18 Ways to Become Smarter and Win the Game of Life

18 Ways to Become Smarter and Win the Game of Life!

Samuel Goldwyn once said:

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.

And she was right. Intelligence isn’t just about being able to spout off facts or solve complex math equations. It’s also about having the mental agility and savvy to make smart decisions in any situation.

You may have everything you want. But if you are not smart, you cannot make use of anything. Being smart can help you accomplish what you thought you could do ever.

So, be smart and intelligent. Get your brains in the field. It’s time to stop wasting resources and start creating new ways of using them. Do more with less!

If you are wondering how to become smarter, here are 18 ways we suggest to our SMS Varanasi students:

1. Be in the present.

Be in the moment

Never fly aeroplanes in your mind. Be attentive to the place where you are – with your mind in the present. Talk cautiously and always link your mind to what the speaker is saying or the conversation is going about. Respond with full attention whenever you need to.

Being present at the moment will help you get a better grasp on the situation and be able to make more informed decisions.

2. Observe yourself.

Always think how you would think if the other person would have reacted the way you did. You get the best answer from being an observer yourself.

Observing yourself helps you learn from your mistakes and understand how different situations can affect you. It will also help you find ways to improve yourself and think more critically about the things around you.

3. Listen before you speak.

Never interrupt someone while having a conversation. It gives the impression that you don’t care about what the other person is speaking of. Never overspeak. Talk only when required while having formal conversations.

If you are short on time and the other person forgets to use commas and full stops, encourage them to convey the point in a succinct manner instead of cutting them short abruptly.

4. Make mistakes a chapter to learn from.

Always learn from the ‘wrongs’ of your life and you will be following the path of the greatest of people ever born. Mistakes shouldn’t be repeated and neglected. Instead, it should be learned from.

When people say ‘Mistakes and failures are the biggest lessons’, they are right. If you use your mistakes as a learning tool, it will help hone your decision-making skills and make you smarter in the long run.

5. Keep personal and professional lives separate.

Do not mix your personal and professional life.

It is not good to tell everything about what you are as a person or what is going on in your life. Every person you meet doesn’t need that information about you. You need to be specific but still friendly in a formal conversation.

Sharing too much information about you can be dangerous too – offline or online. For example, sharing that you are on a vacation with your family, could make you vulnerable to theft or harassment. So, it’s best to keep your personal and professional lives separate.

6. Never get obsessed with anything.

If you think studying too much or working too much makes you smart, you are wrong. Excess is always bad whether it be social media, TV or even studies. Don’t get obsessed with anything. Try and do different things at different times. This helps in ensuring the amount of effectiveness of a task.

A balanced life must include time for work, time for studies or self-development, time for family, time for friends, time for your passion, and time for yourself in general (which might include caring for your health, meditation, and just relaxing).

7. Take breaks.

Get out of your room and breathe in the fresh air. Damp air causes one to be lethargic. Step out of the four walls for at least an hour a day.

Ideally, you should take a break or step away from your work after every hour (or two hours depending on the intensity of your work). This helps to refresh and re-energize yourself so that you can stay focused when you get back to work.

8. Comparisons are not good.

Never compare anybody else with yourself in any terms, be it likes or the views you get on Instagram and Facebook, your beauty, your wealth, your strength, or your rank in a class. Never compare.

Comparisons lead to jealousy and all ill kind of emotions rather than improvement.

Instead, you should focus on being better than who you were yesterday. That is the only comparison that will help you grow and make you smarter.

When you start feeling you are too good for others, use your power to inspire and mentor them. That’s how you contribute to make your society better.

9. Do not point out wrong pronunciation or mistakes in public.

If you are wondering how to become smarter and you think showing others down makes you look better than them, you are wrong in the extreme.

Pointing out others’ pronunciation may make you feel superior but that is not the right way. Not knowing or knowing something doesn’t make you inferior or superior. We are born to learn but we shouldn’t point out others’ mistakes just to show off our knowledge.

Do not mock others. If someone makes a mistake, politely help them with the right information or suggest they look it up instead of pointing it out in public. This will make you more approachable and also show that you are smart without needing to point out others’ mistakes.

10. Never hurt someone’s self-esteem.

Do not hurt others' self-esteem

Never hurt anybody’s self-esteem. It not only creates enemies but also lowers your image as a person. Your subconscious mind would also make you feel guilty because you would never want someone to do it to you.

