Ongoing Skill Development

Here are 8 Science Backed Habits To Make You Smarter I’ve spent 20+ years reading, writing, and researching. Here are the habits that actually sharpen your mind— with a tiny action for each. #1 Teach it to learn it If you can’t explain it simply, then you don’t understand it. Action: Pick one concept from this week. Teach it to a friend (or your phone). Refine until they get it. #2 Quiz > Review (Retrieval wins) Rereading feels productive. It isn’t. Testing locks learning in. Action: Paste a long article into AI. Ask for 5–10 open-ended questions. Answer → get feedback → repeat. #3 Walk for ideas Movement sparks creativity. Even 10–20 minutes boosts idea flow. Action: Take a thinking walk. Bonus: pick a color and look for it on the walk. Fresh eyes, fresh thoughts. #4 Make it harder to read “Desirable difficulties” = deeper learning. Ugly fonts force focus. Action: Switch your notes to an odd font. Clarity comes from added effort. #5 Monotask (please) Multitasking taxes your brain hard. Focus on one thing for 25 minutes. Action: Phone in another room. Tabs closed. Timer on. Work → 5-minute break → repeat. #6 Keep a commonplace book One vault for quotes, ideas, facts, questions. Connections compound over time. Action: 30-day challenge: Capture 1 entry/day. Review every Sunday and spot patterns. #7 Chew gum (really) Mastication → mild arousal → sharper recall. Action: 10 minutes before a test/meeting, chew sugar-free gum while rehearsing. Spit it out right before you start. #8 Practice intellectual humility “I might be wrong” is a superpower. Humility → better thinking → better learning. Action: Keep a mistake log. Each week: 1 belief you revised + why. Train your brain to ask, “What am I missing?”

Ever notice how some people stay mentally sharp, even as they age?   What these sharper individuals demonstrate is increased cognitive reserve.   Cognitive reserve refers to the brain's ability to improvise and find alternate ways of getting a task done. It is closely related to the resilience of the brain and pertains to its capacity to sustain damage (due to aging or other factors) without displaying evident functional impairments in cognitive functioning.   This mental resilience can make a world of difference as we age. But how can we actively build and maintain this cognitive reserve?   Contrary to popular belief, brain training games or so-called ‘cognitive training’ programs aren’t the solution   In 2008, Lumos Labs released their cognitive training program ‘Lumosity’ which they claimed could prevent brain aging and the onset of age-related dementia. One issue? They had no evidence to support their claims and were fined $2 million by the Federal Trade Commission for deceiving consumers. Not cool, Lumos!   Many have turned to brain training programs like Lumosity, hoping to preserve their cognitive abilities. However, research has shown that brain training games make you better on those specific games but they don’t help improve memory, attention, perception, or planning more generally.   So, what does work? Research suggests that a variety of engaging, everyday activities can help boost and maintain cognitive reserve. Here are some proven strategies:   👉 Lifelong Learning: Engage in educational activities, such as learning a language, taking up bridge or playing an instrument.   👉 Regular Exercise: Engage in physical activities like walking, gardening, yoga, or any other exercise to promote blood flow to the brain. 👉 Socialise: Engage in regular social activities to stimulate your mind and maintain emotional health.   👉 Motor Skills Development: Learn activities that require fine motor skills, such as painting, plumbing or sewing.   👉 Nutrition: Adopt a diet rich in fruits & vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.   👉 Sleep Well: Ensure adequate and quality sleep, crucial for cognitive functions and memory consolidation.   Have you tried any of these activities to boost your cognitive reserve? What’s your favourite way to keep your brain active? 

