Here are 120 things you can do starting today to help you think faster, improve memory, comprehend information better and unleash your brain’s full potential.
- Solve puzzles and brainteasers.
- Cultivate ambidexterity. Use your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth, comb your hair or use the mouse. Write with both hands simultaneously. Switch hands for knife and fork.
- Embrace ambiguity. Learn to enjoy things like paradoxes and optical illusions.
- Learn mind mapping.
- Block one or more senses. Eat blindfolded, wear earplugs, shower with your eyes closed.
- Develop comparative tasting. Learn to properly taste wine, chocolate, beer, cheese or anything else.
- Find intersections between seemingly unrelated topics.
- Learn to use different keyboard layouts. Try Colemak or Dvorak for a full mind twist!
- Find novel uses for common objects. How many different uses can you find for a nail? 10? 100?
- Reverse your assumptions.
- Learn creativity techniques.
- Go beyond the first, ‘right’ answer.
- Transpose reality. Ask “What if?” questions.
- SCAMPER!
- Turn pictures or the desktop wallpaper upside down.
- Become a critical thinker. Learn to spot common fallacies.
- Learn logic. Solve logic puzzles.
- Get familiar with the scientific method.
- Draw. Doodle. You don’t need to be an artist.
- Think positive.
- Engage in arts — sculpt, paint, play music — or any other artistic endeavor.
- Learn to juggle.
- Eat ‘brain foods’.
- Be slightly hungry.
- Exercise!
- Sit up straight.
- Drink lots of water.
- Deep-breathe.
- Laugh!
- Vary activities. Get a hobby.
- Sleep well.
- Power nap.
- Listen to music.
- Conquer procrastination.
- Go technology-less.
- Look for brain resources in the web.
- Change clothes. Go barefoot.
- Master self-talk.
- Simplify!
- Play chess or other board games. Play via Internet (particularly interesting is to play an ongoing game by e-mail).
- Play ‘brain’ games. Sudoku, crossword puzzles or countless others.
- Be childish!
- Play video games.
- Be humorous! Write or create a joke.
- Create a List of 100.
- Have an Idea Quota.
- Capture every idea. Keep an idea bank.
- Incubate ideas. Let ideas percolate. Return to them at regular intervals.
- Engage in ‘theme observation’. Try to spot the color red as many times as possible in a day. Find cars of a particular make. Invent a theme and focus on it.
- Keep a journal.
- Learn a foreign language.
- Eat at different restaurants - ethnic restaurants specially.
- Learn how to program a computer.
- Spell long words backwards. !gnignellahC
- Change your environment. Change the placement of objects or furniture — or go somewhere else.
- Write! Write a story, poetry, start a blog.
- Learn sign language.
- Learn a musical instrument.
- Visit a museum.
- Study how the brain works.
- Learn to speed-read.
- Find out your learning style.
- Dump the calendar!
- Try to mentally estimate the passage of time.
- “Guesstimate”. Are there more leaves in the Amazon rainforest or neuron connections in your brain? (answer).
- Make friends with math. Fight ‘innumeracy’.
- Build a Memory Palace.
- Learn a peg system for memory.
- Have sex! (sorry, no links for this one!
) - Memorize people’s names.
- Meditate. Cultivate mindfulness and an empty mind.
- Watch movies from different genres.
- Turn off the TV.
- Improve your concentration.
- Get in touch with nature.
- Do mental math.
- Have a half-speed day.
- Change the speed of certain activities. Go either super-slow or super-fast deliberately.
- Do one thing at a time.
- Be aware of cognitive biases.
- Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. How would different people think or solve your problems? How would a fool tackle it?
- Adopt an attitude of contemplation.
- Take time for solitude and relaxation.
- Commit yourself to lifelong learning.
- Travel abroad. Learn about different lifestyles.
- Adopt a genius. (Leonardo is excellent company!)
- Have a network of supportive friends.
- Get competitive.
- Don’t stick with only like-minded people. Have people around that disagree with you.
- Brainstorm!
- Change your perspective. Short/long-term, individual/collective.
- Go to the root of the problems.
- Collect quotes.
