupt them. Remember, you want them to talk about
themselves, so let them talk. On a similar note, let others interrupt you if they want to.
Dont take offense. If someone has something to say, listen.

1. They never complain. They understand that complaining is useless. You

either suck it up and move on or hustle to make a change. Complaining and
whining about your mistakes, misfortunes and setbacks are just the waste of
time. And thats the difference, they utilize the time most people spent on
complaining to make something happen.
2. They never compare. Instead, they compete.
3. They never let their brain talk themselves out. So you now have a new
found passion, set a new goal, and ready to hustle and beat the hell out of
everything that comes into your way to thrive. But after 2 days of trying without

seeing results, you start asking questions like is it really possible? or am I

capable of achieving this? Then you stopped. Successful people never let this
happens, they never let their sometimes haywire mind to take over their
emotions and action, they train to become the master of their thoughts instead.
Dont get ready for something, jump right in before you stop yourself

I am unable to focus, I give up after studying for 15min. only, I can't

concentrate. I am taking things too easily.What should I do to overcome
this?

I am unable to focus, I give up after studying for 15min. only, I can't

concentrate. I am taking things too easily.What should I do to overcome this?
Frankly, this is quick recap of my numerous responses to similar questions on Quora.
Im afraid you may not like what I am going to say in response to your question.
You have an attitude problem. You are thinking that the cause of your predicament is
outside of you.
You are wrong. You are the principal cause, as well as the powerful solution, if you choose to
change your mind.
These are the critical perspectives, as I view your case:
1. You apparently dont have compelling, inspiring and overarching long-range
goals and objectives in your life to pull you.
2. You lack the requisite understanding of the significance of exercising your
innate human potential to the fullest.
3. Motivation always comes intrinsically, i.e. from within yourself. No extrinsic
aids can help you. To a large extent, it is affected by (1) and (2).
4. Procrastination is a personal choice. So dont use it as your alibi.
Everything starts in the head. Stop making excuses.
Make an effort. Make changes. Make progress.
Excuses are useless. Results are priceless.

If you really want to produce positive results in your life, you just need to make up your
mind, move your butt, and get cracking on your books.
That's why you should start acting right away instead of waiting to feel motivated.
You will not know if something excites you or not if you do not act first.
By the way, discipline keeps you on course.
I like to take opportunity to paint the scenario of today's harsh realities:

Nothing works, unless you do.

Nothing changes until something changes. This is Physics!
For things to change, first you must change.
Talk doesn't cook rice. Only action creates results.
If not you, who? If not now, then when?
Misery is also an option!

No more excuses. It's time to change. It's time to do what's best for you.
The only person who can hold you back is YOU.
1. Consistency is the key. Every achievement requires the test of time, master
something with consistency.
22. Happiness comes from within. Stop searching and chasing for external things to
fulfill yourself. None of them will and you will end up with bigger disappointment.
Happiness is already there, within yourself.

1) Fake vs. Real - Our minds cannot differentiate between real and fake inputs. If you tell
yourself I am confident. Sooner or later your mind will adopt this mindset as reality. This
is where the Fake it until you make it idea originated.
3) Get on the Positivity Drug - Positivity, as well as negativity, are addictive. When you
walk around smiling all day, other people will adapt similar behavior. This causes them to
smile back at you, making you even happier. Start being positive and it will increase itself
like Magic!
10) The most interesting person in the world - Treat your conversation partner like
they are the most important thing in the world. What they say will save the entire world.
Treating someone like that will make you actively listen and be fully into the conversation.

This gives them the feeling of importance and provides them with the signal that you are
deeply intrigued, interested and invested in them.
Never keep a grudge overnight. Talk it out before sleep.
33) Work to improve 1% on important personal traits each day.
37) Be nice to a$$holes. They need it more than you.
48) Get up to stretch from your seat at least once every 4560 minutes.
Cold showers energise you
So, introverts don't 'live' their lives, they experience it, enjoy it, taste it, cherish
it, and, in short, live it to the fullest.

