Scientists used to believe that the brain was relatively fixed. You could learn new things and understand more, but new neurons couldn't be made. This means the underlying hardware that runs your brain was essentially fixed.
Now scientists know that this isn't true. The studies that showed new neurons couldn't be grown was based on animals in deprived environments. When given the right mental exercise, new neurons can grow. Although you probably won't be seeing people with watermelon sized heads and supercomputer brain abilities anytime soon, there are things you can do to stay sharp and expand your thinking power.
Problem Solving
Puzzles and games have been part of society for centuries. Not only do they provide a pleasurable diversion, they can make you smarter. Solving difficult problems does several things:
Keeps your thinking abilities sharp. Gives you practice with old mental tools. Helps you develop new mental tools.
Big solutions are comprised of smaller components. Figuring out how to build a house comes first from knowing how to lay a foundation, erect walls and hammer a nail. Similarly, coming up with a computer algorithm requires smaller mental tools to reach a final solution.
Problem solving allows you to gain skill with old tools, like a master carpenter getting better with time. But it also allows you to gain new ones. Approaching problems from different angles and finding different types of problems expands the amount of tools you can use. Thinking about designing a webpage by studying sculpture will give you different tools than just hammering out PHP.
Reading
If problem solving expands your tools, reading expands the supplies. Reading books on a variety of subjects offers you new metaphors, ideas, perspectives and understandings you wouldn't otherwise have.
I strive to read at least 50 books each year. This can be difficult in a busy world, but I know incredibly busy people who manage to read at least a hundred. By picking books from a broad range of subjects, not just one discipline, you can have a broader assortment of understandings.
Sharpen Your Focus
Concentration is a crucial aspect of intelligence. Tough problems require that you think for hours, days or even years to solve them. Some physicists have spent decades before reaching the solution to a particularly vexing problem.
Focus can be sharpened with practice. If you find yourself getting distracted after working for an hour, aim to work uninterrupted for an hour and ten minutes. Progressive training can enhance your ability to concentrate.
Another tool for concentration is writing. Writing out difficult problems gives you better control over your thoughts. When I was just starting to learn computer programming, my teacher told everyone in the class to write out all major problems before doing any coding. This would help organize your ideas so mistakes could be avoided and less time was wasted on trial and error.
The Act of Creation
I believe that everyone, no matter the profession, should be engaged in at least one creative activity regularly. Creative activities are those that make something new. Writing, programming, design, sculpture, painting, music even some computer games allow for creative expression.
Creating new things is not only fun, it has mental benefits as well. Larger projects force you to think in a scope beyond simple tasks. A door-to-door salesperson may only spend an hour or two with each customer before they reach a decision. After that, the salesperson moves to the next house. But creating a piece of music or art can take months and years of effort, requiring you to think beyond the next task.
Creative tasks also allow you to express ideas that might not otherwise be realized. Stories, images and ideas get suppressed in order to fit into our daily life. Having a creative outlet allows you to express those ideas and cultivates your ability to think.
Mastery
Building skills is another way to sharpen your mind. When building skills I believe all of them fall into two major categories, mastery and beginner.
Mastery skills are those that you perfect. It usually takes at least a decade of concentrated effort to master any one skill. Getting a doctorate takes the better part of a decade. Many martial arts masters trained for almost a dozen years. Mastering such a high level of skill requires both patience and discipline.
Beginner skills are those that you gain an adequate level and move on. Adequacy in most skills only takes a few months of concentrated effort. The goal here isn't for discipline as with mastery, but a steep learning curve and broader understandings.
Spending a few months on painting, another few in public speaking, and six months learning C++ might not make you an expert in any of these areas. But you will pick up mental tools you can generalize to other areas. In addition, the first six months of learning are usually sharp, testing your thinking power.
How to Use These Methods in a Busy Life
It can be hard to fit in a mental exercise routing into a busy life. But the benefits make it worth it. Thinking smarter, enjoying a richer life and becoming a more effective person are just a few of the advantages that taking up these ideas can yield.
When even that fails, the best solution is to incorporate these ideas into your work and routine. Find ways to transform how you do what you do so it becomes an engaging challenge.
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