Speed Reading Simplified!
Author: Carlo Cabrera
Readers are leaders and in this article you will learn several simple to implement Speed Reading Secrets that will assist you in efficiently absorbing all that information out there.
First Speed Reading Secret!
Before we begin, here’s a concept that you MUST understand about speed reading: shaving just a fraction-of-a-second off every page that your read will create a HUGE difference in your reading rate.
Even if you were able to shave just 1 second off the time it takes you to read a page that would still be FIVE minutes off a normal 300-page book!
So, it’s not always necessary to aim for the spectacular – just a little growth here and there will make a world of difference.
Even when it comes to something as basic as paging and pacing techniques…
When it comes to speed reading, learning to use your hands correctly and efficiently will require that you train yourself to accomplish the following 3 tasks:
1. Use your hands to guide and pace your eye movements through the text
2. Use your hands to force your eye to constantly scan through new information
3. Use your hands to prevent your eyes from repeatedly reading the same words
The Speed Reading Hand Motion:
Although it may seem uncomfortable at first, the ideal use of the hands of a right-handed person would be to use your left hand to pace your reading and your right hand to turn the pages.
To begin reading, place your hand at the start of a line. Move your hand towards the right hand margin. Make sure to focus your eyes upon the text that your hand is pointing towards.
When you reach the end of the current line, move your hand to the start of the next line. Repeat this method to the end of the page. To make paging faster, make sure that your right hand is always positioned at the top right hand corner of the book.
Go ahead and practice this movement. You don’t need to worry about reading any of the text, just practice the hand motion and paging techniques for now. Make sure that you are able to rapidly move through the pages of your book.
Believe it or not, you can reach the place where your reading speed explodes to the point that your paging and pacing hands will have a hard time just trying to keep up!
In the next part of this article, I will show you how you can begin improving your comprehension of text so that when you begin reading at the higher speed you will actually have a BETTER understanding of the text that you did at your lower reading speeds!
Your Second Speed Reading Secret!
Here’s something that you don’t hear everyday…
You CAN comprehend details better at higher speeds!
This is not a prank. In fact, if you will spend the next few moments reading through this email I’ll teach you some valuable insights into how you can begin improving your comprehension by leaps and bounds within just minutes.
The key to instantly increasing your comprehension of any book and any topic is to get familiar with the following universal publication tips. (Yes, these tips apply to almost every publication and can be applied immediately)
1. The first and last chapters of a book introduce and summarize its contents.
2. The first and last paragraph in a chapter introduce and summarize the contents of that particular chapter
3. Some books (such as text books and even most translations of the Bible) contain topic and summary sentences within their structure with introduce and summarize its contents
4. The VERBS and NOUNS of a sentence offer the *most important* information.
5. Be aware and ’sensitize’ yourself (through practice) to the use of negative words. Negative words (such as ‘not’, ‘no’, ‘can’t'…etc) can reverse the meanings of large groups of words – so keep a lookout for them.
6. By the same token, you also need to keep an eye out for the conditional tense. Conditional tense words (such as ‘could’, ‘if’, ’should’…etc) can also affect or change the meanings of a large body of words.
If you’ve been following with me then you’ll have already learned some valuable reading techniques that you can use to trim your reading time down AND improve your comprehension.
I’m going to give you just a few more tips on how you can use a book’s format to further increase your comprehension.
1. Don’t skip over reading the front and rear jackets of a book. These can really give anyone valuable insights into why the book was written and thus give you some insight into what you can expect.
2. By the same token, always check out the book’s forward and introduction. Oftentimes these overlooked segments can remove a lot of the confusion that arises when you have no idea about the authors intended direction BEFORE you begin reading
3. ALWAYS read the table of contents. It’s the author’s outline and will ‘prime your brain’ to his writing style and thus improve your understanding of his book’s structure.
4. Don’t just let the words ramble on in your mind. Make an effort to *actively read” the book. This means that you should continuously be asking yourself questions about what you’ve just read. Attempt to summarize the information you’ve just read at frequent intervals. By doing this you will soon discover your current level of comprehension and recall.
5. Devour charts and diagrams. If your book contains these features make sure that you stop and take time to actually understand the drawings and diagrams. Spending a few extra moments contemplating these features will ultimately increase your overall reading speed because you will have a clear visual representation of the information you’ve just read.
6. Make use of the glossary and index usually found at the end of most books.
Your Fourth Speed Reading Secret!
Now I’m going to show you an *exciting* part of any speed reading program.
It’s called skimming. Although it doesn’t actually involve ‘reading’ in the traditional sense of the word, it DOES allow you to experience some of the thrill of rapidly devouring vast amounts of information at blistering speeds.
If you are able to, it is always best to ’skim’ any book before you read it. (Whether you will be reading it at high speed or normal speed)
When you are skimming, what you are really looking for is the format of the book you will be reading.
