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5.Play. Take time to play. Make time to play. Play cards. Play video games. Play board games. Play Ring Around Rosie. Play tug of war. It doesn’t matter what you play. Just play! It is good for your spirit and good for your brain. It gives your brain a chance to think strategically, and keeps it working.
6.Learn something new. This one might seem obvious. Yes, we capitalize on our brain’s great potential when we put it to work learning new things. You may have a specific topic for work or leisure that you want to learn more about. That’s great. Go learn it. If you don’t have a subject in mind right now, try learning a new word each day. There is a strong correlation between working vocabulary and intelligence. When we have new words in our vocabulary, our minds can think in new ways with greater nuances between ideas. Put your mind to work learning. It is one of best ways to re-energize your brain.
7.Write to be read. I am a big proponent of writing in a journal to capture ideas and thoughts. There is certainly great value in writing for yourself. I continue to find that my brain is greatly stimulated by writing to be read. Writing this article (and at least one per week) is one example and writing in my blog is another example. There are several situations and audiences for which I write each week. There are many benefits to me in doing this. The greatest isn’t visibility or marketing; greatest is what it does to expand my brain’s capacity. Find ways to write to be read – in your church newsletter, by writing things for your kids to read, by capturing stories of your childhood (see number 3 above), starting your own blog or whatever – just write to be read.
8.Exercise. We all know that exercise is important for your physical health. Our brain is a part of that body, so increasing our blood flow brings more oxygen to brain – oxygen that is fuel for that beautiful brain. When I exercise I get fresh ideas. When I exercise I feel better physically and mentally. Just add “improving my brain” to list of great reasons to exercise.
This is a short but powerful list. I encourage you to apply at least one of these approaches starting today. Look at your to do list and your calendar. Put it on your list in ink.
Your brain will thank you in form of new ideas, greater stamina, more passion for your tasks and in so many more ways.
Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.