1. Do Not Be Jealous. Firstly, it is extremely meanly. Secondly, it makes you

look miserable. Thirdly, this feeling has never made anybody happier, luckier or
more successful.
1. Do Not Doubt Yourself Too Much. Embrace the truth. You are braver than
you believe, smarter than you think and stronger than you seem. Go and get it!

What causes low self-esteem

We can blame everyone including our parents, but the truth is that self-esteem issues are
about... the self. We are responsible for our self-esteem, which is how much we value of
ourselves.
Low self-esteem is caused by a lack of:
* Self-acceptance. Nobody's perfect. We are who we are. We can always be better but the
version we are today is the best version possible according to our experiences and our
knowledge. When you understand this, intellectually and emotionally, you already made a
great step and become a better friend to yourself.
* Self-assertiveness. You have to express yourself in this world. You have to know what
you want, what are you needs, and express them. If you don't let the world know, you'll have
0% chance to get them. If you stay passive and follow, you'll just help others getting their
needs met while you'll be neglecting yours. You have to express yourself (your self), your

truth, you have to be an individual part of this world.

* Personal integrity. Have strong values, and live your life according to them. It will be a
compass to guide your decisions. Once you learn how to have your own values and building
your life around them while accepting that other people can do the same, you'll validate
yourself instead of seeking for the validation of others. You'll start not caring about what
others think and will start caring about what YOU think of yourself. You'll do your own life
the way you want it, there's no possibility of going wrong this way. This is living
authentically.
* Self-responsibility. When something is not going the way you want or like it in your life
and you have control over it, it is your responsibility to change that thing. When you have no
control over it, it is your responsibility to accept it. We cannot blame our family, the
neighbor, society, the system, etc... and feel powerful at the same time. As soon as we put
others as a reason for our misery we also lose our power, and our worth.
* Living consciously. What do you want, what do you need, who do you want to become,
where do you see yourself in 1, 5, 10 years, who do you admire, where do you want to live,
what would be your perfect life, why do you eat that, etc... If you don't ask yourself you don't
know. If you don't know you'll never go there, and you'll just keep being pushed around in
life, and it will feel like you have no power and control over your own life.
* Living purposefully. What makes you move, what do you want to do, what excites you,
what do you dream of, why do you what you do. Find a purpose in your life, and a lot of
petty things will not matter anymore.
* Action. Values, principles, ideas, all these things are worthless if they are not expressed
through actions. So just do something.
These principles are all about knowing yourself better, and expressing yourself better. These
are things that are in your control. Get better at them and you'll be more authentic, more
confident, more accepting (of yourself and others), and you'll be more able to bring your life
and yourself to the place you want. You can't go wrong with that, you cannot NOT value
yourself when you become a person you admire.
And as you can't eat once for your whole life, you can't apply these principles once and
except them to last forever. It has to become a way of life. It has to be repeated until it
becomes second nature.

How can I study more effectively?

David Pitman
71.3k Views
Originally Answered: What are the best study methods?

At high school I routinely scored over 95% in most subjects, at a highly competitive private
school I was at the top of my class for every subject I took at one time or another, often most
of my subjects, most of the time. All the while barely paying attention in class, and not doing
my homework. I had a lot of piano practice to do (I was aiming to be a professional pianist),
so "ain't nobody got time for that"!
What I did do though, was spent hours every night, weekend, and often during class time
trying to prove everything I was taught wrong. When we were taught relativity, for example,
I spent literally hundreds of hours tearing apart the equations to find out "where Einstein
got it wrong", or trying to devise alternate explanations, or when we were doing electricity
and magnetism, I spent hours designing an earth-sized electrical generator, figuring out
how much copper would be required to generate enough electricity for the whole world, how
fast it would need to rotate, how to get the electricity back to the ground, etc. For biology, I
wrote short novels based on fantasy worlds, where I described in great details the
ecosystems and drew animals and described their biology and evolution. I invented a new
model for light (neither wave nor particle) when we were learning about that. I invented a
new language and alphabet (was a massive Tolkien fan!), etc, Etc.
So, by only using my textbooks and teacher as a resource when I needed to know something
for my next design, invention or "proof wrong", I ended up knowing all the work far more
intimately than anyone, often including my teachers :)
That was my only "study" method - it came naturally to me. I wasn't trying to do anything, I
was just ridiculously curious and couldn't help myself...
When I went to university, studying piano, I had a one hour commute on the train. While on
the train I would memorize my scores (as a concert pianist you must play just about
everything from memory). Visualizing / "auralizing" every note until I knew the whole piece
by heart, before ever touching the keys. To achieve this, I would set a strict timetable,
mapping out the piece before starting to learn it, with a certain amount to be learned every
day. I would switch between 3-4 pieces, spending several minutes on each one alternately.
In (mostly) this way I memorized over 24 hours of complex classical piano music in four
years, along with countless popular songs.