It helps to give you visual clues to what you can expect and it allows you to compensate for some of those challenges.
At this point, let me take a moment to define what my definition is of skimming.
The process of skimming is nothing but the exercise of going through the ENTIRE book you plan to read (or speed read) at a rate of about TWO to THREE SECOND PER PAGE – MAXIMUM!
When you skim, here are some of the details that you are looking for…
Font and type sizes used
The presence or absence of chapters
The presence or absence of columns
The presence or absence of headings/sub-headings
Parts of the book
Diagrams and pictures
Any unusual or helpful features
Armed with the information that you acquire from skimming, you will be amazed at how DRAMATICALLY it influences your reading speed – even without using some of the other speed reading technology out there.
Your Fifth Speed Reading Secret!
How would you like to know the secret techniques to master different types of reading?
Well, that’s EXACTLY what I’m here to show you right now!
Are you just reading for pleasure? Do you need to study? Are you reading to develop a new skill?
Here is a quick reference guide to how YOU can get the most out of your reading experience by using a few simple guidelines.
PLEASURE READING
Do not skim or review the materials. Simply read at a comfortable rate. 
HOBBY AND SPECIAL INTEREST
Perform a short skim, and review. Spend the majority of the time reading.
STUDYING
Spend about half the time reading and half the time skimming and reviewing materials Do NOT over-read. Read once though a chapter at your best comprehension speed, (highlight areas of confusion by placing a light pencil mark next to them – but do NOT stop at this point) then skim and review the materials. Lastly, return to the areas that require a more in depth analysis and work through them.
MAXIMUM POTENTIAL READING
Spend 70% of your time reviewing materials, and 10% skimming. Only read 20% of the time. Use the reading skills that you’ve learnt during this email course to locate key information. Place your emphasis on taking notes and studying.
Your Final Speed Reading Secret!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve made it through the Speed Reading Simplified Article.
Now, I’m just going to recap on what we have already covered, and the best way to benefit from what you’ve learned!
Thus far, I’ve shown you:
* How to using your hands to correctly and efficiently shave a second or more off each page that you read.
* How to use your hands to guide and pace your eye movements through the text
* How to use your hands to force your eye to constantly scan through new information
* How to use your hands to prevent your eyes from repeatedly reading the same words
* That you CAN comprehend details better at higher speeds
* Keys to how you can begin improving your comprehension by leaps and bounds within just minutes.
* The secrets to instantly increasing your comprehension by making effective use of a book’s, first and last chapters, its topic and summary sentences, its negative words and its conditional tense.
* How you can use a books format to further increase your comprehension
* How to experience some of the thrill of rapidly devouring vast amounts of information at blistering speeds by using skimming..
* How to use skimming to receive visual clues to what you can expect when speed reading
* What my definition of skimming is.
* What the details are that you must look for when you are skimming
* The secret techniques to master different types of reading.
* How to make the most of PLEASURE READING, HOBBY & SPECIAL INTEREST READING, STUDYING and MAXIMUM POTENTIAL READING.
Why You Should Learn Speed Reading Techniques
Author: Robert Kokoska
The average person typically reads between 200 to 400 words per minute (wpm) when we are reading for comprehension – that is, when we want to learn and retain the knowledge from what we are reading – and this speeds up to about 400 – 700 wpm when we are simply ’skimming’ or ’scanning’ which is to get an idea of the text or just to pick out the important bits. These techniques are things that we all naturally use in the course of reading; skimming and scanning consist of moving your eyes down a page, but not reading every word. You get the general idea of what a passage is saying.
Speed reading means reading at a rate that is significantly faster than that of normal skimming and scanning but with more comprehension. With speed reading techniques, most people are able to read up to 1000 wpm or even more. some of the fastest speed readers in the world can read up to as much as ten times that rate, with very good comprehension. Obviously, speed reading can be useful in many ways. So many of us – students and professionals – are inundated with a great volume of reading material every day. If we can get through this material at a significantly higher speed (and without sacrificing comprehension), the benefits are would be great meaning more study in less time. We are able to acheive more and learn more with less effort than we ever thought possible.
The best speed readers are capable of reading at speeds you might find amazing. For example, some can finish a novel or reference book at the bookstore or newsstand, and remember exactly what they have just read afterwards – imagine the money you’d save, as well as time! Reaching these speeds is not out of the question for you, if you find speed reading techniques that work for you. But if you increase your reading speed even by half (which is common and easily achievable) the benefits will be great, particularly if you have to do a lot of reading for school or work. It’s also especially useful for students who have an exam the next day, where you can quickly go over all your notes on the bus or in the morning.
Speed reading techniques vary greatly; in fact, they are based on different principles. Many of the techniques are really just accelerated versions of skimming. You are taught to read only part of each word or phrase, which is all you really need much of the time to get the information you really need and your mind will automaticaly fill in the rest. Sometimes this is achieved by using peripheral vision.
