Geniuses' Daily Habits
Freedom from Distraction
Do you watch TV in the morning? Do you browse social media over breakfast? Distractors may be a regular part of your morning routine. A few seconds on your phone seems harmless, but the world's most intelligent people think otherwise. Geniuses avoid all distractions in the morning when eating breakfast, for example. Geniuses don't distract themselves. It's fun to watch an episode of TV in the morning, but you're doing much more harm than good. Watching TV clouds your mind and shatters your concentration. It leads you down an unproductive path because it starts your morning with lazy habits.
When you distract yourself in the morning, you make it harder to build momentum. Normally, productive habits snowball into a more productive mindset. If you start the day with a bad habit, it creates negativity from the get-go. So, what do geniuses do instead? Geniuses use their mornings to open up their minds over breakfast. They take the time to enjoy their food, reflect on the day before, and set goals for the day to come. They use these quiet moments to heighten their concentration. Instead of zoning out, geniuses use their mornings to zone in.
Routine Exploration
A genius is not born; a genius is made. To be a genius, you have to spend your life in pursuit of knowledge, mastery, and excellence. That requires you to learn constantly and passionately. You have to nurture a fearless curiosity and feed your brain a constant stream of inspiration. But how do you do all this on a daily basis? It's a lot easier than it sounds.
Geniuses build their brains by learning every morning. They set aside one hour to explore a new subject. During this block of time, they read, listen to podcasts, and get creative. They'll catch up on the news or dive into any subjects that fascinate them. Exploring new subjects may feel intimidating; it may seem out of your reach. But geniuses don't learn everything overnight. They grow their knowledge by turning exploration into a daily routine, and you can do the same.
Purest Priorities
Do you have a long list of things you want to accomplish? Does your to-do list go on for pages and pages? Many of us are overflowing with goals, habits, and ideas. Our minds are cluttered, our dreams are scattered. We want to achieve everything, but when we try to achieve everything, we achieve nothing. No matter how intelligent you are, you cannot accomplish ten dreams at once. Your energy will fade, and your performance will suffer across the board.
Geniuses take a purist approach to their goals. In other words, they cut their to-do lists down to a select few goals. Instead of aspiring for everything, geniuses pick two or three things and then commit all of their time to those few goals. But how do you incorporate a purist mentality into your routine? At the start of every morning, grab a pen and a piece of paper. On that piece of paper, write down two things that you will accomplish today—not things you want to accomplish, not things you should accomplish, but two things that you will accomplish. Now those two things are your only objectives. If everything else falls by the wayside, if the world comes crumbling at your feet, you will get those two priorities done.
Now, when you trim down your priorities, you give yourself a clear path to follow. You know where to direct your time and energy, and that gives you confidence. Don't waste your time with long, rambling to-do lists. Think like a genius and refine your priorities.
Record Your Dreams
How often do you remember your dreams? Most people forget their dreams within seconds, but you can learn a lot from your dreams. They teach you more about your emotions, force you to think deeper about your past, and expand your creativity with new combinations and connections. Because dreams have so much value, geniuses keep a dream journal. Right after they wake up, they write down as many details as they can remember.
At first, you may not remember much from your dreams. You may recall only a few random details, but with practice, your dream recall will get sharper. Your journal entries will get more detailed, and you'll get a glimpse into your own subconscious.
Create Your Flow
This ritual is not an activity or a healthy habit; it's a state of mind which stimulates your brain throughout the day. Hyper-intelligent people design routines with their brains in mind. They want to be as efficient and productive as possible, so they use their mornings to create something called flow.
Flow is a lot like momentum. It builds upon itself over time, but there's an important distinction between the two concepts. Flow capitalizes on the organization of your brain. It stimulates increased performance by shutting off portions of the brain that you don't need. When finding your flow, you shut down anxious and scared centers of the brain. You shut down the areas that crave distractions and make impulsive decisions. In their place, you activate the most productive and rational parts of your brain.
When you find your flow, you'll notice a huge boost in both concentration and performance. Geniuses create their flow right when they wake up. They train their brains with a stable routine which creates their flow day after day. At first, you may struggle to find your flow. If you do, fine-tune your schedule. Create a routine that fits your strengths and preferences. Eventually, you'll discover the secret to effortless productivity.
Nourish Your Brain
Geniuses use nourishing tea blends to improve memory and concentration. According to a 2008 study in the Journal of Biological Psychology, green tea has a number of neurological benefits. It decreases mental fatigue, increases cognitive performance, and even speeds up your reaction time. Geniuses take advantage of these powerful benefits, and that's why they add tea consumption to their daily routine. By energizing your brain, you start every day feeling nourished and ready to perform.
