Are you claiming a bad memory? Well the truth is – the #1 one reason you forget is because you aren’t pay attention in the first place! True or true?

How many times has someone been talking to you and you were in another world, not paying attention to anything being said? Then you faked it and acted like you understood? That happens in class too, doesn’t it? I know, because it used to happen to me too.

How can you expect to get the benefit of what your teacher is sharing if your mind is on the other side of town?

This is why you must know how to be APQ – Active. Purposeful and Questioning in your learning process. You must also get into the accelerated learning state. Otherwise, when you’re listening, its in one ear and out the other and when you’re reading, its in one eyeball and out the other! Ready to turn that around? Its easy, its just an internal shit of focus and attention.

We give the majority of our attention to the outer world. The news, gossip, Facebook, texting, etc. And when you learn to focus you awareness within, you may begin to relax and allow other distracting thoughts to fall away. There is plenty of time for that junk later. Right now – when you need to and when its important, you can begin to learn to master your internal state. Its easy, its just different.

People can, you know, find ways to focus the power of their awareness and attention within. With just a small shift in your orientation, you will begin to experience a huge shift in your results. Close your eyes, breathe and get centered. Do it now and feel the power within.

Do the darn thang and quit messing around,

Your guide on the side,

Millicent St. Claire

I love teaching at colleges because the students that show up in my courses are there because they want to be there, not because they have to be. I happily encounter the hungry, the thirsty, the eager and the willing learners who have inquiring minds that want to know, and it is a joy to share new ways of seeing books, school, themselves, and even life. Willing learners have open minds and open hearts which are essential ingredients to learning anything new and are fun to teach.

And because the willing experience so much joy and fulfillment from their experience, and set such a great example for others, sooner or later, unwilling learners come to realize that as they too open their minds and hearts, they are able to resolve their present challenges and begin to enjoy learning faster and better.

So setting this good example for others is important and eventually you will all develop a deep understanding of your purpose as a result of your willingness to give yourself to the learning and let your light shine. And sooner than later, you will discover great value in it all.

That’s what learning is about – discovery. And only the willing are allowed to know what that’s really like. Hats off and hugs to the willing. And for the unwilling, who work and toil over books because they think they have to, their parents want them too or for some other ridiculous reason, you might want to relax, join the troops of willing and make it easy on yourself. Its all mental, and it a choice. And soon you’ll discover that its fun too!

Willing to teach the willing and the unwilling,

Millicent St. Claire

One of my favorites teachers is Milton Erickson, the grandfather of hypnosis. Erickson said you can pretend a thing and master it. Really? Let’s talk about it.

Take PhotoReading for example. It’s is a new paradigm of processing information using your whole brain, meaning left and right hemispheres as well as the conscious and non-conscious parts of the mind, and that’s definitely a new approach.

Now, the old traditional methods teach us to read word by word, line by line – which is fine when we are just starting out as children. But when do we get to graduate and take our skills to the next level? PhotoReading is the answer.

And because people are creatures of habit and deeply locked into the old way of reading, only the brave can really master this thing. So after teaching my students the easy 5 step system, I encourage them to just pretend that they can do it. Pick up your book and look at it. Connect the author, think about all of the work they put into writing this book – for your enjoyment and edification. It took a lot, didn’t it? Acknowledge that.

Now think about your purpose. Know that your mind is kinda like a GPS system. If you tell it what you want, it will take you there and give it to you. It can and will deliver. If you don’t tell it what you want, it goes on vacation! That ‘monkey mind’ starts jumping from thought to thought like a monkey swinging on branches, right? Mine does! So calm your monkey mind down and program your internal GPS by stating your purpose at the beginning. Pretty easy, right?

Next, close your eyes, take in a few deep breaths. Breathing is important because it sends oxygen to the brain and relaxes your body. PhotoReading – and even regular reading – is a mind-body thing. Its important to practice conscious breathing so that you are physically relaxed and mentally alert. Then state your purpose to yourself. It could be something like this, “My purpose for PhotoReading this book is to discover the three most important things I need to know to help me write my paper.” We have to practice establishing a purpose – because although you have a syllabus, you haven’t been taught to do this – its different. We are creatures of habit and PhotoReading is about creating new habits of learning, and a new approach when you encounter written material.