- Change the media you’re working on. Use paper instead of the computer; voice recording instead of writing.
- Read the classics.
- Develop your reading skill. Reading effectively is a skill. Master it.
- Summarize books.
- Develop self-awareness.
- Say your problems out loud.
- Describe one experience in painstaking detail.
- Learn Braille. You can start learning the floor numbers while going up or down the elevator.
- Buy a piece of art that disturbs you. Stimulate your senses in thought-provoking ways.
- Try different perfumes and scents.
- Mix your senses. How much does the color pink weigh? How does lavender scent sound?
- Debate! Defend an argument. Try taking the opposite side, too.
- Use time boxing.
- Allocate time for brain development.
- Have your own mental sanctuary.
- Be curious!
- Challenge yourself.
- Develop your visualization skills. Use it at least 5 minutes a day.
- Take notes of your dreams. Keep a notebook by your bedside and record your dreams first thing in the morning or as you wake up from them.
- Learn to lucid dream.
- Keep a lexicon of interesting words. Invent your own words.
- Find metaphors. Connect abstract and specific concepts.
- Manage stress.
- Get random input. Write about a random word in a magazine. Read random sites using StumbleUpon or Wikipedia.
- Take different routes each day. Change the streets you follow to work, jog or go back home.
- Install a different operating system on your computer.
- Improve your vocabulary.
- Deliver more than what’s expected.
Readers’ Contributions
- Dance! (by Shanel Yang)
- Study Philoshophy and the writings of great thinkers. (by ZHereford)
- Be around people that are smarter than you. (by Angel Cuala)
- Use ‘brain fitness’ software. (by Eric Blue)
- Read text upside down (the text, not you… well, you can try that, too). (by Thales)
- Act in a stageplay. (by Thales)
- Practice ‘environmental creativity’. Keep asking yourself questions like “What does this mean?” and “How can I use this?”. (by Chuck Frey)
- Use a reverse clock. You can buy one or make your own. (by Brendan Dunphy)
- Take an improvisation class. (by Patricia Ryan Madson)
- Pun! Play with words. (by David Lurey)
- Do It Yourself: Create or repair things without the aid of paid professionals. Repair, sew, cook, build, weave, paint, etc. (by b.honey)
- Teach someone something you know. (by Usiku)
- Help a child with their homework. (by Usiku)
- Provide thoughtful comments on blogs and websites. (by Usiku)
- Discuss religion and politics, even with friends. (by Usiku)
- Teach yourself origami. (by Pamela)
- Learn to knit or crochet. (by Pamela)
- Shop at a market different from the usual. (by Pamela)
- Think of something you fear. Work to conquer it. (by Pamela)
- Play bridge (or other card games). (by millie)
- Practice Yoga. (by Rajesh)
- Learn martial arts. (by Chirou)
- Study the concepts of Relativity (both General and Special). (by Tim)
- Practice echolocation (sense objects by hearing echoes from those objects). (by Tim)
- Help and immigrant learn your language. (by Ray)
- Translate articles (by Remigiusz Durka).
Note: Thanks to everybody who translated this article! Caruso (Spanish), Tommaso (Italian), Eylos (Turkish) and Remigiusz (Polish). (Anyone else I’m missing?) - Eat raw foods. (by Carlos Caridad)
- Remember childhood and imagine living it with your current experience. (by Janine)
- Imagine how would you survice in a different epoch (say, 5000 years go). (by Mel Smith)
- Play role-playing games (RPG) (by FreeMasons)
Contribute your own tip!
There are many, many ways to keep our brains sharp. I’m sure you have your own personal favorite, so please share it in the comments! I’ll regularly compile the best tips and add them to this list (giving full credit, with a link to your site, if you have one). Thanks!
One great, fun way to improve your brain power is to dance! Scientists have proven it actually helps prolong life and prevent Alzheimers and Dementia. I wrote a post about it: “Wanna Live Longer? Dance!” at http://shanelyang.com/2008/05/.....ger-dance/
This list is awesome. I love that you mentioned Dvorak- I’m using a dvorak keyboard typing this comment right now
Thanks!
