Do you believe that you’re just average? Do you want to achieve more in your life, but you don’t know how? Do you realize that it’s possible to get smarter overnight? Sometimes letting your smart shine is more about how you learn, not how smart you are. It’s about what you do to bring out your smarter self.

When I was in high school, I did not think I was smart. I looked at the kids who got straight A’s and wished that I was like them. I figured some people were born smart. The rest of us were less…

Do you see yourself in this person?

Twelve-year-old Joe frustrated his teachers. He had difficulty focusing on his work. He preferred to socialize with the students sitting next to him rather than getting his work done. He paid attention to the teacher for about 10 minutes and then was off gazing into space. He struggled to remember what he’d been taught and more importantly he couldn’t seem to implement what he learned to complete his work or pass tests.

“Joe is intelligent and wants to do a good job, but he just does not apply himself, especially when he’s required to learn information that he thinks is…

Test-taking doesn’t end with graduation: You will likely have to take a test at some point in your career — whether you’re pursuing additional degrees or certifications, or your job requires periodic evaluations.

The great thing is that the skills needed to excel at tests can be used to help improve how you work, how you learn, and how you continue improving your skills throughout your life.

When we store information in long-term memory, it’s filed away by rules, procedures, pairs, and categories. There are two ways to access that information: recall and recognition.

Recall and Recognition

Recall is being able to remember…

TIME MANAGEMENT

Do you dread the start of each workday? Do you feel overwhelmed or unsure of what to tackle first? You can overcome much of that stress with these tried-and-true time management methods.

1. Use visual timers. Pomodoro and other timing methods make it much easier to get focused for set periods of time. If you are someone who has trouble concentrating for long periods, then don’t! Focus for short periods instead.

2. Revamp your note-taking. Instead of just jotting notes in a list down a lined page, try different methods of note-taking that help prioritize tasks and ideas. For example…

1. Use visual clues.

DIVERSITY

I strongly dislike labels. I’m putting that right up top, so I can explain why..

As a former teacher, I understood both the advantages and disadvantages of labeling students. In adulthood, especially in the workplace, labeling can be much more problematic.

With neurodiversity initiatives being embraced in companies worldwide, labeling seems to be in vogue — at least in the executive suite. At the employee level, it’s not nearly so popular.

Just a few days ago, Elon Musk worked a mention of his Asperger’s disorder into his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live. …

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Can companies make their office layout truly welcoming for all employees — both neurodivergent and neurotypical? As America gears up for a return to the office, now is the perfect opportunity to create an office that works for everyone.

It’s interesting that many companies, prior to the pandemic, were remodeling their office spaces to reduce the quiet spaces in their environment. Out went the frequently maligned cubicles; in came “group spaces” with minimal privacy. Workers got lockers for personal items, just like high school! …

TECH HACKS, PRODUCTIVITY

Do you have a story inside you? Have you procrastinated because you despise the thought of sitting for hours at a keyboard?

These days, most of us communicate at least once per day in writing — whether through a Facebook or Instagram post, an email, creating a blog post, or even writing a book. Regardless of the length of the message, it can feel like a chore to open your laptop or pull up the onscreen keyboard to type it out. When you’ve committed to meeting a daily word count, it can feel even more daunting.

So don’t do it…