E at double
Supercharge your memory and power up your thinking with brain coach Jim Kwik
THEART CHOICES Shailene is spot on as Daphne, who falls for pals Frank (top) and Jack his romantic drama features a standout performance from the excellent Shailene Woodley as Daphne, a young woman in her thirties.
Drifting through life and relationships, she swears off men and booze for six months after her life falls apart, then promptly finds herself drawn to two very different men – who happen to be close friends.
After quitting the job she hates and splitting up from her boyfriend of four years, Adrian (Matthew Gray Gubler) – who she cheated on with Jed (Ben Esler) – Daphne moves into her halfsister’s LA poolhouse. Set on a period of abstinence at the suggestion of her best friend Ingrid (the ever- wonderful Kyra Sedgwick), she aims to spend time on her own needs. But at her sister’s New Year’s Eve party,
Daphne is hit on by two very different men – mild-mannered teacher Jack ( Jamie Dornan) and player Frank ( Sebastian Stan from Captain America: The Winter Soldier).
Taking an instant shine to charmer Frank, she is slowly drawn as well to the lower-key Jack – but then things get more complicated when they turn out to be best buddies.
Then Daphne finds herself pregnant… and confused.
There is a dash of soap melodrama to it all, but director Drake Doremus knows how to get the best from his cast – with Woodley, star of recent TV hit Big Little Lies, sheer perfection as a young woman on a rambling journey of self-discovery.
Things get tricky when Daphne’s two love interests turn out to be best buddies
Ever feel like you’ve got so many things to juggle, all at the same time, that your brain is becoming completely overloaded?
Or do you find yourself struggling to remember where you left your keys while people’s names fly out of your mind in seconds?
What you need is some brain training, says memory expert Jim Kwik. Try his fast-track plan to get your brain in shape in just 10 days.
DAY 1: Learn Faster
Learning something new is a great way to build up brain function. And there are ways to improve the way you learn.
Put the acronym action. It stands for...
Forget: The key to learning is to remove the things that are distracting you.
So forget what you already know, what’s not urgent and what you see as your limitations.
Active: Learning is not a spectator sport – try to be more active in your learning.
Find a learning buddy and keep each other on your toes.
Or before you start a learning session, take a moment to recap what you learned last time.
State: Your state of being is influenced by your thoughts and your body.
So try changing your posture or the depth of your breathing. And make a conscious decision to be joyful or curious.
Teach: If you want to deepen your learning, approach it with the intention of teaching what you learn to someone else.
Enter: If it’s not on your calendar, there’s a good chance it’s not getting done. So enter a block of time each day to invest in brain training, even if that’s only 10 minutes.
Review: You will retain information better if you go over what you’ve learned. So get in the habit of doing a quick review at the end of each learning session.
DAY 2: Kill Your Ants
Identify the voices in your head that focus on what you can’t do – those automatic negative thoughts ( ANTs) – and start talking back to them.
When you find yourself thinking, “I always mess up this sort of thing”, counter it with, “Just because I haven’t always been good at this in the past doesn’t mean I can’t be great at it now”.
DAY 3: Question Your Questions
Reflect on the power of dominant questions – those negative things you ask yourself subconsciously each day.
Identify the questions and think about how you can change them to change your behaviour.
So instead of asking yourself, “Why can I never do this?”, make the question more positive and empowering. For example, “How
can I use this information?” or “How can I make this better?”.
DAY 4: What Is Your Dream?
Take a moment to write down the disadvantages of not training your brain.
For example: “I will continue to doubt myself.”
Next, write down the advantages you will have when your brain is trained, such as, “I’ll be able to learn with confidence” or “I’ll get a great job”.
See it, feel it, believe in it and then work for it. Visualise that celebratory champagne moment.
DAY 5: Consider Your Purpose
What is your purpose? What do you want to share with the world? This is what should motivate you.
Remember who’s counting on you to be limitless in your thinking. It could be your family, friends or colleagues.
And think about how your brain training will improve their lives. Now you’ve found your purpose.
DAY 6: Start A Healthy Habit
Create a healthy habit that will lead you to success. It could be
something like exercising every day or quitting snacking. And break it down into small, simple steps.
Remember, if you’re persistent you can achieve it. And if you’re consistent you can keep it.
DAY 7: Feed Your Brain
What you eat matters so nourish your brain by eating a healthy diet. Ask yourself if the food you eat is energising or depleting you. Then find recipes using brain-boosting foods such as avocados, blueberries, broccoli, dark chocolate, eggs, green leafy vegetables, salmon and walnuts.
DAY 8: Learn How To Listen
The HEAR method stands for Halt, Empathy, Anticipate, Review, and you can use it when listening to a talk or a speaker you want to learn from.
Halt any distractions such as music or your phone buzzing with text alerts. Empathise by imagining yourself in the speaker’s shoes. If you understand where they’re coming from, it’s much easier to absorb what they are saying. Anticipate what they might say so you are fully engaged. And afterwards review and reflect on what was said.
DAY 9: Remember MOM
MOM ( motivation, observation, methods) will boost your memory.
If you meet someone new, what is your motive for remembering their name and what do you observe about them?
Remember, having a good memory is about attention not retention.
Practise memory techniques, such as remembering people’s names by associating them with something.
Assign names to strangers you see and test how many you can remember.
DAY 10: The Power Of Reading
Reading is great exercise for your mind. You can download decades of experience by reading just one book.
So set a daily reading goal, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. The key is consistency. Pick a book you’ve been wanting to read, set a timer for 10 minutes and put away all distractions. And schedule time each day. Put it in your calendar as an appointment with yourself.
Limitless, by Jim Kwik, priced £20 from Hay House UK