Strategy to stay super sharp?

J

Jakelaker

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Recently, my thinking has gone slower and I feel sluggish. Mental arithmetic, analysing possible consequences, comprehending text and the like have all slowed down. Even simple probability questions take more thought than needed. Now I understand why they say 'use it or lose it' but I know that I can fix this within a week (which will start to improve rapidly) with excellent focus. Issue is, all this will be useless if I don't be consistent.

I'm somewhat aware of why I reached this state: not challenging myself. e.g. reading at the same pace for a year, not thinking in pressured environments. I'm still in university study mathematics (pure & stats) and computer science.

What is your strategy to stay sharp and think clearly?
 
What is your strategy to stay sharp and think clearly?

practice, practice, practice.

And throw that smartphone in the bin.
 
You can try to do some brain exercises. Apparently a total myth that they do anything agains Alzheimers, as has been claimed, but at least they force you to challenge yourself and think. They're also very different from each other so they test you in a different way. Just an idea, I have no clue if this works.
 
It's a losing battle: time wins. But it's a battle that has to be fought. Brain cells die and synapses are lost. In the areas where high-level mental performance is tested (like chess) the loss of mental acuity and mental stamina can be charted.
 
Daniel Duffy said:
Judo helps us to understand that worry is a waste of energy.

Jigoro Kano.
Click to expand...
Awesome quote. I applied the same idea to lessen my exam anxieties.

bigbadwolf said:
Study shows and measures effects of cognitive-enhancing drugs on chess play
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing that article. Not sure if I want to take drugs though. What occupation (excl. students) do you think would make people dependent on these kinds of drugs?
_________

Side note: how do traders stay sharp? Is it just the face-paced environment and adaptation or is there something else? It's their speed of thought and heightened information processing that interests me.
 
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Early rise, and Exercise....there's a virtuous cycle between body & mind

Identify peak period of mental cycle, ringfence it and devote to hardest problems...

Vertical integration...actively seek & engage with people smarter/competitive than you to challenge your mental biases

Expand horizons...watch a new movie twice/thrice a week for psychological deanchoring from current state. Reagan use to watch a new movie every night.

Play a sport that simulates pressure environments and will test your ability to respond rapidly....

Manage time distribution...doing probability for the 7th hour will be less rewarding than playing piano for an hour.






Jakelaker said:
Recently, my thinking has gone slower and I feel sluggish. Mental arithmetic, analysing possible consequences, comprehending text and the like have all slowed down. Even simple probability questions take more thought than needed. Now I understand why they say 'use it or lose it' but I know that I can fix this within a week (which will start to improve rapidly) with excellent focus. Issue is, all this will be useless if I don't be consistent.

I'm somewhat aware of why I reached this state: not challenging myself. e.g. reading at the same pace for a year, not thinking in pressured environments. I'm still in university study mathematics (pure & stats) and computer science.

What is your strategy to stay sharp and think clearly?
Click to expand...
 
Reagan use to watch a new movie every night.

LOL
After all, he was a B-actor. Sadly, according to his son he had Alzheimer's by 1984..

Watching movies anno 2017 is not exactly mind-expanding. :D
 
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Philip_Mitterrand said:
Early rise, and Exercise....there's a virtuous cycle between body & mind
Click to expand...
Seriously considering this given that I've lost a lot of discipline over the past year.

Philip_Mitterrand said:
Identify peak period of mental cycle, ringfence it and devote to hardest problems...
Click to expand...
I like this idea

Philip_Mitterrand said:
Expand horizons...watch a new movie twice/thrice a week for psychological deanchoring from current state. Reagan use to watch a new movie every night.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by 'psychological deanchoring from current state'?

______________________________________

Out of curiosity, anyone here have daily routines for self-improvement?

e.g. each day, one may ask himself the following questions:
1) What did I learn/gain today?
2) What is my plan for tomorrow?
3) Do I feel closer to my short-term goals?
etc.
 
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Frame a big challenging goal....break it down into parts... and go after it like crazy...intensity clarifies everything. It is lack of purpose that leads to drift & indiscipline. Without clear purpose everything is noise.
 

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