Exercising and eating healthy is also a great way to make sure you feel good during the day. Be sure to incorporate healthy exercise and healthy eating habits into your lifestyle. This will ensure your mind and body are prepared for your daily challenges.
Write About Yourself
Journaling is a well-studied habit with a number of applications. It's a place to record and store your thoughts, a place to release all the ideas swirling around your brain. For a genius, this is invaluable. Their journal becomes a collection of important ideas, feelings, and perspectives. It's a priceless asset they use to navigate the day and learn more about themselves.
So, set aside 15 minutes to write down your thoughts. You don't have to say anything special, and you don't have to share your journal with anyone. Even if you have nothing to say, a journal can help you unravel your thoughts and start your day on a high note.
Elite Mastery
Geniuses don't want to be okay at something; they want to be great. They want to be amazing, and that requires an incredible amount of time. It takes about ten years to gain a working mastery over any skill or subject. But even after ten years, you won't know everything. You'll compete with the best, but you'll always be learning.
To a genius, mastery is the minimum. That's why geniuses pursue mastery every day. They never let anything distract them from their journey. They put in the time and the effort, and that's how they rise to the top of their fields. In your own way, make mastery part of your daily routine. Get better and better until one day you're the best.
Day Stacking
How do geniuses stay organized? Not every genius is an organized person. Some creative minds flourish in messy environments, but there's a big difference between creative clutter and a big disastrous mess. So how do geniuses keep their messes under control? One technique is called the daily three. Every day, no matter what, put three items back in the correct place.
Your goal isn't to clean your whole house. You probably won't notice a difference, but you'll slowly reduce clutter, creating a less stressful environment. If you use this technique every day, your messes will never spiral out of control.
Now, this trick does more than just clean. It exemplifies another lifestyle habit that geniuses use all the time. This habit is called day stacking. Day stacking is very simple. A bunch of small things done frequently outweigh a few big things done infrequently. In other words, don't try to accomplish everything in one sitting. Don't save your messes for one big day of cleaning. Instead, just chip away at your work and save yourself from a mountain of stress.
The One Percent Rule
Like day stacking, many geniuses use the one percent rule. It's an efficient way to learn using small, frequent improvements. All right, let's say you want to learn a new subject. You could try to learn everything about that subject in one day, but instead of growing your knowledge, you just tire yourself out. After 24 hours, you're so exhausted you lose interest entirely. You'd be surprised how often this happens.
So don't fall into this trap. Don't try to grow your knowledge by one hundred percent in one sitting. Instead, try to improve by just one percent. Get a little bit better every single day. Learn a little bit more or go a little bit further. Individually, each improvement will not look like much, but all together, you're growing by leaps and bounds.
Habit | Description | Benefits |
---|---|---|
Freedom from Distraction | Avoid distractions in the morning | Increased concentration and productivity |
Routine Exploration | Explore new subjects every morning | Enhanced knowledge and creativity |
Purest Priorities | Focus on two main goals each day | Clearer objectives and increased focus |
Questions & Answers: Geniuses' Daily Habits
1. Why do geniuses avoid distractions in the morning?
Geniuses understand that distractions can cloud the mind and shatter concentration. By avoiding distractions such as TV or social media during breakfast, they prevent themselves from starting the day with lazy habits. Instead, they use the time to focus on their thoughts and goals, building a productive mindset for the day ahead.
2. How do geniuses explore new subjects daily?
Geniuses dedicate at least one hour every morning to learn something new. This practice, known as routine exploration, involves reading, listening to podcasts, or exploring subjects that fascinate them. By making learning a daily habit, geniuses continuously expand their knowledge and creativity.
3. What is the "purest priorities" approach used by geniuses?
The "purest priorities" approach involves focusing on a select few goals each day. Instead of overwhelming themselves with long to-do lists, geniuses identify two main objectives to accomplish. This method gives them a clear path to follow, enhancing their focus and productivity by ensuring they achieve meaningful progress daily.
4. Why is keeping a dream journal beneficial for geniuses?
A dream journal helps geniuses tap into their subconscious mind. Dreams can offer valuable insights into emotions and stimulate creativity through new connections. By recording their dreams each morning, geniuses enhance their self-awareness and creativity, gaining a deeper understanding of their thoughts and emotions.
5. What is the "one percent rule," and how do geniuses apply it?
The "one percent rule" is a technique that focuses on making small, consistent improvements each day. Instead of trying to master a subject all at once, geniuses aim to get a little better every day. Over time, these incremental gains add up, leading to substantial growth in knowledge and skills. This rule emphasizes that small steps lead to big progress.