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Intellectual Health Food

Where did you pick up your current attitude to learning? The quick answer is your friends, family, school, and work colleagues. Looking more widely, you probably were influenced by TV, movies, your favorite author, and the culture in general.

Too often, it is mindless TV shows, complaining friends and family, and your day-to-day work responsibilities. What type of intellectual nutrition are you currently eating? You can't change what you are, but you can change what you become. Here are some "health food" ideas for your mind:

• Read a challenging non-fiction book. It can be history, science, philosophy, or a business best-seller. Even better, join a book club where the books are discussed with others.
• Attend a lecture (or lecture series): This can be on any particular topic, so long as it challenges you to think.
• Widen your perspective: Visit the local museum or art gallery, and book a guided tour.
• Travel to another country on vacation, instead of the usual spots
• Learn another language.
• Sign up for a personal interest course or a professional certification.

While these types of activities can have a profound impact on you as an individual, they will also impact your work performance - and your personal relationships.

This week's action item: We always consider "Junk food" as undesireable, yet we often feed our mind with nothing better. This week, swap the bad for the good. Add one (good) thing to your list of to-do's, and choose one (bad) thing to drop.

Randall Craig is an expert on Career Planning, Work-Life Balance, and Networking; to find out how his workshops, webinars, and keynotes can help your team or add to your event, contact him through www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com, or by email at editor@ptadvisors.com.

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Copyright © 2009 Knowledge to Action Press and Randall Craig. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: August 18, 2009