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2 Fundamental Ways to Improve Your Metacognition Skills
Psychologically smart questions improve metacognition skills
When you ask yourself better questions, you are forced to think deeply about your tasks and problems and the best way forward.
- Before a task: Is this similar to a previous task? What do I want to accomplish? What should I do first?
- During the task: Am I on the right track? What can I improve? Who can I ask for help?
- After a task: What worked well? What could I have done better? Can I use this for other situations?
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Key Ideas
Metacognition
It is the awareness and understanding of your own thought processes. Metacognition refers to the processes used in self-regulation, self-monitoring, and self-reflection. People who practice metacognition can think more critically, rationally, and productively.
Without this ability to distance ourselves from our experience, we would have little ability to moderate and direct our behaviors as they happen.
Seek to overcome meta-ignorance
Most people lack insight about the weaknesses in their intellectual or emotional skills. They overestimate their abilities, which leads to over-confidence.
- There are always things we know we know, and things we know we don't know - those provide the clues that can help you develop metacognition skills.
- Check your assumptions. Intellectual humility can greatly improve your metacognition skill.
Psychologically smart questions improve metacognition skills
When you ask yourself better questions, you are forced to think deeply about your tasks and problems and the best way forward.
- Before a task: Is this similar to a previous task? What do I want to accomplish? What should I do first?
- During the task: Am I on the right track? What can I improve? Who can I ask for help?
- After a task: What worked well? What could I have done better? Can I use this for other situations?
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Key Ideas
The three why’s
Before acting on a decision, ask yourself “Why?” Follow up your response with another “Why?” And then a third.
If you can find three good reasons to pursue something, you’ll have clarit...
Expand your emotional vocabulary
Putting your feelings into words has a therapeutic effect on your brain; if you’re unable to articulate how you feel, that can create stress.
Practice saying 'no' to yourself
The ability to say “no” to yourself to put off short-term gratification ( from daily temptations like social media or junk food) for the long-term gain is an important life-skill.
Like a muscle, it is strengthened with exercise
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Key Ideas
Signs of poor communication skills
- People only approach you with questions or feedback when they absolutely need to do so.
- If you walk away from a conversation or meeting and can’t remember what the other person said or...
Do a Self-Assessment
- Take an honest look at how you communicate. Are you thorough, clear, and factual in how you convey yourself? How consistent are you in how you communicate?
- Look at how clear you make your expectations—and how open you are to understanding what others expect of you.
- Assess how do you handle “crucial conversations” that can be emotionally or politically charged.
Ditch Your Assumptions and Ask
To be effective in information gathering, you need to let go of assumptions and be aware enough to recognize when you’re jumping to conclusions, making judgments, or using labels.
Asking curious, open-ended questions encourages dialogue instead of dictating what other people should do or think, And the best communicators listen more than they speak.
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The value of solid writing skills
- Being a good writer helps you stand out from the crowd.
- Repeated writing mistakes affect your reputation and credibility in the future.
- Your writing is ...
Kurt Vonnegut
"Why should you examine your writing style with the idea of improving it? Do so as a mark of respect for your readers, whatever you’re writing.”
The “5 Ws + H” method
... for establishing what and how you will write:
- Who: Who is my audience?
- What: What do they need to know?
- When: When does this apply, when did this happen, or when do they need to know it by?
- Where: Where is this happening?
- Why: Why do they need this information?
- How: How should they use this information?
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Reducing Stress
Many styles of meditation can help reduce stress.
- In an eight-week study, a meditation style called "mindfulness meditation" reduced the inflammation response caused by stres...
Controlling Anxiety
Less stress leads to less anxiety.
Regular meditation helps reduce anxiety and anxiety-related mental health issues like social anxiety, phobias and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
Promoting Emotional Health
Some types of meditation can improve depression and help you maintain these benefits.
- Two studies of mindfulness meditation found decreased depression in over 4,600 adults.
- One study found that participants experienced a long-term decrease in depression.
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Key Ideas
Self-awareness has 2 components
- Internal self-awareness: the ability to introspect and recognize your authentic self;
- External self-awareness: the ability to recognize how you fit in with the rest of the world. ...
The “bias blind spot"
It relates to our tendency to recognize cognitive biases in others, without noticing them in ourselves. In other words, our brain isn’t built to easily spot our own lack of self-awareness.
Self-awareness and leadership
After examined the traits that contribute to the effectiveness of successful leaders, researchers concluded that a high level of self-awareness was the strongest predictor of success: when leaders are self-aware, they know how to hire subordinates who are strong in the areas where they themselves are weak.
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Mindfulness
... is a conscious state of calm that evokes an awareness of the present moment.
When you are mindful, you are able to objectively gauge your own thoughts and feelings at a glanc...
Mindfulness alternatives to meditation
- Cleaning
- Walking
- Listening to Music
- Dance
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Coloring
- Conscious Breathing
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Improve your life
To drastically improve your life, you do not need to purchase anything. You also don't need to work harder so you can buy that one thing that would significantly change your life.
Drastic cha...
Spend time with your family
Family puts things in perspective. Spending time with family helps you see what's important. It is a crucial first step to changing your life.
A clear head
A clear head is more important to change your life than a new purchase.
Go to a park that’s far away, so you can sit and contemplate life. Go to one with a spectacular view. These are the places where the life-changing thoughts come about.
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What willpower is
The willpower response is a reaction to an internal conflict. You want to do one thing, but know you shouldn’t. Or you know you should do something, but you’d rather do nothing.
How willpower works in the brain
The prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that helps us with things like decision-making and regulating our behavior, needs to be looked after.
Feed your brain with good-quality food so it has enough energy to do its job and get enough sleep.
Willpower is finite
Willpower is like a muscle—it can get exhausted by overuse, but we might be able to strengthen our willpower by training it.
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Self-awareness is not just a buzzword
Self-awareness and introspection have the ring of a self-help guru's empty promises, but they are the starting point that leads to every improvement. They are not the solution to everything,...
Self-awareness = self-understanding
Understanding your own desires, emotions, failings, habits, and everything else that makes you tick. The more you know about yourself, the better you are at adapting life changes that suit your needs.
Self-improvement is impossible without Self-Awareness
You can read every productivity tip out there and you can adapt the routines of geniuses, but it's completely pointless if you don't know yourself well enough to put the correct advice into practice.
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Key Ideas
Peace, despite the noise in your mind
- Understand it is impossible to silence your mind: It’s human to have thoughts.
- The more you fight your thoughts, the more you amplify them. Being non-judgmental is the key to sti...
Increase focus and stay present:
- Mentally remind yourself of your present action: Use self-talk to direct your focus back to the present moment.
- Focus on your senses: Direct your attention back into your body and out of your head.
- Do things differently: Make things more challenging. As a result, you are forced to act consciously instead of acting on autopilot.