Other speed reading techniques, which boast much faster speeds and greater comprehension, work on a different principle. For example, one method (sometimes known as photo reading) engages the sub-conscious or para-conscious mind to mentally ‘photograph’ whole passages, enabling you to ‘read’ them without actually reading individual words or phrases at all. Though this claim sounds incredible, many testimonies and tests done on subjects indicate that it’s possible and that it works.
On Psychology and Sport: Finding the Zone
Author: Matt Hinds
What does it take to have “the perfect game?†Every athlete of any sport knows what those three words mean, and they may spend their entire career trying to have that one flawless performance. Many young athletes have trouble with consistency in sports performances, and have no clue why. They may come into the season in great shape, possessing the well-refined skills that there sport requires, having a solid game plan intact, having eaten well and getting antiquate sleep all week, but still having inconsistency during competition. What is the missing ingredient? The answer lies within the skull. Sports psychology is one of the most overlooked and underrated aspects of sports performances. Many psychological factors, such as memory, focus, arousal level, anxiety and stress can drastically effect a sports performance.   Attention in Sport   According to William James, attention is “the taking possession by mind in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneous possible objects or trains of thought.†(Huang & Lynch, 1992)  Memory can be held in one of three basic systems. The sensory regular system holds large amounts of information for a short period of time. Long-term memory holds smaller amounts of information for a long period of time, and the short-term memory system is the crossroad between the two. (Cox, 1998) To put these in perspective, the long-term memory would hold a skill, such as dribbling a basketball. The short-term memory would hold the scouting report of the opposing team. The sensory regular system would be responsible for in game awareness, such as the tempo of the game and adjusting to opposing player’s strengths.  Athletes must respond in some way to their environmental situation. The larger the amount of information being conveyed makes a situation more difficult to respond to. However, through careful analysis, the difficulty of a situation can be reduced. (Cox, 1998) For example, lets compare two baseball players with equal talent. Player A has done his homework on his upcoming opponent. He knows that the pitcher he will be facing is a lefty who loves to throw a fastball that reaches 85 mph. He also throws in a changeup at 70 mph and a splitter that breaks to the left. Player B shows up to the game having no knowledge on his opponent. The amount of information that player A will have to take in while batting is considerably less than player B. Naturally, he will have a higher rate of success, for he has a better idea of what to expect.  Information content can also be reduced with skill level. The more refined an athlete’s skill is in a game situation, the less information he or she must account for. (Cox, 1998)   Anxiety   Anxiety is another contributing factor in a sports performance. There are two basic types of anxiety that apply: somatic and cognitive state anxiety. Somatic anxiety is the physical component of anxiety. It is the butterflies in the stomach feeling before a game. A certain degree of somatic anxiety is perfectly healthy.  Cognitive anxiety on the other hand, can be costly. It is the mental component of anxiety that causes feelings of worry, self-doubt and loss of self-esteem.  Before a sports performance, certain levels of both anxiety types are to be expected, increasing in intensity as the event draws closer. During the performance, intensity should change. Somatic anxiety is best in the middle; levels that are too high or too low can hurt a performance. Cognitive anxiety can prove to be more costly at higher levels.   Arousal   Of course, each athlete perceives anxiety differently. The athlete must work to find his or her own optimal level of arousal. (Cox, 1994)  Arousal refers to the degree of activation of the organs and mechanisms that are under control of the body’s autonomic nervous system. More specifically, the sympathetic nervous system is primarily responsible for the changes in bodily functions associated with arousal. This system is activated by stimuli from the environment that are perceived as threatening.  Arousal level has a direct effect on attentional narrowing. Increased arousal has a narrowing effect on attention. Sports that require a broad focus must have lower levels of arousal. Oppositely, decreased arousal has a broadening effect on attention; therefore sports that require a narrow focus must have higher levels of arousal.  Finding the right level of focus depends on the sport being played or action being carried out. (Cox, 1998) If one has too low an arousal level, the may be easily distracted by things that do not apply to the game. If arousal level is too high, the athlete may be too focused on one aspect of the game, and will forget other important aspects. For example, a golfer may worry too much about hitting the ball hard that he forgets his mechanics, and hooks the ball far to the left.  Selective attention is another important characteristic of a successful athlete. Having the ability to weed out unnecessary information and focus on tasks in demand is a skill that can be learned. It is helpful to understand this concept with the focus chart. Imagine two perpendicular lines. At the ends of the vertical line lies external focus and internal focus. At the ends of the horizontal line lies broad focus and narrow focus. (Hatfield, 2004) As mentioned before, different sports require different levels of focus, and even within a sport, different positions may require different levels of focus. A quarterback would need to broaden focus in order to scan the field and see all of his receivers. A cornerback (defensive player who’s primary responsibility is to cover receivers) would have a narrow focus. A quarterback with too narrow a focus may throw a ball without seeing the defender in position to intercept the pass. A corner with too broad a focus would be susceptible to loosing sight of his man, and give up a big play. Finding the right balance of broad/narrow and internal/external focus for a particular assignment in a sport is key to success.  