122. Fap to self-improvement lists
As yes, #1 Solve puzzles and brainteasers. I do this all day long, that’s why I like alcohol. It brings me down from the torments of logic and constant ‘hmm’ and ‘huh?’ you might do while solving brainteasers.
Excellent list, you have listed many good things to consider for personal use, very nice indeed.
Really great tips to boost your brains memory. Thanks for posting this, I really need it. God bless…
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Hi Luciano,
This is a very impressive list! A lot of the suggestions on the list are ones I really enjoy. In particular I like the “guesstimate” one. Google uses guesstimates as part of their interview process just to see how people can think through a problem on the spot with little or no information. I remember in a job interview (not Google) I had to guess how many vending machines there are in Japan.
Great work Luciano, must have taken you ages to put together. Dugg and stumbled!
Great post. http://www.subconscious-mind.org has great tips and guides on improving your brain power. You can give your brain power a boost just by follwing the tips that http://www.subconscious-mind.org has got to offer.
Now that’s an impressive list. It can be really useful for students.
Thanks
Ha … Ha … How can do all these 121 ways in a day. I need more than 24hrs
Super job Luciano!
One of my favorites is to read philosophy and the writings of great thinkers!
It not only exercises your brain, it makes you think about the timeless concepts that make us human.
http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/philosophy.html
Wonderful post and list! We are starting our 3rd year of traveling the world as a family & find extended travel keeps are brains sharp because we are always in new environments. So one more for your list. lol!
Hi Luciano,
This has got to be one of your best posts ever. You’ve listed so many great techiniques - it’ll take years to try them all.
Great job!
Congrats Luciano!
This is a valuable list for reference. You could develop this list into a mini ebook. Thanks for sharing!
I like the idea of going technology-less… I’m guessing you mean for a while, not forever.
I try to do this once a week, on the weekend. Haven’t been able to go a full day, but a few hours without technology are great too.
about number 63, 67, 68, 70 and some more, you should read “Super power memory” by Harry Lorayne. one of the greatest books I have ever read. It teaches you for example to memorize a deck of cards (which I learned in ridiculously short period of time after mastering the main technique in the book), and some really impressive memory stuns. If you are serious about boosting your brain power, this is where to start!!!
Kudos to this list! Very awesome indeed. I found myself reading it and clicking on all the links instead of washing the car like i was supposed to for over an hour. Fantastic! Wait…didn’t it say to stop procrastinating?
I was going to add dance, like Shanel Yang did above. I am taking ballroom dance lessons now, and it is amazing how your mind and body have to connect with each other in order to be able to move.
This is really great because I really need some brain boosting right now. Good article from a good writer.
Luciano,
Fantastic post! I’ll admit that I haven’t quite done all of these yet, but the ones that I have done have proved to be valuable.
One particular brain booster that I thought you’d find interesting is ‘brain fitness’ software. I’ve used a couple different products through the years, and recently discovered a number of web-based solutions out there.
I’ve personally tried out MyBrainTrainer (former PC Product was ThinkFast), and have been happy with the results. Here’s a tiny mindmap that lists a few other sites as well:
(Using MindMapViewer)
http://tinyurl.com/5q9jyz
I plan on posting a detailed article on this topic in the near future.
Ya forgot…..smoke pot & eat schrooms
Thank you for this fantastic list of tips!
xoxo
This is such a very useful list. Cant help myself but to be the 245th Digger.
But among them, I like the # 42 the most - be childish. This is because children have lesser things to think and therefore their minds are always fresh.
By the way, does “have sex” really fell on #69 by accident? Now, I am boosting my brain power. lol!
Kidding aside, I think you should add “talking to smart people”. I repeat, smart not bright nor intelligent. Smart people can survive wherever they go.
Thanks!
That’s an awesome list, full of great tips. Thanks for it, LP! I’ll print it out and hang on the wall of my office.
