Life Changing Tools

1. READ! - There’s no better way to expand your vocabulary than to expose yourself to more than just the evening news. Your brain works like a computer…it learns by programming. The more you read, the more “refined” that programming becomes. The daily newspaper is a great start, but more sophisticated magazines can expand your realm of knowledge quite quickly.

2. Learn something new! - This may sound like an obvious tip, but it’s very often that the world around us presents us with the opportunity to learn, but we never take the time to do it. For example, do you know why the tension exists between the Shia and Sunni Muslims in the Middle East? You hear about it on the evening news every day…but take the time to investigate it! It may only take 10 or 15 minutes, but you’ll be smarter for it.

3. Solve a difficult puzzle - I have a particular suggestion for this…why not learn to solve the Rubix Cube? Maybe you used to know the solution, but time has dulled your memory. Well, re-learn it! The solution to the Cube involves algorithms and patterns, as well as spatial reasoning. In my opinion, this guy has created a top-notch video explaining the solution:

4. Play some NINTENDO! - Actually, NintendDS…The company recently released a “game” called BrainAge, which is a clever way to make brain exercise a little more fun! It’s filled with little games, puzzles, and tests which help you to improve your mental capacity. It’s fun! So grab that NintendoDS from your kid’s room when he or she’s asleep, and play your way to a better brain!

5. Fociz! - It’s another game…but this one’s online! AND FREE! It’s a great tool…check it out!

6. Eat healthy. - The most important part of intelligence is…your brain! And if your brain isn’t healthy, how can you expect your intelligence to improve? The proper food for your brain is like gasoline for your car…put in the wrong stuff, and you’ll be going nowhere fast. Be sure to eat a good breakfast. It’s something you hear all the time, because it’s true. You need the energy to get your mind working, and the morning is the best time to start filling up with gasoline!

7. Exercise - OK, so this one is a bit of a cheat. It goes along with eating healthy, but it’s so important, it needs its own number on this list! Exercising does more to improve intelligence than you could ever know. It allows you to take in more oxygen, trains your body to function at an optimal level, and clears your mind. The more you exercise, the more you are able to take in and absorb…both physically and mentally!

8. Minimize Mindless Tasks. - There are a lot of activities we do each day which don’t exactly require our full mental abilities. These include watching TV, showering, and anything else that you do on “autopilot”. Sometimes, this can even include driving, which is a little scary (have you ever been driving along, only to realize that you don’t remember your last couple of miles? Pretty scary, huh?). These are the types of activities which involve very little mental focus and concentration. And as with anything else, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Try to spend more time doing things that involve problem solving and focus, and less TV watching.

9. No calculators! - Math is not exactly fun…and the temptation to use that calculator for everyday math problems is always hard to ignore. But next time you can manage it, do the math yourself. Even better, if you can, do it in your head! The more you do this, the easier it will become, and your intelligence will become sharper and more adaptable because of it.

10. Sleep on it. - Sleep isn’t just for physical health. It’s a major factor in your mental health as well…so don’t ignore your sleep needs, if you want to be on top of your game mentally. Think about it…the last time you woke up groggy, how mentally sharp were you? Probably wouldn’t be ready to tackle that Rubix Cube that day, huh? Find your optimum sleep pattern, and stick to it.Follow these simple tips, and you’re well on your way to improved intelligence!

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You may notice some changes around here in the coming days/weeks. I’m toying around with some new designs and templates…still not sure if I’m done yet, but I’m working on it! Just asking you to please bear with me while I’m under construction. Thanks, everyone!

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With so much that needs to be done each day, it’s hard to find energy to get it all done, let alone to get it done right. When we lack energy, the day can seem to just drag on and on, without anything productive getting done. It’s a dangerous and difficult problem, but not one without a solution - or rather, a number of solutions! Here are some tips to get yourself energized each and every day.

1. Optimize your sleep patterns: It’s tempting to just hit that snooze button and catch a few more Z’s, especially on a weekend. But in reality, those extra few minutes (or hours!) can actually do a lot of harm to your energy levels. You see, it takes your body some time to enter the truly restful portion of sleep. If you hit the snooze button to catch 15 more minutes, while it may feel good now, you’ll pay for it later. Those 15 minutes are nothing more than light rest, never reaching the rejuvenating part of sleep…and they’re playing havoc on your body clock - the main engine of your energy levels.

2. When you wake up, look directly at the sky: Just don’t look directly at the sun! For 30 seconds, look up to the sky and let the bright light of the day enter your eyes. This has the amazing effect of giving you an immediate energy boost AND signals your body clock that you are waking up now. This helps your body clock to set itself and prepare your body for the day ahead of you. Try this tomorrow morning - I’ve found that it can have the same effect of a cup of coffee!