I’ve recently been working with a footballer...we’ve created a philosophy: “Train carefully, play carefree” I’ve recently been working with a golfer...we’ve created a maxim: “Practice like this means everything, compete like this means nothing” Because so many sports competitors are way too tough on their performance and way too tolerant on their training, when they should be far tougher on their training and far more tolerant on their performance. Training (or practice if you prefer) is an opportunity for players to engage in meta-cognitive strategies. By this I mean to ‘think about their thinking’ - to reflect on what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, and whether the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ are optimal. It’s also an opportunity for players to break down their skills around the technical, tactical, mental, and physical components of the game, pick one or two specific areas to improve, and engage with those areas as they train...deliberately and intentionally. Both meta-cognitive practice and deliberate practice can feel uncomfortable. And, because they both demand that players constantly self-monitor, they both can atrophy performance. They both can feel hard and unpleasant to experience (although they both may be associated with a flow state). There’s no question that training should provide players with a range of inner experiences, but if we want our players to push through glass ceilings, if we want them to continue to learn and grow their game, then we need to help them visit that ‘zone of ugly’ - not always, but often. Conversely, players can tend to put far too much pressure on themselves come game day. Having been involved in high performance sport for 25 years, I honestly believe players and coaches are socialised into extreme language around performance. “I must perform” and “We have-to win” are positions adopted by coaches and players, often to the detriment of their game rather than to their advantage. In my consultancy work, and from talking with other sport psychologists who work with elite level sports competitors, I’ve found a robust approach to competition many players would do well to take is one of indifference to outcome and performance. Most competitors would do well to trust their ability, trust their training, and focus on executing a well-defined process to give themselves their best chance to have their best possible performance. Somewhat paradoxically, competitors may be better served accepting that the more they try to force performance the worse they may make it. The more they stress about their performance the worse they may make it. “All I can do is strive to execute my process to the very best of my ability. This will help me have my best possible performance. I trust my ability, I trust my training, and I trust my process. My best possible performance is all I can ask from myself” In summary... Tough on training, tolerant on performance. This approach may be the most adaptive one you can take

Dan Hurley's 4 Key Principles and Strategies to Attain them in Your Team It's important that all coaches and leaders have a strategic vision, which underpins decision making, behaviours, and innovation, because this helps inspire team members and forges collectiveness in the pursuit of goals. Dan Hurley, who turned down the head coach role with the Los Angeles Lakers to remain with University of Connecticut, outlines his four core principles, that he wants the players to focus on: 1️⃣ Strength of the Pack Coach Hurley stated that the behaviours, habits, and mindset of athletes should build the collective strength of the team, and that players should not do things to weaken it. This concept relates strongly to Group Integration-Task (GI-T; Carron et al., 1985). That is, athletes exhibit behaviours that are congruent with achieving team goals and are highly motivated to fulfil their individual role. It is important that coaches set team goals as well as individual goals, when working with team sport athletes, because team goals are strongly linked to overall team success (Prapavessis and Carron, 1996) and team motivation (Munroe et al. 2002). 2️⃣ Consistent Improvement Coach Hurley wanted players to focus on getting better (i.e., player, person, physically, and psychologically), rather than outcomes. Performance profiling (Butler, 1989) is an excellent way of helping athletes achieve this. The performance profile was developed to enhance an athlete’s self-awareness regarding the characteristics that facilitate successful performance and to enhance the coach’s understanding of the athlete’s viewpoint (Butler, 1989: Butler et al., 1993). 3️⃣ Relentless Competitive Effort During times of physical and mental stress, there is a tendency for some athletes to disengage mentally and physically, and therefore stop trying. As such, coaches can educate players about this tendency, and teach alternate coping strategies such: *Maximising effort expenditure during stressful periods *Thought stopping to prevent thoughts of giving up *Approach coping to master or solve the causes of distress *Meaning-focused coping motivates coping during sustained periods of stress (i.e., hard physical sessions). 4️⃣ Mindful Communication A key facet of mindfulness training relates to increasing feelings of warmth, kindness, and caring towards oneself and others (Baltzell et al., 2014). Coaches can encourage athletes to be kind to themselves and other teammates if mistakes are made (e.g., defender missing a tackle and opponents score). As such, coaches could instruct athletes not to shout or degrade their ability, but to tell athletes to accept mistakes as things that happen. Further, Baltzell’s intervention involved athletes being taught to wish warmth and kindness to their teammates. As such, coaches could ask players to think about players on their team and imaging oneself being kind to them if they make a mistake or them being kind to themselves.

