Expand Your Mind with These 12 Habits

4. Subscribe to Thought-provoking Newsletters (here refers to the subscription function of various websites)

The newsletter can help you learn something new every day, and it is really useful. But not too much, you just need a few newsletters to be smart. Use the Look Later App to collect good articles you think are insightful so that you can read them later. Try to read some of your favorite articles every night before you sleep.

If you spend 10 minutes a day, listening to TED talks is also a good way. TED is full of the smartest people in the world. You can subscribe to TED to get weekly inspiration.

5. Give Yourself Something to Pursue

Do something. Create something of value. Share your works. Start a project with passion. You will learn more in the process even if you fail. You will be a better person than you were before you gave it a shot.

No matter what you do, you have to create some value.

Every online break doesn’t have to be about checking social feeds.

Replace an hour of social browsing with something more mentally nourishing. Challenge yourself to do something original.

As Einstein noted, “I’m not smart, I just have a strong curiosity.”  All smart people are passionate about their personal pursuits. They find meaning in the work they do.

There’s always something exciting going on in their lives. Find out what brings out the best in you and make time to complete it.

6. Start Reflecting in Writing

Write down what you learn. It doesn’t have to be pretty or long, but taking a few minutes each day to reflect in writing about what you learned is sure to boost your brainpower.

Write a few hundred words a day on things that you learned. Always take notes. Records brilliant thoughts you get through the day for later use.

Be willing to try new things — even if they don’t seem immediately useful or productive. You never know what will be useful ahead of time.

You just need to try new things and wait to see how they connect with the rest of your experiences later on.

7. Share What you Have Learnt

The best way for learning is to teach. If you want to truly master something, find someone you can teach.

Share what you have learnt through blog, podcast, or vlog. And you can also share your knowledge by answering questions in Quora.

As Einstein said, if you cannot explain what have learnt in a few words, you don’t truly understand it. So, try to explain the knowledges you have learnt to others in simple words. That helps you to better understand it.

Mortimer Adler — “The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.”

When you share what you have learnt to others, you will master the knowledge better, as it forces you to think deeper.

Therefore, post what you have learnt to the public, which helps you to sort through your thoughts.