The few additional suggestions I have:
- Question authority (well, this is critical thinking anyways)
- Read text upside down (the text, not you… well, you can try that too)
- Buy a pack of wiggly eyes and go out putting them on things, it’s fun
- Read articles about economics, or from economists (they have an unusual and unprejudiced way to look at things)
- Act in a stageplay (or direct one)
- Try to bring surrealism to someone else’s day
- Be more empiricist and less platonist
I love how 121 says to deliver more than expected, since I only expected 120 ways to boost my brain power. Then 69 was about sex. Very nice subtle subconscious additives. But I must say, this list is fake. It was obviously made in space.
Hi there.
What a great list.
Ive just had a baby boy, and have been thinking about games I could play with him to stimulate mental development.
Its opened up a whole bunch of new ideas I would like to try out with him.
Thanks!
I practice what’s been called “environmental creativity” in my daily life. In other words, as I encounter people, situations and bits and pieces of information throughout the day, I’m always asking myself questions like “What does this mean?” and “How can I use this?” Inevitably, I come across a wealth of random ideas, some of which may be adapted to some of the things I’m trying to accomplish. It’s good to always be aware of the existing ideas all around us that may be creativity adapted to the challenges at hand!
Thanks everybody for the comments — you readers are awesome!
A special thanks goes to those who contributed additional tips. I am taking some of the suggestions and adding to the list in the post. I won’t add all of them, as there are some suggestions that are a bit, er, controversial: I don’t feel comfortable at all adding ’smoke pot’ to the list, for example…
Please keep the ideas coming! We can build a great resource here. If you have any brain tips to share, don’t hesitate to contribute (if you a have a link to include with your suggestion, that’s even better)!
There are already many great reader-suggested ideas here. I’m also pretty excited about the positive feedback I got regarding this post. That made me think that we could create some sort of challenge or contest based on it. I am just not sure what to do… Maybe allowing reader-submitted entries to be voted on or something like that? If you have any ideas to suggest, please let me know!
Thanks again! Did I mention you people are awesome?
Wow what an impressive - and might I say mind-expanding - list of exercises! I’ve printed them off and added them one a day to my daily to-do list for the next mm 120 days. I’m feeling smarter already!
Loring Parks at More Fun Than A Silk Teddy
From Problogger btw
Purchase a clock or watch with a reverse face and hands that rotate anti-clockwise (yes they do exist!). A great way to pause for thought….
I’d like to add to Eric Blue’s ‘brain fitness’ comment by mentioning Susanne Jaeggi and Martin Buschkuehl’s study on Improving Fluid Intelligence by Training Working Memory (PNAS April 2008) which recorded increases in mental agility (fluid intelligence) of more than 40% after 19 days of focused brain training. The only training ever to show a general intelligence improvement.
I was so impressed that I contacted the research team and developed a commercial software program using the same training method.
Mind Sparke Brain Fitness Pro
Martin Walker
mind evolve, llc
Hi Luciano,
Just found out about your blogs,love it. What a great site you have. Thanks!
Since my son is following the Shichida Method (Right brain development program), I get to know a few things about these brain stuffs. I think Speed listening can really boost your brain power. One of the training example is by listening to a classical music, first you enjoy it as normal, than go on to the speed of x2, then x4, then x8, then go back to x4, then x2 (by this time you should be able to ‘enjoy’ at this x2 speed)..and again you go up to x4,x8, and down x4,x2..Some people can even listen to x16 or x32. Another way you can also listen to a story telling or news at normail rate then at x2 speed.
Thanks again for this wonderful site. Now I have a year of archives to catch up..
Cheers!
Great website, i loved the brain food section. But there are other foods that effect your body and brain that need to be avoided, and are hidden in the foods we eat.
One Example is Nitrates; they can trigger fatigue, blue moods, and brain fog.
Thanks Luciano! I’m adding your blog to Google reader right now. Your posts are great for getting people thinking.
Log off. Stop reading pre-prepared lists.
Take an improvisation class. Shout the wrong name for things. Read the book, Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up. Thanks for a great list.
Laugh out laud! Interestingly, I eat to boost brain power. Whenever I am studying or solving puzzles or even a game of Scrabble, I will eat…no matter what. The good thing is, it helps me…while the bad thing is….you gain weight(though I don’t know why I can’t seem to gain any kilos). =]
PUN! This simple style of humor will really get the wheels turning and the synapses firing at an alarming rate. Using words in as many ways as possible is true example of a creative mind.