After suffering a setback during a game, it is important for the athlete to keep from loosing focus. Refocusing after a miscue, bad call, or any distraction can be the difference between a good player and a champion. First, one must displace the negative thoughts with positive ones. Second, they should center attention internally, and make minor adjustments in arousal level. Then, one must shift focus externally on the task at hand. At this point, the athlete has hopefully forgotten the distraction and is ready to execute. (Loehr, 1994)  Mental toughness is a term thrown around expendably by youth coaches and PE teachers. The fact is that acquiring the components of mental toughness is necessary to become a great athlete. Toughness can be understood by four categories. First, an athlete must be emotionally flexible. He/she must have the ability to roll with the unexpected emotional turns in a sporting event. The athlete must be emotionally responsive, being able to keep game awareness under pressure. The athlete must be emotionally strong, having the ability to exert and resist great force and keep striving for victory under pressure. Lastly, the athlete must be emotionally resilient, by bouncing back quickly from mistakes. These abilities can be learned. The best way to improve as an athlete is to recognize weaknesses, and practice correcting them. (Loehr, 1994)  The balance of stress and recovery are another component that affects an athlete. In our terms, stress is anything that takes energy, and recovery is anything that restores energy. There are three types: physical, mental and emotional. Stress can be from running, jumping and moving (physical), focusing, problem solving and thinking (mental) or anger, fear, depression and frustration (emotional). Recovery can be eating, drinking and sleeping (mental), decreasing focus and increasing fantasy and creativity (mental), or relief, positive feelings, fun and self-esteem (emotional). All three types of stress are interconnected. Excess in one area can affect all three. (Hatfield, 2004) This is why a balance is needed between stress and recovery. An athlete must push him/herself in order to grow in all three areas, but must also allow time for adequate recovery.   Reaching the Zone   Reaching the zone, which is also referred to as “flow,†is the most rewarding feeling for an athlete. There are several defining characteristics. First, it requires the ability to perform all necessary skills for a specific sport simultaneously. Second, there must be a merging of action and awareness. Third, goals must be clearly defined, which basically means knowing the sport and the game plan. Next, the athlete must receive clear feedback from coaches and teammates. Then, there must be a sense of control without trying. There will be a loss of self-awareness, as well as a loss of time awareness. The end result is referred to as an autotelic experience, a self-contained activity done simply because the activity itself is the reward. (Cox.1998)  It is in the zone that optimal levels of performance can be experienced. If an athlete can attain and maintain this state, the perfect game may be in his/her hands.   My Personal Journey    For me, the mental aspect of sports has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride. Naturally being a highly competitive individual, I learned early on that I was destined to be a jock. In my younger years, my extreme competitiveness and aggressiveness was a double-edged sword. I often fouled out of basketball games, and even got into a few scuffles during soccer games. My temper would rage when the ball was not bouncing my way.  Eventually I learned to curve my temper, and I found a sport that fit my personality, football. At first I was unaware of the psychological aspects of the sports. During games, it all seemed the same to me. The only thing I knew is that I would do anything to win. It was the mental preparation aspect that always troubled me. After a few seasons, I decided that I needed to obtain a certain mental state before the game to optimize my performance. Right before we hit the field, I would think about all of the things that angered me, and would work myself up to a state of rage. Sometimes this strategy would benefit (when it did, it was short lasting), and other times I would play out of control.  It wasn’t until my senior year of football that I really began to focus on mental strategies. Before each game, I needed to reach the most gratifying mental state: the zone. My body would feel loose and powerful. I would react without thinking about moving. I would have an intense focus on the task at hand. Lastly, my emotions would be under control, but ready to explode at any minute, in other words, a controlled rage.  Through trial and error, I found that there were a few things that I could do to reach the zone. The morning of the game, I would be sure to wake up with a little bit of anger. Throughout the day I would carry an edgy demeanor. I would avoid having conversations with people, and would stay relatively low key. As the game approached, I would gradually focus my thoughts. I would visualize myself doing my assignments. When we hit the locker room, I would find a quiet corner and listen to music. During warm-ups my focus would shift to my body. I ensured that every joint and muscle was as prepared as possible for the battle ahead. During the game, my mind would naturally focus solely on the game. I noticed that my pre-game anxiousness would usually subside after the opening kickoff. I would keep myself focused mainly on my assignment, but was always conscious of the game time, down and distance, and what the opposing team was doing. I can vividly remember many altercations I had with teammates and opposing players, but I would could completely lose consciousness of external events.  Looking back, I cannot remember ever hearing the crowd, the band or the announcer. During the game I was usually very critical of my performance. I would usually talk to myself, referring to myself in third person. If I did something good, I would yell out “ that a baby, that’s the way you play.