At 30, I stopped being a musician and became a programmer. I applied the same approach
to learning this. I examined and played with source code, not so much reading tutorials, and
definitely no attending school again to learn stuff. There was no "study", only trying to
quench my curiosity.
Now, I'm directing a non-profit, developing a new model to eliminate poverty through
entrepreneurship - I'm learning about how to chair a meeting by chairing meetings (and
noticing how others do it well), how to fundraise by actually fundraising, etc. When
problems arise - I find someone (or a book, or a website) and look for the answer to the
problem.
My personal view is that if it feels like "study", then you're doing it wrong. It has to be so
much fun that you jump out of bed each day, breathless to learn more, wishing you could
sleep less so that you could find out the answers sooner...
Enjoy :)

How do I train my concentration?

Nela Canovic, My life in tech is busy 24/7. Learn with me as I optimize ways to focus better.
68k Views Most Viewed Writer in Self-Improvement with 120+ answers

How can you improve your concentration and focus?

These 7 hacks can optimize your brain to work better, smarter, and faster.

ONE. Wrap your mind around it.

Before you start reading anything new, get your brain on board with what youre about to
do.
Why is this important?
It helps you to get motivated to take action and become fully absorbed in your work.
What can you do to train your brain?

Instead of approaching reading as a chore, turn it into a choice. Tell

yourself, This is something I really want to learn more about. The benefit? It
gives you a greater sense of control about what youre doing.

Remind yourself of the value of reading with this question: Why am

I doing this? Make the connection with the initial reasons for reading to
begin with. It can be to learn a new skill, find out more on a particular topic
youre interested in, study to pass an exam so you can graduate and build a
career youre excited about, solve a particular problem yore currently dealing
with, etc.
Increase your focus by visualizing what youre about to do. This is a
technique called building a mental model; you imagine in detail what you
expect to see, learn, read, or do. As you imagine the details, be sure to cover all
the steps you will be doing. For example, visualize covering a certain amount of
material (chapters, paragraphs, sections), taking notes on the important
concepts you discover, writing down questions to research later. The benefit? By
telling yourself a story on what youre about to do, you train your brain to
anticipate next steps and map out the entire learning process in a way thats
easier to understand.

TWO. Find out how your brain works.

There is a way to optimize your brain performance by working smarter in less time instead
of harder. Heres a simple technique. For one week, keep a log of all mental activities you
perform in the morning, midday, afternoon and evening. You will noticea pattern in how
your brain works at a certain time of day. Then, adjust your schedule to accommodate the
activities depending on what's right for your brain and when. For example:

Mornings can be great for doing deep work, i.e. work that requires a lot of your
concentration. Some scientists call this the brains peak performance time, and
it's roughly 2-4 hours after we wake up. So, for example, if you wake up at 6,
your peak times are between 8 and 10 a.m. Block this time off for your analytical
brain to perform the most complex tasks that require a lot of focus: learning new
material, reviewing, recalling, problem-solving.
Early afternoons are great for collaborating. This covers the 12-4 p.m. time
range, when you take a lunch break and the few hours after, when you are more
likely to socialize. It's a good time of day to brainstorm ideas with others and
work together on projects where you can provide feedback and get
recommendations on your work.
Evenings, usually around 5-9 p.m., can be scheduled for strategic thinking.
This is when the brain eases into a different tempo when it can be more creative.
Use this time to set goals of what you want to do with all the knowledge youre
acquiring. For example, if youre studying for an exam, think about what you
will do after graduation, which career you see for yourself, which jobs youd like
to apply for, etc. It's a great time for creating and contemplating the big picture.