Your brain becomes stronger the same way your body does — through consistent exercise, discipline, and mindful training. In a world filled with distractions, notifications, noise, and constant pressure, the ability to focus deeply has become a superpower. A few simple brain exercises practiced daily can dramatically improve concentration, sharpen memory, and strengthen mental clarity. Start with meditation and deep breathing, because even a few minutes of silence trains the mind to stay present instead of wandering endlessly. Reading books without checking your phone builds mental endurance and teaches your brain to focus for longer periods. Solving puzzles, playing chess, learning new skills, and practicing memory games challenge neural pathways and keep the mind active and alert. Writing down thoughts in a journal improves clarity and helps reduce mental clutter, while activities like visualization and mindfulness strengthen attention control. Even physical exercise, proper sleep, hydration, and healthy nutrition play a powerful role in boosting brain performance because a healthy body fuels a focused mind. Most importantly, train yourself to do one thing at a time. Multitasking weakens concentration, but deep work strengthens it. The mind is like a muscle — the more intentionally you train it, the sharper, calmer, and more powerful it becomes. Small daily exercises may look simple, but over time they build extraordinary focus, stronger thinking, and the ability to stay locked in on your goals while the world around you remains distracted.

a twelve year old athlete cannot process the same instructions as a twenty two year old. obvious. yet we still design sessions as if they can. this became clear when we tried one small change. one cue per rep. junior athletes were receiving layered instructions that sounded sophisticated but created cognitive overload. they were told to split step, read the racquet angle, and anticipate direction at the same time. the intention was good. the result was hesitation. we stripped it back to one cue. split step. accuracy improved by eighteen percent within a few sessions. movement became cleaner, decisions became faster, and confidence followed. nothing about the athletes changed. the design did. this is the principle of age appropriate cognitive load. juniors need simplicity and repetition. seniors can handle scenario stacking and layered decisions. the brain develops over time, and instruction should develop with it. a useful framework is the cognitive load ladder. cue, pair, sequence, scenario. match the level to the developmental stage instead of the competitive ambition. there is also a practical rule. if you are giving more than one instruction to a player under fourteen, you are probably coaching for your comfort rather than their development. coaches working with juniors, what is your one cue per rep equivalent. drop it below. #coaching #sports #learninganddevelopment #youthdevelopment #highperformance

A few years ago, I found myself in a new role that required skills I didn’t yet have. With no formal training or mentor to guide me, I had to figure it out on my own. By observing colleagues, asking questions, and exploring resources like blogs and tutorials, I gradually gained the skills I needed. This experience taught me that some of the most valuable lessons come not from structured teaching but from staying curious, adaptable, and proactive. I’m sharing some of my learnings to embrace continuous learning at work—even when there’s no clear teacher. 1. Learn Through Experience Imagine a situation when a project that initially failed due to unforeseen client demands. This is a clear sign of not involving stakeholders right from the word go and clear communication through documentation along with expectation setting. If you have ever faced a situation like this, leverage the past experience and build on.  2. Learn From Your Colleagues In the workplace, anyone can be a teacher. Observing and collaborating with peers, managers, or even subordinates can reveal new techniques, perspectives, or skills you might not discover alone. The key is to stay open and receptive. 3. Learn From Situations Not all lessons come from people. Challenges like tight deadlines, organisational changes, or crises can teach resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Observing how you navigate these situations helps you identify areas for growth and improvement. 4. Embrace Self-Learning When there’s no formal teacher, take charge of your learning journey. Seek out books, online courses, blogs, or podcasts. Experiment with tools and approaches. By taking ownership, you turn uncertainty into an opportunity for growth. 5. Cultivate a Learning Mindset A learning mindset transforms ordinary moments into opportunities for improvement. Stay curious, ask questions, and embrace the process of unlearning and relearning as needed. Being adaptable and reflective ensures continuous growth. Continuous learning doesn’t always follow a clear path or involve formal lessons. The most meaningful growth often happens through self-discovery, collaboration, and adaptability. By staying open-minded and proactive, you can uncover opportunities to learn and grow in every experience. So, even when it feels like no one is explicitly teaching you, remember this: every challenge, interaction, and situation has a lesson to offer. The key is to stay curious, take action, and keep moving forward. Start where you are, learn from what’s around you, and let our journey of growth unfold.