†I would also yell at myself if I made a mistake. A few times I got into trouble with referees for yelling out profanities. I would also yell at myself if I felt lax, or if I felt I was losing focus. After big games, I could remember being emotionally drained. A few times I could not even put together sentences because of the amount of physical and emotional stress I had endured. Looking back, I now realize that most of the emotional stress was self-inflicted.  After researching this topic, I have come to realize that I had many weaknesses in my psychological approach to sports. My main struggle had to do with dealing with failure. I had always considered myself a mentally tough athlete, but according to the definition, I am not completely resilient. I was never good at forgetting a mistake. Instead, I would become angry, and my arousal level would become so high that I would sometimes focus on causing physical harm to my opponent, and lose sight of my assignment. Fortunately this strategy worked a few times, for I would become more physically imposing than usual, but other times it got me into trouble.  I also wish I had understood the concept of arousal level. I always thought that the more fired up I was, that the better I would perform. Looking back, I can recall a few instances in which my intense focus led to disaster. In a game against our cross-town rivals, I became extremely aroused after having made a big hit. The next play I was so focused on stopping another run play, that I forgot about the receiver I was covering, and he caught a ball over my head for a first down. If I had broadened my focus, it would have been an easy stop. Overall, I can relate my experience fairly closely to the material I have researched. I had never thought about game mentality in terms of something that could be studied. However, reading through the concepts was an enlightening experience; many of my theories had been confirmed, and the reason for many of my struggles became clear.  The contents of this essay described several aspects of sports psychology. Topics included memory as it relates to athletic performance, anxiety types and intensity of anxiety, arousal levels and focus, the benefit of selective attention, refocusing, defining mental toughness, balancing stress and recovery, defining components of “the zone,†and lastly my personal experience with the mental aspects of sports. Like any other scientific field, sports psychology is ever changing. What may hold true today is susceptible to revision at any time. What is without question, however, is the impact that mental state and emotion can have on an athlete’s performance.
Exercise Your Brain And Improve Your Memory
Author: Jeff Wilson
Everyone knows that the key to a healthy body is diet and exercise. Many people obsessively work out every day to keep in tip top shape. So, if we’re so concerned with exercising our bodies, why do we often neglect to exercise our minds? Our brains are just like our muscles: use it or lose it. If we don’t do daily activities to help keep our brain in top order, we lose important skills; particularly the skill of remembering. So if you want to remember your mother’s phone number, your grocery list, or where you left your keys; start exercising your brain.
So, how exactly do you exercise your brain? There’s no brain gym you can get a membership to with “memory classes”, but there are things you can do on your own. Here are some things you can try to keep your neurons limber.
* Open a newspaper.
Sure, reading the paper might expand your knowledge, but if you really want to get your brain in shape, turn to the crossword puzzle. You can also try solving other puzzles that require using your language skills. These help you remember things by making you regularly access simple memories (i.e. certain words)
* Try the latest puzzle craze.
Go to a book store, go online, or look in the paper; you’re likely to find Sudoku puzzles. These are number puzzles that are becoming increasingly popular. They help exercise your brain’s deductive reasoning skills. Plus, they’re fun and incredibly addictive.
* Learn something new.
You’ve probably heard people say that learning something new pushes old information out of your brain. This is not only wrong, it’s just plain silly. The capacity of your brain is only determined by how much you want to put in it. Try learning a new skill or how to play a musical instrument. Learning a skill and continue to use it will keep your memory accessing skills limber.
* Books, games and services.
While there aren’t actually gyms you can go to, there are ways to get exercises specifically designed to improve memory. You can find these in book stores, online, and even in video game stores.
While it’s great to exercise your brain cells, don’t skip out on your trips to the gym. Keeping your body in good physical shape will help keep your brain healthy too. While cardio is the best work out to keep you healthy, you can still keep your memory if you can’t perform a strenuous workout. Even a simple walk for an hour a day can help prevent or slow memory loss. So get up and go as much as you can to keep your brain going.
Most people don’t worry about memory loss until they start to notice it slipping away, but the best time to start is while your mind is still sharp. You may not be able to bring your memory back, but you can keep it from fading. Regularly working your mind has even been shown to ward off Alzheimer’s. So if you want to keep your mind sharp, be sure to eat right, get enough rest, and exercise regularly.
Brain Enhancement Tips for Improving Memory
Author: Luna Mohanty
There are so many gadgets and programs available today for enhancing brain function, particularly for improving your memory. They offer many tips and tools, as well as personal support. But you can start enhancing your memory on your own right now–not by changing how you recall memories, but by improving how well you create them in the first place.  Try these eight brain enhancement tips for improving your memory:
1.Pay attention. One of Ilchi Lee’s (author of Principles of Brain Management) three rules for operating our brain effectively, paying attention is the first step toward creating a memory. You should try and take in as many details as possible.
