How To Become A Genius - Fast Company

Participants in a five-day study were led through guided meditation for 20 minutes a day, focusing on breathing, posture, and mental imagery. Co.DesignTechWorkLifeNewsImpactPodcastsVideoRecommenderInnovationFestival360IF360SubscribeFastCoWorksAWSGenpactIBMHomepageCo.DesignTechWorkLifeNewsImpactPodcastsVideoRecommenderInnovationFestival360SubscribeHelpCenterfastcoworksAWSDeloitteDeptElevatePrizeEYIBMKlarnaVisaFastCoWorksAnaward-winningteamofjournalists,designers,andvideographerswhotellbrandstoriesthroughFastCompany'sdistinctivelensFCExecutiveBoardcollectionsFastGovernmentThefutureofinnovationandtechnologyingovernmentforthegreatergoodMostInnovativeCompaniesFastCompany'sannualrankingofbusinessesthataremakinganoutsizeimpactMostCreativePeopleLeaderswhoareshapingthefutureofbusinessincreativewaysWorldChangingIdeasNewworkplaces,newfoodsources,newmedicine--evenanentirelyneweconomicsystemInnovationByDesignCelebratingthebestideasinbusinessNewsletterEventsInnovationFestivalCoursesandLearningAdvertiseCurrentIssueSUBSCRIBEFollowus:advertisementadvertisementByStephanieVozza4minuteReadYouprobablythinkyou’reprettysmart.Mostpeoplebelievethey’resmarterthantheaverageAmerican,accordingtoastudyfromYouGov.YetwhenitcomestoIQ,mostofusareindeedaverage,fallinginthe80-119pointrange.Whilethisnumberpeaksinourlateteenstoearly20sandremainsrelativelystableasweage,thatdoesn’tmeanyourpotentialisfixed.advertisementadvertisement“Thefactis,intelligencecanbeincreased–andquitedramatically,”writesbehavior-analyticpsychologistBryanRocheoftheNationalUniversityofIrelandinPsychologyToday.“ThosewhoclaimthatIQisfixedforlifeareinfactreferringtoourIQtestscores,whicharerelativelystable–nottoourintelligencelevels,whichareconstantlyincreasing.”Anyonehasthepotentialforgeniusor,attheveryleast,greatness.Thekeyistoletgoofthemyththatgiftednessisinnate.DavidShenk,authorofTheGeniusinAllofUs,saysit’svirtuallyimpossibletodetermineanyindividual’strueintellectuallimitationsatanyage;anyonehasthepotentialforgeniusor,attheveryleast,greatness.Thekeyistoletgoofthemyththatgiftednessisinnate.“Abeliefininborngiftsandlimitsismuchgentleronthepsyche:Thereasonyouaren’tagreatoperasingerisbecauseyoucan’tbeone.That’ssimplythewayyouwerewired.Thinkingoftalentasinnatemakesourworldmoremanageable,morecomfortable.Itrelievesapersonoftheburdenofexpectation,”hewritesinhisbook.advertisementadvertisementIfyouwanttobesmarterthantheaverageAmerican,it’snotonlypossible;it’swithinreach.Intelligenceistheabilitytoacquireandapplyknowledgeandskills,andincludestheabilitytoreason,solveproblems,rememberinformation,andbecreative.Increasingyourintelligence–eventakingyourstogeniusstatus–takesawillingnesstodothework.Whiletakingaclassandreadingabookaretwowaystolearnsomethingnew,herearesixsurprisingtasksthatboostyourbrainpower,makelearningeasier,andputyouontheroadtogreatness:1.TrainYourMemoryWhileaprofessorattheUniversityofCalifornia,Irvine,SusanneJaeggifoundthatanactivityknownasthen-backtaskincreasesfluidintelligence,whichistheabilitytoreasonandsolvenewproblemsindependentofpreviousknowledge.Then-backgamechallengesparticipantstokeeptrackofspokenwordsorlocationsonagrid,andidentifywhenaletterorgridlocationisrepeated.N-backtraining,whichisavailableforfreeonline,canhelpimprovememoryandproblem-solvingskills.advertisement2.OpenYourselfToNewPointsofViewAnotherwaytoincreaseyourintelligenceistoexpandyournetworkandconsiderotherpeople’spointsofview.Theexercisewillopenyourmindtonewopportunitiesandpromotecognitivegrowth.Learningistheactofexposingyourselftonewinformation,andmeetingnewpeoplefacilitatestheprocess,especiallywhentheviewpointsconflictwithyourown.