THREE. Become a pro at time management.

Dont just spend hours reading without taking breaks; if you do, you will likely lose focus as
well as motivation to continue. Learn how to manage your time better:

When you're ready to start, use a timer to divide up your time into manageable
increments that will allow your brain to focus in a more targeted and effective
way.
Try the Pomodoro technique which consists of 25 minute blocks of time,
followed by 5 minute breaks. When you're done with one segment, step away
from your desk and do something completely unrelated to work to give your
brain a chance to rest: get some fresh air, stretch your body, grab a cup of coffee
or tea.

FOUR. Get away from ALL distractions.

Distractions can easily make you slip from the work you are focusing on, and can waste time
without you even noticing. Reading email and constantly checking your Instagram,
Facebook, or Twitter feed prevents you from focusing and can make you feel overwhelmed.
Even worse: studies have shown that this multitasking can lower your IQ by 10 points! Make
a conscious effort to avoid distractions as much as possible. Heres how:

Set your phone to Airplane mode when you need to focus without any
disturbances.
Set expectations with others by letting them know you won't be available in
the next few hours, so they dont interrupt you with their requests, questions or
comments.
Check your email and social media apps only 23 times a day (around
lunchtime, later in the afternoon, and evening).
Avoid browsing the Internet or reading the daily news; leave these
activities for later after you've completed what you need to do.

FIVE. Make it a ritual.

Rituals are great because they set the tone to your work, they train your mind to get used to
doing things at certain times of the day, and they give you a sense of control over your day
so that you can be proactive about it, instead of reactive to events happening around you.
Create a ritual for reading by trying these ideas:

Find a place where you wont be disturbed. If youre working from home,
its easy: it can be your desk, a comfortable couch, or a big armchair. If youre at
the library, it might be a table tucked away in the back, next to a wall, so youre
not disturbed by people passing by. If youre at work, it could be sitting in your
car during your lunch break or finding a bench in a nearby park.
Block away environmental noise with noise-cancelling headphones, and
listen to music (it can be classical music, a playlist of chillout tunes, or
simplysounds of nature). Dont want to listen to music? Get a good pair of soft
silicone ear plugs like these and read in silence.
Have a small cup of coffee. Getting a caffeine boost can help increase focus.
Keep in mind that it usually takes about 30 minutes to kick in, so time it well by

drinking a cup ahead of time before you start reading. Don't drink coffee? Try
green tea instead, as it also contains caffeine.
Take a walk to boost memory and increase focus. Performing some form
of physical exercise, even if it is targeted and short, improves your brain's
cognitive performance, problem solving ability, and even boosts long-term
memory. Step away from your desk and walk for 30 minutes. If your
neighborhood is noisy, take your headphones with you and listen to music.

SIX. Train your mind to focus better.

Meditating can declutter your brain of thoughts that distract you from the brilliant work you
could be doing. But dont worry: its not as complicated as it seems. This small practice
doesn't require a lot of time, is simple to follow, and has many benefits, including better
focus throughout the day, more concentration, even a greater sense of calm. Try
the Headspace app to start with just 10 minutes; it's fun and easy to use.
SEVEN. Optimize your reading experience with books.
Why read books? So that you can feed your brain, learn new things, reconnect with a topic
you feel passionate about, and absorb the life experiences of other people. Heres how to
start building this habit:

Check out recommendations on the best books of all time on Quora to pick
writers and topics that many consider to be timeless and unique.
Download the Goodreads app to find books on the topic that interests you, to
get recommendations, add books to your bookshelf, and track your reading
progress.

What are some of the best ways to become extremely smart?

Mo Amini, Continuously obsessed with self-improvement.

403.6k Views Most Viewed Writer in Human Brain

Im going to answer this question without being generic and saying stuff like read
more or study more.
There are a number of proven methods that have been researched and analyzed that show
they stimulate the brain and in theory; make you smarter. Lets get to it.

