You Can Outperform Your IQ - By Upgrading These Habits

Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, Judit Polgar, and Garry Kasparov. If any of the above names ring a bell, then you are aware of their success and their contribution to the advancement of humanity.

Stephen Hawking is renowned for his contribution to the “Big Bang Theory,” and discoveries in theoretical physics. Albert Einstein is famous for jumpstarting theoretical physics and his theory of relativity. The latter two; Kasparov, and Polgar are chess grandmasters.

What these individuals all had in common was high IQs which contributed greatly to their success.

Even though a high IQ does help, there is much more to achieving success than simply being smart. You too can outperform your IQ by upgrading these habits.

Read, read, read.

Other than experience nothing beats studying when it comes to outperforming your IQ. It helps you expand your mind, understand yourself, and comprehend the world around us. Studying also happens to be the first step towards developing a new skill as you learn from the past, understand the present, and prepare for the future.

Furthermore, you learn what works and what doesn’t, saving you from potential pitfalls. Finally, it fires up your brain, increases your confidence and betters your interpersonal skills. All necessary ingredients for success.

Focus to Outperform your IQ

“Quality requires attention” Eckhart Tolle

Focus rarely gets the recognition it deserves when it comes to success or growth. There is a lot of talk about teamwork, motivation, and hard work, but seldom about focus when it is the foundation to everything.

First, focus is the gateway to thinking. It influences your decision making, problem solving, perception, and memory. Also, paying attention increases your efficiency resulting in quality work.

To improve your focus and outperform your IQ, master your technology (phones, and tablets), create a focused workspace and de-clutter your mind.

Tenacity

It took John Legend 6 years from 1998 to 2004 before he could get his big break. Most people would have given up because they did not have what it takes. Because they lacked tenacity. Tenacity is the determination, persistence, and perseverance in the pursuit of a goal and it is vital if you are to outperform your IQ.

First, it allows you to place short-term difficulties in the context of the long term goal. It enables you to see beyond an obstacle and perceive it as a learning opportunity. Finally, it is what will keep you going to outperform your IQ.

Face your fears

”Underneath the raised sword, there’s hell, but fear not, for bliss awaits on the other side.” Allan Watts

Fear is natural and justified as it helped keep us alive through evolution. However, you have to overcome it if you are to outperform your IQ. Facing your fears enables you to develop resilience, and thus you can do things you only have dreamed of. It allows you to fall and bounce back. You are okay with failure as you can see the bigger picture, and it is the only way to live your best life.

Work Harder to Outperform your IQ

The harder you work, the luckier you become.

Though hard work and tenacity are closely related, they are different. Tenacity is the drive to keep going while hard work is putting in more effort.

However hard work is more mental than heavy lifting. It is doing the things that don’t register with consistency and quality. Put your back into those tasks that don’t inspire you as they are vital to your goal, i.e., to outperform your IQ.