5 Ways to Keep Your Mind Fresh and Become Smarter Every Day

We’ve all heard the stories about the child prodigies who can play Mozart at age four — and while this is a truly amazing talent, it isn’t always something they have inherited. There are plenty of intelligent people in the world who lose out on great opportunities simply because they don’t have the drive to refine their talents and intelligence. Anything is possible when you go the extra mile.

To help you tap into your intelligence, here are five ways to keep your mind fresh and become smarter every day.

1. Read…a lot

Reading is a skill just like anything else and it takes dedication. You have to carve out the time each day to read — try to spend at least ten minutes a day reading. Even if all you can do is read a few articles online, making this a habit can help you learn more and increase your knowledge. If you have the time, try to find a long novel that is about a subject you are particularly interested in.

2. Make mistakes

True intelligence means making a lot of mistakes and learning from them. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn more and improve yourself. Part of becoming more intelligent is shifting your mentality away from being afraid of making mistakes and instead embracing them and learning from them. Mistakes just show you what you need to refine and grow. If you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t learning.

3. Ask questions

There are plenty of people who don’t want to learn about things that don’t “pertain” to them, but people who truly want to be intelligent are interested in learning more about everything. If you find yourself talking about a subject that you aren’t well-educated on, ask questions and try to learn more. Be open-minded.

4. Work hard

Smart people know that doing the bare minimum will get you average results. Get up early, take charge, and don’t procrastinate. Learning and improving yourself should be fun and you should enjoy the steps you are taking to perfect your craft. Sometimes it takes working hard — and then working harder — to learn all that you need to know in order to level up in your career and in life.

5. Hang out with other smart people

Intelligent people hang around other intelligent people. If you want to become smarter, you need to spend time around people who are smarter than you. Remember, if you are the smartest person in the room, you are probably in the wrong room. You can learn a lot from people who are highly intelligent, and their drive and knowledge will rub off on you. This will help you raise the standard you have for yourself. As they say, “you are who you spend time with” — so spend time with intelligent people.