1. Train your instinct. Your instinct is the little voice inside your head that tells you the
answer to question, but is usually disregarded and not put to attention. This links to
your subconscious mind. Your thinking is in theory made up of two main parts. Your
conscious and sub-conscious.
Your conscious mind is relatively early in its life. Its what makes you a human. It can tell
right from wrong, it gives you personalities and allows you to emotionally communicate
with others. Whereas your sub-conscious mind does the rest of the work (I think about
90% of thinking). Funnily, youre not even aware of it doing this. This part of the mind has
the ability to ingest large quantities of data and come to a reasonable conclusion as to the
answer youre looking for.
There was a study made on this, a group of students where presented with a set of numbers
within a sequence in groups of 2, 4 and 6 digits at a time. The numbers came up on screen
way too fast your the pupils to memorize them. After a few rounds, they where asked to
predict what number will come next. The study found that the people who where presented
2 digits at a time, where much less accurate then those who where presented 6 digits at a
time. So, this shows that the mind has the ability to digest large quantities of data and come
up with a reasonable forecast of future digits. Does this make sense? If you google study of
instinct research it would come up in more detail.
But how can you actually train your instinct?

You provide it with as much information as one can:

Read books.
Watch documentaries.
Keep your eye open.
Talk to people.

There are many ways to access information, and the more you read and the more data you
give to the subconscious it would splurge out useful collective ideas and answers to
your questions.
It was Albert Einstein that asked :
why do all my best ideas come up when Im taking a shower?
The answer is most probably because his mind is fed the data he requires to find the answer,
and when hes least thinking about it and has a clarity of mind his sub-conscious can be
heard.

Next up.

2. Have a travelers mindset, and what I mean by this is not to go out and buy some
Hawaii shirts and blame it on a Quora post you read. Although you can do that, the principle
of the travelers mindset is of explorations. Be curious. Ask questions. Walk about and
exercise. When youre abroad, the different languages, the different cultures and the
different lifestyles are different from each other. The strain this puts on your mind allows it
to create new neurons. Neurons are the pathway that cause intelligence, the more neurons
your brain has, the more easily it can store and access the information.
Heres an example; the next time you see something like a toilet sign, think to yourself:
how is this toilet sign different from any other toilet sign. How was the sign made? Who
designed the women and men picture on the sign? Its the little stuff like that. They increase
your attention span, stop you thinking of crap like whats for dinner, and intrigue you to
pursue a further understanding.
The reason I say adopt a travelers mindset instead of traveling yourself, is that the
majority of us just don't have the time to go to Spain for a week or two, although lovely, it is
super inconvenient. So just pretend youre traveling, question everything and your mind will
develop more and more.

Overall though, a bit of house keeping never hurts the brain, let me explain:

3. Ever heard of willpower? have you ever wondered to yourself why it is easier to get
stuff done in the morning rather than in the evening with a stomach full of pasta bake? well,
the answer to that is willpower. This is your innate ability that allows you to go out and get
shit done. This is more of a survival thing that we develop from earlier in our evolutionary
life; without willpower (or willingness and energy) we would never go out and hunt for food,
we wouldn't cook our food, spend hours making fire and so on So this is a really important
aspect of our mind.Interestingly, willpower deteriorates throughout the day. You have a
surplus of it when you wake up in the morning, and throughout the day, this significantly
reduces.
One example: Have you ever wondered why salesmen come knocking on your door mostly
in the evening, or why PPI calls are never made at 9 oclock in the morning? Well they know
that during the day, when you have just woken up, you are resistant to outside distractions
and this makes persuasion harder. As a result they call you during the evening, when youve
used up your supply of willpower. This makes you more vulnerable to outside influence and
makes you more of an open person. Therefore they swoop in and take advantage of that.
But how can you use willpower to your advantage? At the end of every day, write a
list - a quick list - as to what the most important things are that you have to do tomorrow.

You wanna go to the gym? write it down, and prepare your clothes for tomorrow, so its all
ready. Youre going to work? prepare your clothes the night before. This helps reduce
wasting your willpower on nonsense decision making. As a result; this means that you will
have more willpower throughout the day, and you will be able to use that to your advantage,
whether it is to make a few more sales calls, write a few more lines of code, run a little longer
than the day before and so on. This makes you intelligent. Probably. Otherwise this was a
waste of time. But it is a good life skill to have anyway.