Then, as you open the book and look right through the center of the book, you can notice that you are able to see all four corners of the book in your peripheral vision. While holding your gaze on the spine of the book, you can just lightly flip through the pages until you reach the end and then close the book. No big deal. And you can begin to enjoy a feeling of satisfaction that you trust your inner mind and know that it can pick up on what you need. Just pretend and notice what happens.

All of this goes back to my favorite quote – “He who does NOT the thing – has NOT the power. He who DOES the thing, HAS the power!” So just pretend while you’re doing the thing – and keep doing it, and you will be amazed at the power of your inner mind’s ability to catch on and do it.

Most people don’t realize it, yet you’re actually a natural PhotoReader. The only way to discover it is by doing it, pretending even, and then seeing what shows up for you. With the mountains of information you have to plow through these days, what’s there to loose? Mastering this ability and learning to access your brain’s power gives you a huge edge with your school materials. You have everything to gain, including control over your brain’s marvelous abilities.

You’ve got the power – use it!

Millicent St. Claire

My grand mother once told me, “Honey, start out like you want to end up.” That bit of wisdom applies to so many areas of life, but definitely when learning something new and being in the right state so that your brain “gets it!” Otherwise you’re dead in the water.

You may find yourself consumed with Facebook and Twitter and not your reading until the 11th hour. Then you rush to produced a paper for class that is way less than what you’re capable of and you know it. In this case, you’re definitely not in the right state for learning or representing yourself. If you’re hungry, or distracted, you’re not in the right state for learning. If you just had an argument with your significant or not-so significant other – you’re not in the right state for learning. You gotta start out like you want to end up.

The lofty old boy Plato once said, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” He’s right and must have known something back then, which means that they were probably dealing with the same crap back then. Distractions, distractions, distractions, Pretty girls, long legs, big booties, music, shopping, sports, politics, the Kardasian sisters, the news and impending doom, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, blah, blah, blah. Later for that crap. None of it will add any value to your life, put money in your pocket or advance your cause.

Since you are in charge of your self, go ahead and eliminate the distractions by getting focused on your inner mind. Information is in books, power is inside of you and you know it. Breathe, focus on what’s good in your life. Commit to doing your best when you open your eyes. Then get down to the business of being your best self even with smallest of assignments. Remember, how you do anything, is a reflection of how you do everything.

Focus baby, focus.

Your guide on the side,
Millicent St. Claire

Did you know that temperature is yet another factor that can affect learning? One camp likes the temperature to be warm to hot and are relaxed with fewer articles of clothing on. The other camp likes it cool when learning new information as it keeps them on their toes. Research shows that about 35% of your body’s heat is lost through the top of your head (a great argument for hats in the winter!) and if it’s either too hot, or too cold, this can affect your learning.

It’s amazing that there are so many factors that can alter your learning outcomes and whenever you are studying with others, you have to take responsibility for what works for you. If you like it warm and adjusting the temperature is either impossible or would make it uncomfortable for others, wear a sweater, make sure you sit in the sun or near the heater or find some other warm spot that is most conducive for you. If you like it cool, make sure you sit near a window or near a fan (that hopefully doesn’t distract you or others), in the shade or anywhere else you might catch a breeze.

If you don’t already know, notice what kind of settings are working best for you during your study periods and revisit those spots or conditions so you can recreate the best study environment for yourself. Remember, no matter what – You are in charge of your learning experience!

Live. Love. Learn. Laugh. LIGMO!
Millicent St. Claire!

Some people love to kick back and relax and hunker down to study in a nice, comfy bean bag - others want a chair. they want to sit up and focus. Who’s right? Both are! As I’ve said in previous posts, there is no “one size fits all” way of learning. The trick is to learn what YOUR preferences are and work them to the max!

In addition to the bean bag crowd and those who love to learn in contorted positions, other learners prefer to be mobile with the flexibility to move around or even pace at the back of the room. It’s not that they’re not paying attention, its just that their brains are hardwired to receive information differently. In any case, that would be preferable to falling asleep in class as we’ve seen many people do!

If you’re a mobile learner and have top be up and moving around or your brain freezes up, speak with your Professor and let them know that in order to stay focused you may need to stand in the back of the room. Usually a candid and mature conversation with your teacher will be sufficient. You may even have something new to share with them. After all, teachers were once students too, and with an open mind, will be receptive to “learning” something new from their students. Give it a shot.