2.Use more than one sense. The more of your five senses you pay attention to when trying to create a memory, the more connections you will make in your brain, which leads to a stronger, longer-lasting memory.
3.Make associations. Making associations between one thing and another will help you remember it. For example, when you meet someone and want to remember their name, really focus on it and notice different things about the person such as, “Mary with the blonde hair and brown eyes who smells like roses and likes white wine.†The more interesting or entertaining the associations you create are, the more easily you will remember them.
4.Enthusiastically engage yourself in what you are doing. According to memory expert Eran Katz, when we like something, or are excited about it, we automatically remember it better because we naturally pay attention to it using more than one sense, and make associations with it to things we’ve already experienced.
5.Repeat, repeat, repeat. Once you make your associations, keep repeating them. If you can repeat them out loud you will employ the help of your sense of hearing and remember them more easily. Brain Rules author John Medina says, “The human brain can only hold about seven pieces of information for less than 30 seconds.†If you want to hold more information longer, keep repeating it and the associations you’ve made to it.
6.Get plenty of exercise. Exercise, especially when it increases the circulation of oxygen-rich blood to your brain, boosts every brain function, including memory.
7.Manage your stress. This tip also applies to overall brain function. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which are higher during chronic stress, actually shrink memory centers in the brain and kill nerve cells. Stress also affects things like how well you eat and sleep, which then also affect your memory. Exercise, of course, helps to manage stress.
8.Get enough sleep. During sleep, especially the first few hours of “slow-wave†sleep, our minds are busy processing the information and skills we learned during the day, further solidifying memories. As you continue to use these brain enhancement tips for creating more solid new memories, they will also help you keep them. In addition to memory improvement, brain enhancement techniques for other cognitive abilities will help keep your brain active and agile throughout your life.
Creative Problem Solving
Author: Stephen Pierce
Copyright 2005 Stephen Pierce
So, you have a problem that you need to solve quick. You have
agonized over this issue for hours, days, months, or even years
and you still can’t resolve it. Well, don’t worry my friend; the
answer is already within you. You simply need to call forth your
creative energy in order to bring the answer into your focused
mind.
How do you do this? It is easy. You simply utilize creative problem solving, that’s how. Creative what? Creative problem solving. You see, creative problem solving is the powerful act of utilizing internal out-of-the box creativity to solve everyday problems.
Creativity that is already inside of you and the good news is that it can be done by anyone with any type of problem. It
matters not if you’re a toddler or a sassy sexy citizen, it matters not if you are a housewife or a neurosurgeon, you can
solve problems creatively and you can do it without stressing out. All you have to do is follow these basic creative problem solving steps:
1. Visualize ultimate success. Don’t dwell on negative thinking for doing so will block your creative energy. Instead, you should always revel in the fact that the answer is already within you. You simply have to pull it forward from your creative mind. Visualizing failure will block your creative energy and visualizing success will bring it forward.
2. Be still and know that the answer is within you. There is absolutely no need to fear that the problem can’t be solved. The answer will come to you if you stop worrying and take a more relaxed approach. Be quiet and still and allow the creative ideas to come forth. In addition, always be willing to just sit still and let your thoughts wonder freely.
3. Be patient. Don’t rush the creative problem solving process. It sometimes takes a while for your creativity to solve a problem so don’t become frustrated if the problem isn’t resolved right away. Instead, enjoy the creative process for what it really is, an internal process and be open and receptive to allowing those new solutions to come forward.
4. Create a positive environment. The creative mind flourishes in a healthy and positive atmosphere so if you are having a hard time creatively solving a problem then you may need to create a more positive and uplifting environment. This can be done by cleaning up, adding plants, burning aromatherapy candles, or doing whatever you can to create a creative and positive environment. For once you have a creative environment in place; your creativity problem solving skills will burst forward.
5. Take time away. If possible, take some time away to really allow your creative problem solving abilities to materialize. Sometimes you need a change of scenery and other times you just need time away. However, you must be willing to give your spirit what it needs, a mini vacation to sort through your thoughts and come up with the perfect solution.
6. Engage others in the creative process. If you get stuck and can’t seem to get out of a rut, it may be a good idea to discuss your problem with others. Sometimes they can provide creativity problem solving techniques that will help you. They may also be able to solve the problem for you. The important thing however is to only enlist the help of like minded and positive people like you. You don’t want to ask someone to assist that will instill negative energy into your mind.
7. Meditate. Meditation is one of the best ways to engage your creative problem solving skills. By elevating yourself to a different level of consciousness you become more intoned with your thought processes and can truly see the connection better than when you are distracted. For this reason, meditation is a great way to engage creative problem solving. By following the above basic steps, you can and will creatively solve any problem that may come your way. You’ll solve problems with confidence and less stress than if you simply followed traditional methods. So, enjoy the problem solving process by using creative problem solving techniques now and for the rest of your life!