4. Do some heavy lifting buddy. It is in-fact scientifically proven that weightlifting

effects your mind In the following ways:

Reduces stress.
Increases concentration.
Increases your tolerance to pain.
Develops your willpower.
Makes you look like a sexy motherfucker.

Alongside the general benefits that come with it, such as more oxygen to the brain which
makes your brain healthier and more efficient. I do this in the morning before anything else.
Heres my routine;
1. Wake up.
2. Take a shower.
3. Cycle to the gym.

4. Gym: Cardio (mostly high intensity interval training), weights (high weight
- low repetitions).
5. Cycle back home.
6. Get on with my day.
Heavy lifting, contrary to popular belief is amazing in terms of the energy it gives you
throughout the day. Youd think that when you go to the gym, thats it, days over. No
more. But thats not true. I feel bad for anyone who tried going to the gym once, and
because they felt like they had no more energy to do anything for the rest of the day, didn't
go anymore. I feel bad because everyone feels like that on their first day of going to the gym,
but when you go again the next day, your bodys used to it, and actually gives you more
energy throughout the day. I, myself, when go to the gym for the first time in a long time,
feel the same pain; no energy throughout the day. But I know that when I go the next day,
not only will I have more energy throughout the day, but my mood and attitude will
significantly improve.
You may be thinking to yourself:
Mo, thats great, but how does it make you more intelligent, are you going
off topic, have you lost the plot? DOWNVOTE
. Hold your horses and let me explain. When youre lifting away like a beast at the gym,
firstly; your brain gets more oxygen. Your brain has a mass of 2% in comparison to your
total body mass. Thinking logically, one may think that as a result it should only
consumer 2% of the oxygen you intake. Wrong. It consumes over ten times that, at 20%
rate of consumption. Your brain is working even when youre not. Its making you dream, its
making your body do things you have no control over, it helps store memories, helps access
information when you need it and so on.
Fun Fact: you lose ~100 neurons every day. Where they go? who knows. But we know you
lose them. Dont worry though, you make new ones every day too. The trick is to build more
neurons more then you lose by giving it the raw material it requires to function. Protein,
oxygen and rest. If you make more neurons then you lose, it makes you store more
information than the day before (as a basic principle; it is so much more complex than this).
Another reason as to why heavy weights make you smarter is that they reduce your
emotional negativity. This allows your mind to become more objective. In effect, it says
screw you to the modern part of your brain, and home sweet home to the more natural
part, the subjective part - it allows you to think more logically without any distractions,
historical example could be; will that lion eat me if I take his food? Probably, so dont.
Thats the subjective part of your brain thinking, its a decision you make that youre most
likely not even aware you have made, but with less emotional distractions, you can make
those decisions faster, better and more accurately because of the lack of distractions.

Finally

(For the record, there arent many good pictures of a person thinking - this was the best
one I could find, down-vote me if you must).
5. Think more, and think less. Weird eh? But think about it! pun intended. The more
time you spend on quality thinking time has an incredible effect on your brain. It allows
you to identify problems, gaps in your knowledge and understanding, find solutions for your
problems and so on. It builds more neurons in your brain, which by now you should know
all about. So scientifically, quality thinking time has outstanding effects on your intelligence.
But, when you think, dont think linearly. Whats linearly I hear you ask? Its thinking in
a straight line from one perspective. Instead, think complex. Visualize your problem. Look
at it from above, below, side to side. Think of a problem from someone elses perspective,
what would Mr./Mrs. X do when confronted with this problem. This goes well for when you
have to memorize things.
You want to memorize the following list:
Snail, door, flamingo, brick, 1 Kilo, elephant, skier, giraffe, reptile and sun.
Visualize it. Look at each word, and visualize it in 3 dimensions. Look at it from above,
below and all over. Once you have, create a link from the one word to the other word and
visualize that link.