@barak: Thanks for the book suggestion. Some readers have already suggested Harry Lorraine’s books, so I’ll definitely take a look at it when I have the chance. Thanks!
@Thales: Would you please take a picture of the printout in your office wall and send me? Collecting examples of my articles actually being used by readers always motivates me!
@oshkosh: Your suggestion ‘Speed listening’ is really intriguing. Do you have any resources (URLs, books) to point out? I’m interested in checking it out further. Thanks!
Thanks again everybody for the contributions and awesome feedback!
D.I.Y
Do It Yerself!
sew, cook, build, write, create, sing, weave, paint, staple, glue, cut, paste, etc. etc. etc.
bonus points awarded to those who spend as little money as possible!
Good stuff
Hi,
I liked your article, i want you know I have translated to the Spanish your article (With its respective credits) for that more people read your post.
The translation is here: 106 formas de aumentar tu poder mental.
A greeting y gracias.
I am always sure to take a few minutes each day (I personally take around ten to fifteen) to meditate, pray, just speak out loud about all of my worries, hopes, and dreams…when I’m alone, of course. I feel as though someone is listening, and although no physical being is around, I am confident a spiritual being is near who understands me even better than I understand myself.
Yes! This is the stuff of life in all of it’s aspects. This should be made into a calendar, a book or sent out as thought for the day.
1. Teach someone something you know.
2. Help a child with their homework.
3. Provide thoughtful comments on blogs and websites.
4. Discuss religion and politics, even with friends.
5. Wonder about anything and everything.
http://writerswhirlpool.blogspot.com
http://usikueloquence.livejournal.com
http://www.usiku.net
Thanks for the tips! Here are my contributions:
1. Teach yourself origami.
2. Learn to knit or crochet.
3. Break with routine - drive or walk a different route. Rearrange your cupboards/closet/furniture. Shop at a different market than usual.
4. Write a Letter to the Editor.
5. Think of something you fear. Work to conquer it.
play bridge! it may take a while to pick up the basics, and of course a lifetime to learn to play it well, but nothing is more rewarding! it also provides a lifetime of fun. it is a social game, and playing duplicate bridge especially (www.acbl.org) can get you out of the house and provide a way to meet tons of new people.
great list everybody must see this..
Great points. I always say that if you dont use it… you will eventually lose it. This definitley includes the brain.
Your post trasnlation turkish.
Thanks.
Thanks for the time and energy
you spent putting this together.
Turn of the TV - It should be first!
WOW! That’s a lot of ways. It seems that you forgot about Omega 3?
Nice informative article.
Play Risk Game as much as you can. It will boost your brain to all sorts of new limits
Very good list. Well done.
This is the most awesome list of all time.
Learn archery
Study neuroscience
Camp in the fall
I’d suggest people try to figure out and practice Paradigm Piracy. If they become adept at that enough they may want to check out chaos magic.
Stay healthy by doing Yoga which includes Yog asanas, Pranayama, Meditation, Yama and Niyamas to keep brain healty, intelligent and fully fuctional.
Relate to your grandchild on his/her level..get down on the floor..listen..and see the world through their amazing eyes..
by Grammy
As my life gets busier and busier, these ideas are a great reality check to keep everything in balance and change gears from time to time.
Thanks great list.
Here are some more Ideas:
Go out into the woods meditate and open your mind for the wonders of nature.
Another important point to become a quick thinker: Learn martial arts like aikido or kung fu. Not to use for fight, but to get to know your body so that you can react quicker in uncommon situations and to improve your self-confidence.
And for those who never have time: You only have time if you take your time.
Write a diary.
With a diary you will get to know yourself better. With a diary you will easier see if you waste your time because you have to many aims at once or if you do to many useless stuff like watching to much TV.With a diary you will think about many problems more intense and so you will in general find a better solution to those problems.
Enjoy your Day
great post i would recommend thinkertoys by michael michalko that is if you have not read it yet.
Learn to tickle.
Or giggle.