I used to believe smart people were born different.
It seemed that way to me when I was growing up. I’d watch certain people understand things faster, have fun conversations about interesting topics, think on a different level, and solve problems with ease.
Intelligence felt like something you were born with and either had or didn’t have.
That notion changed when I realized that many successful people developed habits that improved how they think. They ask better questions, stay curious, continually learn and expand their knowledge, and question their assumptions.
In other words, they became smarter by what they did every day.
Your brain can change and adapt for the better. You can increase your knowledge, critical thinking, memory, and decision making at any age. If you want to learn how to become smarter in helpful, actionable ways, follow these five ultimate steps to develop a better mind.
How to Become Smart: 5 Powerful Steps to Think Better Every Day
1. Read More and Learn Things You Don’t Know
Reading allows you to learn from some of the brightest minds you’ll never meet. It’s also one of the easiest ways to consistently increase your knowledge. The smartest people read about many topics, not just one. They read history, psychology, science, philosophy, business, you name it.
The problem with only reading things that confirm your current beliefs is that your brain doesn’t have to think very hard. Learning expands when you’re forced to understand new ideas that challenge your current knowledge.
Not only will reading help you learn about a variety of subjects, but it will also allow you to start connecting the dots between them. That’s where many people go wrong. They read one book about nutrition and decide they’re “experts” on health. Reading one book won’t make you an expert on anything.
Experts read multiple books, and learn from other areas too.
Commit to reading every day, even if it’s only twenty or thirty minutes. You’ll start to see a huge difference in your knowledge over time. Learn new critical thinking skills by reading books on a variety of topics.
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2. Learn to Ask Better Questions
Smart people don’t know all the answers, but they know how to find them by asking better questions. One of the best habits you can adopt to become smarter is curiosity.
Why? Because curiosity drives learning. It allows you to understand and know more about the world around you. The questions you ask are just as important as the answers you find.
Instead of accepting something as truth, learn to ask questions like:
Questions to Ask Yourself
Why is this true?
What facts can you provide to support this?
Are there other ways to look at this?
What assumptions am I making?
Asking these types of questions will help you grow. Better questions lead to better answers. The better your questions, the more you’ll continue to learn and improve your decision making skills. The quality of your life depends on the questions you ask yourself.
Don’t have enough questions? Ask why something doesn’t work for you.
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3. Take Care of Your Brain
You want to become smarter? You know what else you should want? To live a long, healthy life. We only get one brain, so take care of it!
Your brain works best when you’re supporting it with a healthy body. Getting enough sleep, regular exercise, eating healthy foods, and managing stress all contribute to your cognitive abilities.
Sleep allows your brain to rest and recover, improving your memory, problem solving skills, and focus. Exercise gets your blood flowing and supports your brain health in the long term. Food gives you energy and supplies your brain with what it needs to function.
Learning how to become smart isn’t just about trying to think “smarter.” It’s about allowing your body and mind to work together so you can improve yourself.
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4. Surround Yourself with Smart People
The right people can teach you so much about how you view the world. However, the wrong people can bring you down to their level of thinking.
You don’t realize how unhealthy a person’s mindset is until you spend time with smart people. What I mean by that is, if you hang around people that don’t encourage learning or ask questions, you’re going to adopt that behavior.
But when you’re around intelligent people that push you to think differently, you grow.
You’re exposed to new ideas you wouldn’t have considered. You learn to have better conversations about meaningful topics. You open your mind to new perspectives through healthy debate and discussion.
5. Learn How to Apply What You Learn
If you never apply what you learn, you’ll never build your understanding.
Reading about communication? Practice becoming a better communicator. Studying personal finance? Apply what you learn to better your budget. Learning about human psychology? Begin to see how those principles show up in real life.
Application consolidates what you learn and creates long term memory. You remember far more when you actually do something with the information you learn.
Practice humility. Realize you don’t know everything.
You’re not learning to become smarter than everyone else. You learn to better understand the world around you and how to think for yourself.
Conclusion
You don’t have to change who you are to become smart. You just need to change some habits that will expand your mind and improve your thought processes. The truth is you can become smarter every single day if you stick to these five ultimate steps.
You’re not looking for quick fixes. You want practices you can do daily that will become more valuable with time. Think of it as a compound interest mentality, but with intelligence.
Remember, there’s always more to learn.
The smartest people don’t know everything, but they know how to improve themselves by continuing to learn new things each day. Once you stop being curious and start thinking you know everything, you’re on your way.
FAQ
Can you become smarter?
Yes. Your ability to learn and expand your knowledge can alter your intelligence. Things like your environment, habits, and how often you challenge your brain also play into how smart you can become.
How long does it take to become smarter?
There’s no definite answer. But the more you stretch your mind daily by reading, learning, and improving your problem solving skills, the smarter you’ll become. It’s a gradual change that occurs over months and years.
Does reading make you smarter?
Yes. Reading improves your vocabulary, knowledge, analytical thinking skills, logic, and empathy.
What do smart people do every day?
Read consistently, ask questions, stay curious, take care of their body, learn new things, seek out interesting people, and apply what they learn to real life.
Is intelligence the same as being wise?
No. Although both terms are used fairly interchangeably, they have different meanings. Wisdom is associated with age and experience, whereas intelligence covers your ability to learn and solve problems.
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