How to learn more and study less Photo by fatal Cleopatra Editor’s note: This is a guest post written by Scott Young. Every Monday is Productivity & Organization Day at Zen Habits.The title of this post sounds impossible right? My current GPA is a 4.2, which rests midway between an A and an A+. Despite this, I didn’t actually spend much time studying. Using some of the techniques I’ll describe, I’ve been able to: Place first in a three province wide chemistry test. I say all this not to boast about how great I am, because I feel my accomplishments are rather modest compared to many people I know. More studying time won’t help if the way you are studying is flawed to begin with. Holistic Learning Smart people don’t just learn better. Holistic learning is basically the opposite of rote memorization. Excessive studying shows you aren’t learning holistically. How to Boost Your Study Habits Holistic learning isn’t like a brainstorming technique or mind-mapping. Visceralize – You’ve probably heard of visualizing, right?
Get Anyone to Like You – Instantly – Guaranteed Get anyone to like you - Instantly - Guaranteed If you want people to like you, make them feel good about themselves. This golden rule of friendship works every time - guaranteed! The principle is straightforward. If I meet you and make you feel good about yourself, you will like me and seek every opportunity to see me again to reconstitute the same good feeling you felt the first time we met. Unfortunately, this powerful technique is seldom used because we are continually focused on ourselves and not others. The simple communication techniques that follow will help you keep the focus of the conversation on the person you are talking to and make them feel good about themselves. The Big Three Our brains continually scan the environment for friend or foe signals. Eyebrow Flash The eyebrow flash is a quick up and down movement of the eyebrows. Head Tilt The head tilt is a slight tilt of the head to one side or the other. Smile A smile sends the message "I like you." Empathic Statements Example 1
CogniFit Brain Fitness And Memory Programs, Brain Training Text of Steve Jobs' Commencement address (2005) Stanford Report, June 14, 2005 This is a prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005. Video of the Commencement address. I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. It started before I was born. And 17 years later I did go to college. It wasn't all romantic. Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. My third story is about death.
Fake it Till You Make it: 10 Ways to Feel Confident (Even When You Aren’t) |... “Original Fake” Photo Credit: courtesy of MashKulture Is your self-confidence natural, or a daily struggle? Many people’s confidence naturally wavers from day to day, leaving them too timid or confused at just the wrong time. Whether you are naturally confident or could use some better eye contact with your life, setting in place a few simple strategies goes a long way to stoke your inner confidence. If you think you’re not especially smart or capable, or that failure is a given no matter how hard you try, you’re right. And if you believe you’re brilliant and can accomplish anything you set your mind to, you’re right. Amplifying your inner confidence is like any other skill you develop; you can do it in a blink. Same with confidence. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. You don’t have to follow all 10 of these tips, but they are starters that will help you find your internal confidence and boost your sense of self belonging. Confidence is the key to EVERYTHING. Related Articles:
8 Things Everybody Ought to Know About Concentrating - StumbleUpon “Music helps me concentrate,” Mike said to me glancing briefly over his shoulder. Mike was in his room writing a paper for his U.S. History class. On his desk next to his computer sat crunched Red Bulls, empty Gatorade bottles, some extra pocket change and scattered pieces of paper. In the pocket of his sweat pants rested a blaring iPod with a chord that dangled near the floor, almost touching against his Adidas sandals. Mike made a shift about every thirty seconds between all of the above. Do you know a person like this? The Science Behind Concentration In the above account, Mike’s obviously stuck in a routine that many of us may have found ourselves in, yet in the moment we feel it’s almost an impossible routine to get out of. When we constantly multitask to get things done, we’re not multitasking, we’re rapidly shifting our attention. Phase 1: Blood Rush Alert When Mike decides to start writing his History essay, blood rushes to his anterior prefrontal cortex. Phase 2: Find and Execute