Power Up Your Mind: Learn Faster, Work Smarter

Contents......Page 4
Acknowledgments......Page 8
Introduction......Page 10
Part I Get READY to Learn: Going beneath the surface......Page 15
1 Unpacking Your Mind......Page 17
Taking your mind out of its box......Page 18
Your three brains......Page 20
Your divided brain......Page 22
Close-up on your brain......Page 25
Five key principles......Page 27
Brain or mind?......Page 30
Brain food......Page 31
Laughter, music, and sleep......Page 34
Nearly unpacked......Page 37
A day in the life of Annie\'s brain......Page 38
Unpacking your mind—in a nutshell......Page 42
2 Getting Ready to Learn......Page 43
Checking your emotional readiness......Page 44
Curiosity and emotional state......Page 45
A hierarchy of emotional needs......Page 47
Reading your own moods......Page 48
An emotionally confusing world......Page 49
Raising self-esteem......Page 52
Learned optimism and the three Ps......Page 55
The joined-up revolution......Page 57
Mens sana in corpore sano......Page 58
Brain gym......Page 59
Getting to the spiritual dimension......Page 60
A new sixth sense?......Page 62
Getting ready to learn—in a nutshell......Page 63
3 Switching On Your Mind......Page 64
Understanding your fundamental drives......Page 66
Rewarding your own learning......Page 68
A formula for motivation to learn......Page 70
Motivation and the mind......Page 72
Balancing challenge and threat......Page 73
The importance of where you learn......Page 76
Who you learn with......Page 77
Getting your learning environment ready......Page 78
The pressures of life......Page 80
Overcoming barriers to learning......Page 81
Switching on your mind—in a nutshell......Page 84
Part II GO For It: Becoming a competent learner......Page 85
4 Learnacy......Page 87
Understanding yourself as a learner......Page 90
Learning to use new techniques: the 5Rs......Page 91
Learning about learning......Page 92
The learning cycle......Page 93
Different types of learning......Page 95
Learnacy—in a nutshell......Page 97
5 Understanding Yourself as a Learner......Page 98
How you take in information......Page 99
Dealing with information......Page 104
Working out your learning style......Page 105
Learning styles and information preferences......Page 106
Learning styles and meetings......Page 107
Understanding yourself as a learner—in a nutshell......Page 110
6 Resourcefulness......Page 111
Getting the big picture......Page 112
Tuning in your mind......Page 114
Breaking down your learning......Page 115
Learning by imitation......Page 117
Learning online......Page 121
Extending your range......Page 123
Resourcefulness—in a nutshell......Page 125
7 Remembering......Page 126
Understanding how your memory works......Page 127
Types of memory......Page 128
Key memory principles......Page 130
Memory pegs......Page 135
The importance of where you are......Page 137
Muttering......Page 138
Making regular deposits in your memory bank......Page 139
Your sleeping mind......Page 140
Remembering—in a nutshell......Page 142
8 Resilience......Page 143
Persistence......Page 145
Being an adventurer......Page 146
Dealing with difficulties......Page 148
Handling confusion......Page 150
Resilience—in a nutshell......Page 152
9 Harnessing Your Creativity......Page 153
Inspiration, ideas, and learning......Page 156
The characteristics of creative people......Page 158
The value of ideas......Page 159
Multiple intelligences......Page 161
The multiple intelligence workplace......Page 167
Barriers to creativity......Page 169
Making connections......Page 172
Creative thinking......Page 178
A world of possibility......Page 188
Harnessing your creativity—in a nutshell......Page 190
10 The Case for Learning at Work......Page 191
Six reasons it pays to learn......Page 193
The case for learning at work—in a nutshell......Page 196
Part III STEADY As You Go: Putting learning into practice......Page 197
Putting learning into action......Page 199
Change and the brain......Page 201
Living and learning—in a nutshell......Page 203
12 Reflectiveness......Page 204
The science of reflecting......Page 206
The craft of reflecting......Page 207
Making reflection normal......Page 212
Overcoming the barriers to reflecting......Page 213
A reflective world......Page 216
Reflectiveness—in a nutshell......Page 218
13 Responsiveness......Page 219
The feelings of change......Page 221
Responding to change......Page 224
Responsive learning......Page 226
Responsiveness—in a nutshell......Page 228
14 Balancing Your Life......Page 229
A life balance quiz......Page 232
Controlling stress......Page 235
A different kind of life planning......Page 242
Balancing your life—in a nutshell......Page 249
Making learning normal......Page 250
Why you need a learning practitioner......Page 252
Making a personal learning action plan......Page 254
Making time for learning—in a nutshell......Page 257
Part IV Useful Information......Page 258
An A–Z of brain-based approaches to life and work......Page 259
Troubleshooting......Page 262
Resources......Page 267
D......Page 270
I......Page 271
P......Page 272
Z......Page 273