3. Exercise: It sounds cliche’ because it is. But it’s just as important! Our bodies have to move…they have to exert energy in order to produce energy. I’ve found that this one tip has been the most helpful in keeping me energized. Whenever I “slip” on my exercise routine, I feel it in my energy levels. I promise you - just try it for one week…you’ll find yourself with more energy than you can believe. It seems that it should be the other way around; exercise should make you more tired. While this may be the case initially, it will have the opposite effect over time. Just stick with it, and you’ll feel the difference.

4. Eat a good breakfast: This is another cliche’, but for good reason. A proper breakfast not only provides you with fuel for the rest of the day, it also keeps your appetite in check throughout the rest of the day, preventing you from “snacking” too often. In fact, if you’re trying to lose weight, this is one of the least used “tricks” for weight loss - a big, healthy breakfast! Just like your car, you need to fuel up before you can expect peak performance. And of course, the better your fuel in the morning, the better your engine will run throughout the day!

5. Become a “healthy optimist”: I’m not sure if this phrase has been coined before, but it’s what I call a person who is optimistic for the right reasons. You need to learn how to become an optimistic person, and surround yourself with optimism throughout the day. Nothing can drain your energy like pessimism, or a pessimistic person. Believe in your abilities, and prepare for any tasks that you may encounter today. It goes a long way to keeping your energy levels up there when you find yourself succeeding throughout the day.

6. Use caffeine with caution: A quick helping of caffeine every now and then is fine, but when your morning coffee becomes a necessity, you’re addicted. And you’re now relying on outside influences to give you energy, instead of creating energy from within. This teaches your system that you don’t need it to work for you, because you have something else that does its job. And as with anything else in life, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Create your own energy as the rule - and every now and then, give it a boost with some coffee or chocolate. Just be careful not to let it interfere with your sleep!

If you follow these simple tips, you’ll find yourself with more energy than you’ve had in a LONG time, and you’ll be able to get more done, and get more done PROPERLY. It’s incredible to feel the benefits of creating your own energy. You’ll never want to go back to any other way!

Further reading:

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/a-3-step-routine-for-creating-energy-that-lasts-all-day/

http://sheknows.com/about/look/1374.htm

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jul/03/il/il03a.html

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Today I found an awesome little tool for staying organized, thanks to ZenHabits. It’s useful, the site is well-designed, and the concept is ingenius.

The tool is called PocketMod, and it’s a great, low-cost alternative to a PDA. In fact, it’s an an actual booklet. Made of paper. That you print out. And write on it with an actual pen.

Novel idea, huh?

You can customize the booklet with calendars, lined pages, checklists, and even Sudoku games! Then, you print out the booklet, fold it up, and stick it in your pocket. Just don’t forget to bring along a pen!

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You may not have ever heard of Jim Valvano (aka Jimmy V), but you’ll know him soon.

Jimmy V was a college basketball coach, including stints at Bucknell, John Hopkins, Iona, and NC State. He was mostly known as a great coach who was tough but fair…the kind of coach a player would die to play for.

But in 1992, Valvano was diagnosed with lung cancer. His prognosis wasn’t good.

In 1993, at the ESPN ESPY Awards, Jim was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. He approached the podium to thank the crowd, and ended up delivering one of the most inspirational speeches in history. He closed the speech with the following:

“Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless you all.”

Watch the entire speech - it’s less than 10 minutes out of your day, but it will give you a brand new outlook on life. And whenever you’re feeling like things are hopeless, come back and watch it again. It’s that powerful.

It’s a sad thing to learn that Jim Valvano passed away just 2 months after this speech. If you’ve ever seen an example of “never giving up”, he’s it.

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If you’re like me, every day seems to bring about another “senior moment” - and I’m only 23!

But we all can benefit from using the old bean every now and then…practice, as with everything else in life, makes perfect. Just don’t expect to ever have a “perfect” memory. And if you do, please contact me to write about it on LCT!

Check out the “Link Method” for improving your memory in the video below, and then try to implement it yourself. I tried it, and it’s amazing. You’ll feel quicker and more alert after practicing this method…just watch.

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I found this site the other day and the headline just drew me right into the article.

“Top 100 Foods to Improve Your Productivity”.

The article does a fantastic job of detailing how 100 different foods can help you in this area. I never thought of food helping me with PRODUCTIVITY, but I just love learning something new every day. That’s the whole point of this blog, right? I’ll let the site do the explaining…but do yourself a favor and find some of the foods you like, and find out how they’ve been helping you all along!

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