Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

Competitive Mindset: Stay on Top of Your Game

How do you tap into your competitive spirit? More importantly, how do you stay on top of your competitive game when circumstances aren’t in your favor? In competitive enterprises, you’ll meet plenty of adversity on your path, so it’s crucial to learn how to use the negatives as opportunities for growth. To not let your competitive spirit wane in the face of adversity, stay on top of your game by always seeking growth opportunities, even in negative situations. Here’s how to stay on top of your game and maintain a competitive mindset no matter what.

How to Find Your Personal Learning Style

What is your preferred way of learning? Why is it important to learn according to your natural, personal learning style? Your personal style is how you instinctively approach learning. When you learn in a way that aligns with your personal learning style, learning comes much easier and you encode the material much faster. Keep reading to learn how to find your personal learning style, which stems from your unique relationship to your skill.

How to Develop Your Child’s Mindset for Learning

How do role models influence child development? How can you help your child discover their natural talents and develop their ability to persevere in spite of difficulties? Adult role models shape children’s mindsets. One of the biggest influences is the feedback a child receives after attempting a difficult task. Coaching style is also important: it should be guiding (as opposed to controlling) to let the child discover their natural inclinations. Here’s how feedback influences the child mindset, and how different coaching styles either support or hinder the learning process.

How to Get in the Zone of High Performance

Have you ever been “in the zone”? Is there a way to enter the performance state on demand? In his book, The Art of Learning, American chess player and tai chi champion Joshua Waitzkin explains how to get in the zone and activate peak performance states. The key, he says, is to use “triggers.” Think of this trigger as an on/off switch that instantly activates your competitive spirit. Here’s how to use triggers to enter the zone of high performance.

How to Read Your Opponent—Chess Prodigy Explains

How do you read your opponent in a fight or a competition? What signals can help decipher their intended actions? At the highest level, competition takes place on the psychological battlefield. To win, you have to learn how to read your opponent and exploit the chinks in their mental armor. This is especially true when you’re evenly matched in technique. Here’s how to read your opponent, according to American chess player Josh Waitzkin.

The Role of Mindfulness in Sports Performance

How can mindfulness help you become a better athlete? Can practicing mindfulness improve sports performance? To excel in sports, you need to maintain an emotional state that allows for confident, uninhibited performance. If you have any mental or emotional conflicts, you can’t access peak performance states. Mindfulness can help you achieve that by training you to remain unperturbed in the face of distractions and emotional turbulence. Learn about the benefits of mindfulness in sports.

The Unexpected Benefits of Playing Dumb

Have you ever said or done something dumb on purpose? How does playing dumb help you get what you want? Nobody likes to come across as dumb, naive, or undiscerning. However, sometimes playing dumb can help you succeed in getting what you want. Keep reading to learn about the unexpected benefits of playing dumb.

How to Find & Exploit Someone’s Weakness

How do you identify someone’s weakness? How does knowing someone’s weaknesses help you get them to do what you want? Everyone has a weakness, a hole in their armor. It’s usually an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need, or a secret pleasure. Once found, you can use it as leverage that you can use to your advantage. Here’s how to find someone’s weakness and strategically exploit it to your advantage.

How to Set Effective Goals: Tips and Strategies

Do you set goals for yourself? What’s the key to setting effective goals? Most people agree that it’s important to set goals. But many people don’t know how to set goals effectively. The key to setting effective goals is to ensure they feed into the big-picture scheme of things as opposed to being a response to external forces. Here’s how to set effective goals, according to Stephen Covey.

How to Be More Mysterious: Don’t Show All Your Cards

Why is mystery so attractive? What do mysterious people do that makes them so irresistible? People are attracted to those who seem mysterious, so cultivate an air of mystery yourself. Be vague about what you’re doing or plan to do. Don’t show all your cards and you’ll create an atmosphere of anticipation—people will pay attention to see what you do next. You can use mystery to deceive, enthrall, and intimidate. Here’s how to be more mysterious, according to Robert Greene.