Think hundred times before you insult others or downplay their contributions. This will help you to stay away from unnecessary criticism and arguments.

Even if you will never meet the person again, why hurt them? They have feelings, too. You might not be able to change the world but you can surely spread peace and love in your own way.

11. Do not try to ‘act’ cool.

You may not be ‘cool’ in others’ eyes but be sure that you are firm in your beliefs and do not copy the so-called cool people.

Be cool for yourself. Believe in your decisions. Ask yourself, if at any point you are feeling pressurized to perform an activity, such as drink or cheat, even though you do not want to do it. If the answer is yes, then it’s time to stop and not let anyone pressurize you. Life is too short to partake in activities that make you uncomfortable or unhappy.

Standing up for yourself and your beliefs grants you an image of being genuine and honest, which is much better than being cool.

12. Do not care about what others say or think about you.

Overthinking in itself is a big problem. So if someone thinks you as boring or an idiot, don’t care! Because you know your worth and you will soon prove it by ignoring what others say or think about you. Remember, you have categorized them as “others” for a reason.

Caring too much about others’ opinions will lead you away from your truth and authenticity – and you will try to fit into their mould. Moreover, opinions are subjective. Defining your worth based on others’ opinions will often leave you confused and hurt your self-confidence.

13. Maintain good hygiene and stay healthy.

Hygiene is not something that you should do for others. It should be your daily habit. Wearing short clothes in winter or wearing a coat in summer is stupid. Similarly, you should exercise to remain healthy and not because it’s trendy.

Good daily habits and discipline in life will help you to stay fit and healthy, which in turn will improve your cognitive abilities.

Moreover, your attitude towards health reflects your willingness to live a better life. This way, people perceive you as someone who is responsible and has control over his/her life.

14. Wear what you like.

Never wear what others are going to like but wear what defines your style and personality. Don’t be afraid to express your true self and embrace your unique style, tastes, and preferences.

Displaying your quirks and individuality establishes your place in this diverse world. Your clothes are your statement to the world about what you truly are. When you wear something that makes you feel good, you smile a little brighter and walk a little taller. You seem self-assured and you exude a positive energy – and that’s what makes you a rock star!

15. Be friendly.

Learn how to make friends

While being self-assured is good, do not be rigid. Always be open to new ideas and opportunities. Irrespective of how confident and knowledgeable you are, there’s always room for improvement. Opening ourselves to different perspectives and experiences broadens our horizons.

When we make new friends, we gain exposure to different types of personalities. Your mind remains active and you become more adaptable.

When you work on having meaningful conversations with others and making other people feel comfortable with you, you cultivate your empathy and your ability to collaborate.

Being friendly doesn’t mean that you should blindly accept everything and everyone that comes your way and compromise your values. But it is about being willing to listen to others, consider their perspectives, and then decide whether you can befriend them or not.

16. Read what you don’t like.

If you don’t like reading something, try and read it so that you can tell why you didn’t like it. “Why” is always more important than “What”.

Pick up business news, sports news, self-help books, fiction, tech books – and everything or anything you find boring – and have a glimpse at it.

Reading stuff that you don’t like will help expand your knowledge base and give you a better understanding of the world. You may even find something interesting about the topics that you don’t like! This way, you will be able to know what kind of things make people tick as well as think critically about various topics.

17. Join an online course.

Instead of watching TV, join online courses which fascinate you and make you feel keen to learn every day. You might learn about digital marketing or a foreign language or something related to your field of study.

This will help you stay motivated and inspired, as learning something new is always exciting. You can also attend webinars or seminars to gain knowledge about the latest updates in your chosen domain.

For example, we encourage our BCA students to join online courses on:

  • Data Science
  • Full Stack Development
  • Game Development
  • Cloud Computing
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Data Analytics
  • Computer Science and IT
  • Cyber Security

and more.

Online courses are also a great way for continuous professional development.

18. Always remember to question.

If you are not able to understand or follow something, be clear as to why you don’t want to follow it or why you are not able to get it. Ask questions so that understand what you weren’t able to in the first place.

The right questions are the ones that stem from your inquisitiveness or help you organize your thinking. When you question, it helps you process information more deeply, think critically and come up with solutions to problems that could have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Conclusion

Becoming smarter is an ongoing process, and there are many ways in which you can make it happen. It starts with being aware of the different things that come your way and finding out what works for you best. And above all, do not forget to be kind, open-minded and always question yourself to gain a better understanding.

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