Live. Love. Learn. Laugh. LIGMO!
Millicent St. Claire

The evidence is in! Your feeling state definitely affects your thinking ability. Dr. Candace Pert is a world renown neuroscientist whose work settled the controversy over the body-mind connection. She discovered “the opiate receptor” in our brains and wrote the ground breaking book “Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel The Way You Do.”

Bottom line is this: Think of your body/brain like a soup, awash in a sea of chemicals that are found throughout the cells in the entire body. Anything that happens to you, even at the level of thought, is communicated throughout the entire body!

In other words, your body is listening to your every thought and responding to your every feeling.

What does all of this mean to you? It means that as a young adult who is now responsible for your life, and all of your results, it behooves you to know as much about your body/brain and learn to use it in the most effective way possible.

Understand that negative thoughts and feelings are just part of the human experience. They are neither good or bad – but just part of the spectrum of our experience. Just don’t get hung up in the negative! Otherwise those feelings will shut your brain down and your ability to learn and remember. Bummer!

You are able to control your state, shake of drama at any given point and focus your mind on what you do want and keep your mind off the things you don’t want! Remember, no matter what; You Are In Charge!

Live. Love. Learn. Laugh. LIGMO!
Millicent St. Claire!

See larger image Molecules of Emotion (Paperback) By (author) Candice B Pert New From: $8.53 In Stock Used from: $6.40 In Stock

Did you know that as a unique, one-of-a-kind, learner, you have your own learning style? There is no such thing as a one-size-fits all way to learn, and knowing your learning style and adjusting your routine can help you learn more effectively. Educators like Howard Gardner, at Harvard School of Psychology are leading the way in the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.  The thing is, you need to understand your own information processing style to get the most out of your study time as well as your communications. From the brief definition of the three basic types of learners, try to determine which one might be you.

• Auditory learners ‘hear’ to learn best. They’d rather listen to an you explain things that to read about them. Showing up to class is a good idea for auditory learners.
• Visual learners ‘see’ to learn best. Let them see a picture or illustration, watch a demonstration or read about it and they’ve got it. Visual learners are usually also good with graphs and charts.
• Kinesthetic learners ‘touch’ to learn best.  They like a “hands-on” experience. They’ve got to do it to get it. Even the activity of writing things down helps them to learn, so if you find yourself lost, start taking notes.

If you’ve ever had difficulty communicating with a family member, classmate or friend it could be that your communication style doesn’t match their learning style and there is a disconnect. Find out what their learning style is and try to communicate with them in a style that matches. It’s important to understand yourself, and others and how they are perceiving and relating to the world. This will help you to relate to them better, and help you get your point across more effectively. Some questions you might ask yourself are:

• How do you learn and relate and communicate best?
• What is your preferred way of doing things?
• What are the communication styles of your family and friends?

Remember, everybody doesn’t “get it” like you get it and you shouldn’t expect them to. And to be effective in your communication with family, friends, teachers, and in the business world, you need to be aware of and appreciate the differences we all have. It’s another way of understanding our diversity and celebrating it!

You are smarter than you think you are.  To not understand your own learning style is Simply Ridiculous and I encourage students and adults alike everywhere I go to “let go of everything that is simply sidiculous” and embrace the truth of who you are – a unique, one-of-a-kind miracle of the universe!

Live. Love. Learn. Laugh. LIGMO!
Millicent St. Claire

You want to really learn something? Teach someone else! That’s right teaching someone else – tutoring – will help you learn the subject more thoroughly.

Tutoring another requires time, energy, patience but is a lasting gift. It is a gift to the one being tutored as well as to the tutor themselves. When you tutor someone and give of your time and knowledge and share with them how to learn the material that they are struggling with, not only do you pass along valuable knowledge, you reinforce that information inside of yourself.

An old Chinese Proverb states, “If you teach something once, you’ve learned it twice.” Imagine teaching it repeatedly! You’ll create more connections in your own brain and the information will become second nature to you. Before you know it, you’ll be an expert and everyone will look to you for insights.

Everyone has a busy schedule, right? Right. But if you really want to master a subject, consider offering your time and energy as a tutor. You gain in the process of giving, make innumerable friends, build trust and respect, and expand who you are all at the same time.

Live. Love. Learn. Laugh. LIGMO!
Millicent St. Claire!

A very simple way to think about reading is that its just a conversation with the Author. When you are reading their writing, they are speaking into your listening. If you are really active in your listening, you can learn a lot!