Here's an example: The snail went through a grey door, to see a pink flamingositting
on a brick wall. 1 Kilo is heavy, elephants are also heavy, thats why they cant ski.
Once you have done this, your brain has created neurons for long term storage of the
information. This is a simple but effective trick that you can use. In my Law exam at Alevels, we had to learn in detail over 110 case law and their names. Thats the exact method I
used to memorize the case law, and sub-categorize them so that I can use them in the
essays. I still remember a good part of it today;
Taylor (Taylor v Caldwell) likes Jane (Paradine v Jane) but Jane likes Walkers
crisps (John Walker Case) but hates Henrys crisps (Herne Bay v Hutton).
Krell (Krell v Henry) is Hating (Herne Bay v Hutton) on Davis (Davis contractors v
Fareham) because hes Rich (Gold corporation group case) and so on
I used this technique to memorize all of the 120 case law and link them appropriately to
their contrasting case. It works.
But why think less? This is the best part, your brain shouldnt be on all the time. When
youre at work, at university, college and so on, your brain is confronted with a lot of
information. Information such as the website on the billboard you drove past or the number
of the house that had the red door when you went to get a bagel. You need your
subconscious to scrap those irrelevant information and focus its energy on the ones you
actually want. Meditating does this well. But not even full blown meditation, just drive up
to the countryside once a week and just sit down of bench.Phone off, music off, and just
take in the nature through all of your senses. Try not to think about anything, and when you
do, because its impossible to not think of anything, divert your brain back to the realm of
nothing and explore the nature with all your senses again. This will calm your mind, and
give you space and time so you can hear your subconscious.
I really hoped this helped guys. I personally use these little tips every day to help me get by
and become more intelligent everyday. I tried not to make them generic likeread more
books or study more because we all know of those.
If you liked this answer then be sure to check out Mo Amini's answer to
Entrepreneurship: What's the best way for a teenager to make money?
Enjoy!

Credits of the research goes to the following sites:

25 Facts You Should Know About Your Gray Matter - Brainscape Blog
Weight Lifting Can Make You Smarter?
https://www.sciencedaily.com/rel...

When you're feeling sleepy, have a chewing gum.

Hold the pen gently. Not too tight or too loose.

Instead of saying your welcome say I know youd do the same fo me or im happy to help
From David Allen's Getting Things Done I learned that my brain is for processing, not
storage. Most of the stress in my life, perhaps all of it, used to come from the nagging fear
that there was something more important that I ought to be doing. From Tony Buzzan I
learned that the best way to empty my brain on paper is a mind map. From Steven Covey I
learned that I have many roles in life, and the most important are the easiest to forget when
budgeting time. From Nick Cernis, the author of Todoodlist, I learned that visualizing my
life can be fun. From David Anderson I learned to visualize my workflow and limit my work
in process for faster task throughput times. Finally, from Francesco Cirillo, the creator of
the Pomodoro technique, I learned to break myself of multi-tasking and the power of focus.
There is a golden rule that i believe, "if you don't open your heart, you will not get hurt. But
you will not have real friends."

What is the simplest exercise to generate confidence when there is no

validation from people around you?

Julian Reisinger, went from painfully shy to open and confident

48.5k Views Most Viewed Writer in Social Advice

I have an exercise for you thats incredible simple. But dont think for a moment that its
easy. This exercise takes every piece of willpower you have. However, if you manage to
complete it, you will be stronger than you have ever been before.

Ready? Here it is:

1. Take a piece of paper and make three columns.
2. In the first, list things that make you somewhat uncomfortable but if you pushed
yourself, you could do them. E.g., starting a conversation with a stranger on
public transport.
3. In the second, write everything that makes you anxious. These should be things
that you wouldnt do unless someone pushed you to.
4. And in the third column, write down all the things that frighten you. List all of
your primal fears things that you wouldnt even do if someone gave you a
million bucks.
5. Now, go ahead and take the easiest thing from the first column and do it. In case
its too difficult, divide the activity into smaller steps until it becomes doable.
Then increase the difficulty until you are ready for the real thing.
E.g., if starting a conversation with a stranger on public transport is too big of a
step, you could start by just asking for directions.
6. Did you do it? Awesome! Now do the same with the next item from the first
column.
7. Do the exact same thing for all the items in all the columns.

I guarantee you, that if you manage to finish columns one and two, you wont recognize your
old self anymore. Column three is a bonus.

Self talk is the best way to motivate yourself into doing something, results speak better
Keep a journal as a means of self- assessment and self- analyse