1. Spend 1~2 minutes every morning to make a To-NOT-Do List for the day
To-NOT-Do List, as the name suggests, refers to the things we should not do during the day. For example, we can write down in our notebooks:
a. I am determined not to watch dramas while reading today
b. I am determined not to look at my cell phone while chatting face-to-face today
c. I am determined not to go shopping for clothes on a certain cat today
Remember, don't just think about it in your brain, make sure to write down this list by hand. There is research that proves that writing down our daily goals enhances our execution more than simply going over them in our brains.
2. Try to take class or meeting notes with pen and paper, not a laptop.
Taking notes with pen and paper has the following advantages:
a. It looks more (bi) meaningful (ge).
b. There is more freedom when taking notes: you can quickly draw a flowchart, you can quickly correlate two points, and so on.
c. Many people type quickly, so it's easy to take notes verbatim when using a laptop. In this way, the brain is not working to organize and compress the information we hear, which is not conducive to the memory of knowledge points. On the contrary, when we take notes with a paper notebook, since the writing speed often cannot keep up with the speed of the teacher's speech, our brain will begin to actively organize and compress the information we hear and see. In this way, we can better understand and memorize this information.
Of course, super-fast writers and super-slow typists can ignore the benefits c.
3. Learning complex points by teaching them to others
If we can't understand a complex concept in a simple and clear way for someone else, we don't actually understand the concept yet. Therefore, the best way to test whether we truly understand a complex concept is to be someone else's teacher. While we have few teaching opportunities in real life, there are many such opportunities on the Internet. We can find out what we lack in understanding and make up for it in time by answering questions in forums, by writing technical blogs, and by answering questions through WeChat groups. In this way, we can not only gradually clarify our own thinking, but also provide valuable explanations for others. It's a great way to get the most out of your time and money.
We learn by teaching.
4. Don't force yourself to finish a book
Many books actually only have a few chapters that are wonderful and useful, and the other chapters are all about the sauce. It's like an album that often only has two or three good songs. We rarely force ourselves to listen to every song on an album. Similarly, we don't need to force ourselves to read every book for the so-called "sense of completion".
5. Don't deny yourself in your studies (sometimes it's someone else's fault that we can't learn)
Sometimes we may not be able to understand a concept in a book even though we've read it multiple times, even though it's been explained in more detail in the book. In this case, we should not be in a hurry to blame ourselves and think that it is because we are dumber that we can't understand it. Sometimes, it is the fault of the person giving the explanation. It is their ability to express themselves that is problematic and we are unable to understand. At this point, we should go to other channels to find other versions of the explanation: text version, audio version, video version, we should try them all.
Life
1. Remember to do three more things after you've written the email
a. Adjust the text formatting so that the recipient has a better reading experience.
b. Revise the text to avoid errors and make it as concise as possible.
c. If you are planning to send an attachment, check to see if it has been added.
2. Don't look at your cell phone for an hour before bedtime.
One of the big reasons we go to bed late is because we don't feel like we've had a good enough day. Often, we don't feel like we've had enough fun because we've procrastinated during the day. Therefore, we like to brush the microblogging before going to bed, look at the circle of friends, check e-mail, etc., in order to increase their "sense of completion". But using a cell phone before going to bed really hurts, because the light from the screen shining in our eyes is especially likely to keep us awake, so we're likely to be unable to fall asleep on time.
I used to be plagued by this problem, and then I made a rule for myself: I don't look at my cell phone for an hour before I go to bed. Now I can do that about 7 days out of 10. I'm pretty happy with that already.
3. Don't just think about how you should speak when someone else is speaking.
Many people have a hard time listening to others during group discussions. They prefer to spend this time organizing their own words with a view to shocking the room with their own answers. I suggest that we do not begrudge ourselves the time we spend listening to others. Such begrudging will cause us to miss out on what other members are saying. A panel discussion is not a personal show. Giving our own insights in response to what others are saying is more likely to earn us the respect of others.
4. How to be an impressive speaker
This tip defaults to the idea that we are not the first to go on stage, or do a PPT presentation, etc. We should not be the first to go on stage. When we get on stage, we should spend 20 seconds pointing out the best part of the previous presentation, and then thanking the previous speaker. In this way, we are "taking advantage" of the previous speaker. Plus, it shows that we're listening (which we should be).
After that, we can introduce the main idea of our speech with a short story of about 40 seconds. Everyone loves a story. By telling a story, we can capture the audience's attention in the first minute. This "first-minute win" is important because many listeners decide in the first minute whether they want to listen to a particular speech.
5. On domestic flights, consider requesting a security exit
Security exit seats are very spacious and comfortable. If we care more about this comfort, we can get to the airport a little early and choose a seat at the counter for the security exit. It should be noted that the ticket collecting machine cannot give us a ticket for the safe exit because the airline needs to confirm at the counter that we are eligible to choose a safe exit seat. Those who have mobility problems, do not speak Chinese, or are too young are not allowed to choose a safe exit seat.