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Creativity Productivity Time Management

The Key to Productivity: 4 Steps to Laser-Like Focus

Mister Spock Inkwell Scholars
“I object to intellect without discipline.”

Even if you’ve never seen an episode of Star Trek, you’re probably familiar with one of the show’s most famous characters: Mister Spock.

He’s the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer of the starship Enterprise. The highly-intelligent Vulcans dedicate their lives to mastering logic, learning everything they can, and suppressing their emotions.

Of course, Spock is just a fictional television character. No one can suppress their emotions as coolly as he does. Nor should anyone want to. Indeed, his crew mates, Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy, continually try to prove to him that emotions are often just as important as logic when making decisions.

But from Spock we discover one of the keys to productivity and expertise: laser-like focus.

Read on for four steps to train yourself to think like a Vulcan so you can boost your productivity and allow your creativity to flourish.

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Study Tips Time Management Videos

How To Maximize Study Time & Master Any Subject

Neo Matrix Study Skills
How to maximize your study time & get Matrix-style results.

It’s the night before a final exam.

I’m poring over the class study guide and wishing I had the ability to download all of the course material into my brain, Matrix-style.

In the film, the main character Neo is hooked up to a giant computer. Download the kung fu computer program and zap. He’s now a martial artist.

You’re probably thinking, “Only in the movies.”

But what if I told you there is a surprisingly easy method to study quickly and effectively and get Matrix-style results? What if I told you that anyone can use this method to raise his or her grades by at least half a point in one semester?

And, even better, after graduation this skill will be a life-long asset, helping you in any career you decide to pursue.

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Creativity Inspiration Productivity Writing

4 Reasons To Keep An Idea Journal

idea journal inkwell scholars
Habits of Highly Creative People:
The Idea Journal

Leonardo da Vinci. Marie Curie. 

Thomas Edison. Beatrix Potter.

What do all four of these people have in common?

Not only were they highly motivated and creative individuals, but they also all kept an idea journal.

An idea journal is quite different from a diary. You use an idea journal not to record all of the things that happened to you throughout the day, but to jot down daily goals, achievements, opinions, observations, or bits of inspiration. If you’re working on a project, you can fill the idea journal with updates on your progress, thoughts on how to improve the project, and anything else that motivates you.

A writer’s idea journal might be filled with ideas for stories or articles or blog posts (no need to fear writer’s block when you have an idea journal). An artist’s might contain sketches or inspirations for drawings. Ultimately, the idea journal exists as a private place to plant your ideas and watch them grow.

Here are four reasons why you should keep an idea journal.

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Education Technology

5 Free Websites That Teach How To Code Online

Your dog learning how to code.
Even your dog is learning how to code. Smart dog.

Code Challenge

Why You Should Learn How To Code

Ever wondered how you could program your own app for a smart phone or tablet computer? Or build an online game? Learning the magic of computer coding is now easier than ever, and it’s an invaluable skill to master.

Nearly every business has an online presence. Knowing how to code will give a boost to your resumé at any job position you apply to in the future. It can also help you if you choose to start your own business.

And, even if you are not particularly interested in the inner workings of technology, coding is a great way to exercise your brain.

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Memorization Productivity Study Tips

Brain Power: Quickly & Easily Memorize Anything

Memorize Like A Superhero
Iron Man flying in his cool suit of armor.
He’s also the brilliant inventor Tony Stark.

Has anyone ever asked you: “If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?”

Would you want to have lightning speed? Super strength? The ability to fly?

Of course, this is a silly question because you will never be one of the X-men or Fantastic Four or the Avengers. In real life you can’t have any of those superpowers.

Except one:

A super-powered memory.

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Time Management

How A Tomato Supercharged My Productivity

My Series of Unfortunate Events:

Me before discovering the pomodoro technique.
Cartoon drawn by Linda Causey.

I’ve always struggled with procrastination. In high school when a teacher assigned an essay, I often put the assignment off until the last possible moment. This led to frantic writing sessions several days or even the night before the paper was due. I usually ended up turning in my first draft of the paper, rather than having time to rewrite and refine.

Despite my procrastination, I maintained high grades. In retrospect, I believe this was unfortunate because I eventually got into the habit of procrastinating and bragging about it: “Yeah, I got an A on this paper. Guess when I wrote it? Two hours before it was due.”

By the time I reached college, my procrastination backfired.

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Writer's Block Writing

How 5 Famous Writers Conquered Writer’s Block

Calvin Hobbes Writer's Block

Writer’s block is that seemingly insurmountable feeling that stops you from writing. Either you’ve started a story and can’t seem to find the words to continue or you’ve no idea how to begin writing. It’s as if your inspiration inkwell has suddenly dried up.

If you are suffering from writer’s block (or have suffered in the past), you are not alone! Nearly every famous writer has suffered from writer’s block at some point in their career. Thankfully, many writers have shared their methods for how they overcame writer’s block and became successful writers.

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