The Next 3 Secrets to Boosting Your Creativity
Author: Inez Ng
Last month I gave you my first three secrets to how I boosted my own creativity. I hope you have been taking full advantage of the information. Now I will reveal three more secrets that will bring your creativity up another notch. Are you ready?
Unlearn your creativity blockers. Our parents and teachers taught us what they thought was good for us and what they thought we needed to succeed. And most of the time, they do a great job. However, we live in a society where conformity is valued, and so in preparing us to succeed here, they also imparted lessons that block our creative spirits. So, if you want to boost your creativity, it’s time to unlearn some of these.
1. It’s good to be practical and sensible
Starting from early childhood, most of us have been trained to be sensible and practical. Now it is time to unlearn some of these lessons, especially if you want to become freer in your creativity. When you are working on coming up with a creative new idea, or a creative solution to a problem, you must suspend whatever judgment you have been programmed to make regarding the practicality of the idea until much later. A corollary to this point is to also ignore judgments of others while you are in the process of creating.
Do you wonder if people questioned Edison’s sanity when he started working on the light bulb? What do you think would have happened if Edison paid attention to what others were telling him? I am convinced that Edison himself at times doubted the practicality of his idea. But he didn’t give in to that judgment, and because of that, we are not still sitting here reading by candlelight.
You don’t have to boost your creativity to the level of Edison’s. However, I would not be the least bit surprised if you’ve had some pretty darn good ideas in the past you dropped because you felt they were impractical. Start giving these ideas some time to incubate and see what happens.
2. Be serious and productive
In his book, Roger Von Oech wrote: “If necessity is the mother of invention, play is the father. Use it to fertilize your thinking.” Obviously then, the advice is to allow yourself to play with ideas.
Did you think you were more creative when you were a kid? I certainly thought that of myself. Recall the wonderful games and stories you came up with while playing with friends when you allowed your imagination to run free? It wasn’t hard to be creative then, was it?
I am not a computer game fan, but I have seen examples of some of them, and I believe the images in these games are definitely some of the most creative designs I have ever seen. There is just something about play that sparks our creativity. So, let yourself play with ideas and problems. Don’t ignore the fact that some of the most inventive ideas came from playing around with something and adapting it to a new application. So, take my advice, and spend time playing. You can be serious later.
3. Follow the rules
I am not advocating that you abandon all protocol and act irresponsibly. However, our training to automatically follow rules all the time is detrimental to the creative process.
Have you ever considered that most rules are made up in the first place and that the situation and conditions might have changed so much that certain rules don’t apply anymore? Question your assumptions and the rules you unconsciously apply to your situation and/or challenges and see what happens to your thinking.
What rules did Dell break? What about Google? If the leaders at these companies stuck with the old rules of business, would they be as successful today? So, don’t worry about breaking a few rules when you are focusing on creating something new and exciting.
This installment is focusing on unlearning lessons that block our creativity…be silly, play and break a few rules.
The First 3 Secrets to Boosting Your Creativity
Author: Inez Ng
I have professed to be the ultimate left-brained nerd. For years I saw myself as the analytical automaton, sorely lacking in creativity. And creativity is something that I really valued. Think about it – being creative is defined as “having or showing imagination and artistic or intellectual inventiveness.” Who wouldn’t want that quality?
As I am also a professed personal growth addict, I have worked hard on boosting my own creativity. And I am happy to report that I do consider myself much improved in that area. If you can identify with me, don’t despair. It really was not as hard as I thought. How did I do it? Here are some of my secrets to help you get started.
1. Exercise your creative muscle regularly
There have been lots of studies on the human brain and evidence shows that our brains works very much like a muscle, which means that the more we use it, the stronger it becomes. In order to boost your creative muscle, start using it every opportunity you get, especially when it is just for fun.
Here are some things you can do: • Pick up some brain teaser puzzles and work on those • Instead of reading from a book, choose a toy from your children’s collection and make up a story about it at bedtime • Play games that engage the mind such as mah jong or chess • Approach things differently – instead of writing down a list of words, try using pictures or symbols
2. Identify your Creative Environments and Schedule Time There
Do you know where you do your best thinking? For most of us, it is not sitting at our desks. My best ideas come to me in three places: the shower, on my long walks, and in the car. There is something about the isolation and the relaxed state I’m in while engaging in these activities that allow my mind to come up with solutions to problems. So your assignment is to figure out where your best creative environments are and schedule yourself to spend time there.
A word of caution though – once you have identified what these environments are, don’t spoil it for yourself by expecting that you will be doing creative thinking every time you are there. Look for it as a special bonus, like a prize you get when you open up the right bottle of Coke. If I went for a walk specifically because I need some creativity, it doesn’t come as easily. But if I just let my mind wander to whatever it wants to think about, the ideas start to come. Learn to relax into your creativity.