“Openyourmindandlistentoargumentsthatmakenosensetoyou–andtrytofindsomesenseinthem,”writesRoche.3.FindMotivationUncommonachievementtakesasourceofmotivation,saysShenk.“Youhavetowantit,wantitsobadyouwillnevergiveup,sobadthatyouarereadytosacrificetime,money,sleep,friendships,evenyourreputation,”hewritesinTheGeniusinAllofUs.advertisementMotivationcanbeconsciousorunconscious,andcanspringfromavarietyofsources,includinginspiration,desperation,revenge,orfutureregret.4.DoCardiovascularWorkoutsCardiovascularfitnesscanraiseyourverbalintelligenceandimprovelong-termmemory,accordingtoastudyfromtheUniversityofGothenburginSweden.“Increasedcardiovascularfitnesswasassociatedwithbettercognitivescores,”writesleadresearcherMariaAbergintheProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences.“Incontrast,muscularstrengthwasonlyweaklyassociatedwithintelligence.”advertisement5.PlayVideoGamesWhileitlookslikeagoodwaytowastetime,videogamingcanactuallystimulatethegrowthofneuronsandpromoteconnectivityintheregionsofthebrainresponsibleforspatialorientation,memoryformation,andstrategicplanning.InastudyconductedattheMaxPlanckInstituteforHumanDevelopmentandCharitéUniversityMedicineinBerlin,researchersfoundthatvideogamessuchasSuperMariobenefitthebrainbyimprovingsensory,perceptual,andattentionaltasks.Videogamescanreversethenegativeeffectsofagingonthebrainaswell.InastudydoneattheUniversityofCalifornia,SanFrancisco,researchersfoundaspeciallydesigned3-Ddrivingvideogameboostedmentalskillslikemultitaskingandfocusinginolderadults.Gamingimprovedtheirshort-termmemory,acognitiveabilitythattypicallydeclineswithage.6.MeditateMindfulmeditationcanincreasetheneuroplasticityinthebrain,accordingtoastudyfromtheUniversityofOregonandTexasTechUniversity’sNeuroimagingInstitute.advertisementParticipantsinafive-daystudywereledthroughguidedmeditationfor20minutesaday,focusingonbreathing,posture,andmentalimagery.Researchersfoundthepracticeimprovedtheefficiencyoftheirbrain’swhitematter,significantlyimprovingattentionandfluidintelligence.advertisementadvertisementadvertisementadvertisementadvertisementVideoTechTechHowFarfetchispredictingthefutureoffashioninWeb3FastCompanyMagazineHowMicrosoftVPTomBurtprotectsindividualsandgovernmentsfromcyberattacksFastCompanyMagazineThislocalwoman’sappisdeliveringPuertoRicansfreshproduce—andgreaterfoodsovereigntyNewsNewsSerenaWilliamsisretiringfromtennistofocusonotherbusinesses.Here’salookatherempireNewsBlackfoundersonlyreceive1.4%VCfunds—here’showtochangethatNewsBurgerKingblankreceipts:What’sbehindthemysterious‘nothingburger’emails?Co.DesignCo.DesignPioneeringJapanesedesignerIsseyMiyakeleavesamultifacetedlegacyFastCompanyMagazineWhytheaudioengineerbehindyourfavoriteindiealbumsstickstoanalogFastCompanyMagazineThisformerNikedesigneristakingperformanceappareltothenextlevelWorkLifeWorkLifeHowtomakedecisionfatiguemorebearableFastCompanyMagazineThisactivistisorganizingdisasterrecoveryworkersintoapowerfullaborforceFastCompanyMagazineWhistleblowerprotectionsarespreadingacrossthecountry,sparkedbyIfeomaOzoma