Hard Skills, Soft Skills, Career Skills, Life Skills...call them what you like...the terminology isn't as important as your awareness of specific skill requirements and your application of them. Skill requirements in the workplace have changed and they will continue to change. A 2022 HBR study found that skill-based hiring is on the rise! Employers are looking beyond qualifications and thinking carefully about the capabilities they are looking for. The seven C's outlined below are considered as key skills by many employers. 🚨 So what does this mean for people? What is the CALL TO ACTION ? 🚨 There are three basic ways that people can develop their skills in any area: 1. Self-reflection and self-awareness: Developing life skills starts with understanding yourself better. Take the time to reflect on your values, goals, strengths and development areas. Self-awareness allows you to identify areas where you can improve and focus your efforts. Seeking feedback from others can help enhance self-reflection and self-awareness. 2. Continuous learning and education: Lifelong learning is essential for skill development. Identify the specific life skills you want to develop and seek opportunities to learn and acquire knowledge in those areas. This could involve reading books, attending workshops, taking courses, or finding mentors who can guide you. Look for both formal and informal learning opportunities to expand your skill set. 3. Practice and real-world application: Life skills are best developed through practice and real-world application. Actively seek opportunities to apply the skills you want to develop in various aspects of your life, such as work, relationships, and personal endeavors. For example, if you want to improve your communication skills, engage in conversations, presentations, or join a public speaking club. Embrace challenges and push yourself outside your comfort zone to gain valuable experience. #skilldevelopment #careerdevelopment #lifelonglearner Image Source: https://lnkd.in/edXHCsMA

Coding, marketing, design - these are all valuable skills in today's economy. But the most valuable skill by far is learning how to learn. If you master this meta-skill, you can unlock any other skill you want. It is the key that opens every door. But how exactly does one learn how to learn? Through years of self-education and helping others, I've discovered techniques that can make anyone a better learner. Here are the most important ones: 1. Find your deepest motivation. Learning sinks in when you have a burning "why" behind it. Determine what truly drives you and let that passion fuel your quest for knowledge. 2. Curate superior sources. With the firehose of information online, find credible, current sources tailored to your exact needs. 3. Explain it simply. The Feynman technique - explain what you learn as if teaching a child - creates dramatic understanding. It uncovers gaps and forges neural links. 4. Apply and practice. Don't just absorb facts. Use your new skills in real life, such as doing projects, solving problems, or teaching concepts. This cements true learning. 5. Get expert feedback. We all need input from mentors, peers, and communities to improve. Use these relationships to refine your approach. 6. Never stop learning. The day you think you know enough is the day you fall behind. Always look to expand your knowledge. Learning how to learn is the meta-skill of the 21st century. It's he master key that opens the door to unlimited potential. Remember, this skill does not come naturally for most. The payoff, however, is monumental.

Ever wondered how some leaders seem to always be a step ahead, radiating confidence and inspiring everyone around them? What's their secret? Well, it might be simpler than you think: they never stop learning. Yes, in this whirlwind of a world where change is the only sure thing, keeping your knowledge fresh and skills sharp is not just a good idea—it's your lifeline. Think about it. The world is shifting beneath our feet—new technologies, changing cultural norms, and innovative ways of working are the order of the day. To not just survive but thrive and lead with conviction, staying up-to-date is non-negotiable. But hey, it's not just about keeping pace with the world; it's about setting the pace for your team. Leading by example isn't just a fancy phrase; it's about walking the talk. When you're all in on bettering yourself, it's like a silent cheer for your team to jump on the bandwagon of growth. It's about creating this ripple effect of improvement that touches every corner of your organization. And let's be honest, who doesn't want to be that kind of leader? But here's the cherry on top: when you're committed to your personal and professional development, people notice. It's like you're sending out this beacon signal that attracts like-minded folks—your very own fan club of followers and advocates. They see your dedication, and it inspires them to support you, spread the word about your leadership, and open doors to new opportunities. So, here's the takeaway: continuous learning isn't just a personal growth hack; it's your secret weapon for leading successfully and creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to be their best selves. Remember, crafting the future starts with you. So, embrace the journey, inspire your team, and let's make some magic happen. After all, the best way to predict the future is to create it, right?