3. Adopt a “the more the merrier” attitude
One of the books that has helped me develop my creative muscle is “A Whack on the Side of the Head” by Roger von Oech. It is a fun little book and I highly recommend it. In it, he talks about the “right answer” and the “second right answer”, and the next right answer. His point is that while we are in school, we are trained that there is only ONE right answer to test questions. And we adopt that same approach to everything else in life.
In order to boost our creativity, we have to remember that there is often more than ONE right answer. So, don’t just stop after you have one answer, keep going and see how many other ones you can come up with. Make it a challenge. It doesn’t matter how outrageous it is. The most significant inventions seemed completely preposterous at the time they were first considered. Don’t start judging when you are in the brainstorming phase. That can come later.
When you start using these suggestions, I think you will notice an improvement in your creative ability, as I have. I must admit that now I really enjoy my creative activities, like writing these articles, brainstorming with clients, and just letting my imagination run wild. And if you stay tuned, I will have a follow up article on this subject as there is much more great information I want to share with you.
Understand and Nurture the Subconscious for Success
Author: David Schaefer
Understanding the potential hidden within the subconscious mind can be invaluable.   To truly effect worthwhile and long-term change toward achieving what matters most to you, your affirmative thoughts must reach the subconscious mind. It is said that as much as 90 percent of ones behavior and beliefs are the result of what the subconscious mind accepts.  Author Michael J. Gelb, a recognized pioneer of creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership, writes: Brain researchers estimate that your unconscious (subconscious) data base outweighs the conscious on an order exceeding ten million to one. This data base is the source of your hidden, natural genius. In other words, a part of you is much smarter than you are. The wise people regularly consult that smarter part.  When you tap into the subconscious mind with your new behavior or change of habit, this very special place will work amazingly well for you. While this process does require commitment and a consistent pattern of repetition of the right thoughts the benefits are enormous. Think of it as a treasured storehouse of knowledge and wisdom which is constantly supporting you and attracting ways to help achieve your desires, even though you are not always aware of it.  It has been shown that if you earnestly practice the exercise of feeding your mind with well-chosen information for at least 20 to 30 consecutive days you will have an excellent chance of impacting the subconscious mind for positive change. This concentrated effort on a given change of thought will reward your discipline and conditioning.   Rather than letting your environment control your life, you will be astonished at how your subconscious mind can energize and support you when you learn to consult it and nurture it with the information that serves you best.  As a result, you soon discover a significant change in the way you think, feel and act. For some people this is a subtle process and for others it is blaring quantum leap, but either can reveal successful effects.
Your Speed Reading Questions Answered
Author: MIKE SELVON
As adults we have great demands put upon our time. There is work, families and social activities that take out huge portions of our waking hours. It is no surprise that many adults, outside of an academic situation, find that they do not have any time to read.
Many adults would list reading as a frivolous activity in which they have no inclination due to the amount of time it takes them to get through a single book. Even students feel the pressure of time as they are faced with tons of homework and required reading. How can there be enough time to study, work and live? Some people have found the answer through speed reading.
If you are lucky enough to be gifted with this amazing talent, then it is certain other people have commented on how quickly you are able to consume reading material. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, this article is for you. It will answer some of the common questions about speed reading and hopefully set you on the path to picking up a good book to read.
How do people speed read?
There are a few different methods that some speed readers use in order to increase their reading speed. It is important to note that most speed readers use a variety of methods. Some simply skim the words and the information is simple there.
You can think of it in terms of a computer scanner. You lay the book or sheet of paper on the scanner. The image is then sent via a connection to your computer where you process the information.
How is speed reading measured?
Speed reading is measured by timing the reader as he or she reads through a selection of material. After the time is up the reader will be tested on his or her overall comprehension of the material. If they make less than 50% of the questions then that test is considered a failure.
Speed reading is difficult to test because a large part of the comprehension depends on the reader’s interest. A text book may be difficult to quickly read as there is strange terminology or a lack of interest on the participants’ behalf.
Are there any records for speed reading?
The World Championship Speed Reading competition says that its top competitors average around 1000 to 2000 words a minute. The comprehension level must be at least fifty percent in order to qualify. Though a contestant may read through the material at a rate of 5000 words a minute, if they are not able to comprehend the material or recall pertinent facts, the test is considered a failure.
Is there a way to learn how to speed read?
Not everyone can speed read. There are no tried and true methods that work for everyone. The best way to learn how to speed read is to practice and study the different methods that speed readers employ.
You may be able to learn how to skim through the material for key words and phrases. You can also try to learn how to read the material without silently pronouncing each word in your mind.
How do the software programs work?
Some software programs boast that their methodologies can double a person’s rate of reading and comprehension. Most programs utilize different methods of reading such as chunking or skimming the text. It teaches the reader how to identify key words and to skip unimportant words such as “and” in order to increase their reading speed.