Think about these four aspects : Reading – Writing – Speaking – and Listening. They are the cornerstones of communication! To be really successful in life, you’ve got to be effective in these areas to receive information and to get your message across. Check it out:

READING – Reading is Fundamental. Yet how many times do we neglect this all important step? Like when reading the instructions for a new device or software program. We have to stop and read!

WRITING – It goes without saying that writing goes hand in hand with reading – that is, Reading the writings of others. The question is how are YOUR writing skills? If you’re a good reader, then it will dramatically improve your ability to write, and even spell. To become a good communicator, you must develop your writing skills as well. Believe it!

SPEAKING – Everybody has something to say, right? But how much of it has substance? Many people are yammering on with absolutely nothing to say. Even social media is full of white noise and psycho-babble with hardly any value. Be sure to have a quality contribution to make to the conversation, not just stale yak, yak, yak to get attention.

LISTENING – There is no greater gift than the gift of listening. Everybody has the need to be heard. If you can master the art of listening to people at a deep level and with an open heart, people will open up and tell you anything – and probably lots of things that you don’t necessarily want to know too! Successful business people and leaders are all great listeners. This is also known as inter-personal intelligence, or being people-smart!

Imagine yourself as a top notch communicator and be conscious of how you show up in your communications with others – not just papers to impress your professors, but in your emails, Facebook communication, and all across the board. People are on the look out for excellence but they get a lot of mediocrity! Be sure that you stand out from the crowd by being an exceptional communicator.

Live. Love. Learn. Laugh. LIGMO!
Millicent St. Claire!

Once upon a time, in a far away land, a young man went to the forest and said to his spiritual master, “I want to have unlimited wealth, I want to help and heal the world. Will you please tell me the secret to creating wealth?”

And the spiritual master replied, “There are two Goddesses that reside in the heart of every human being. Everybody is deeply in love with these supreme beings. But there is a certain secret that you need to know, and I will tell you what it is. Although you love both Goddesses, you must pay more attention to one of them. She is the Goddess of Knowledge. Pursue her and give her all of your attention.

The other Goddess if the Goddess of Wealth. When you pay more attention to the Goddess of Knowledge, the Goddess of Wealth will become extremely jealous and pay more attention to you. The more you seek the Goddess of Knowledge, the more the Goddess of Wealth will seek you. She will follow you wherever you go and never leave you. And the wealth you desire will be yours forever.”

So, for all of you aspiring millionaires, it’s time to buckle down and pursue the Goddess of Knowledge. Amp up your study skills by disciplining your mind and staying focused on what’s important. Once you build a firm foundation for learning and living, The Goddess of Wealth will see to it that you have lots of positive cash flow, but you’ve got to do your part. So get busy pursuing the Goddess of Knowledge and get busy at all costs!

Never mind that Carl Sagan sounds like Agent Smith in the Matrix, he was one of the most popular and fascinating scientists of our times. He was an expert in astronomy, astrochemistry and other natural sciences, and he pioneered exobiology or the origin, evolution and future of life in the universe. Boy oh boy, was this some heavy dude or what?

What I love about Carl Sagan is that he connects the dots like none other. He can talk about the universe and space travel and then bring that conversation right down to the universe we carry around on our necks everyday – the amazing human brain.

What if knowing a little bit more about your personal hardware and software could help you improve your study habits and skills and accelerate your ability to learn faster and better. Would you care? As a life-long learner, you should.

Take a chance and check out the following video and listen in on Carls’ wisdom regarding YOUR magnificent brain. One thing for sure, there’s a universe of things to learn about, (and not just Ipods and gadgets) – starting with the universe within.

That’s it that’s all!

Millicent St. Claire

Teachers who are GHBs make teaching and learning fun for themselves as well as their students. Teachers love GHBs who ask questions and push the envelope, GHBs who think for themselves and demonstrate an ability to spawn new ideas. Hallelujah for the GHBs of the world.

GHB’s set goals for themselves and work diligently to achieve them. This includes everything from completing all assignments and course work to establishing a clear career path to where you want to live in the world. And for God’s sake, get out of this country and see the world! GHB’s are willing to expand their horizons and explore new places, people and have new experiences.

As a true GHB, be willing to take a foreign language, study abroad and participate in the real “global economy” and set yourself apart from the mass competition. Be committed to learning any and everything you can. With information changing and increasing each year, you must establish yourself as a life-long learner and be willing to keep at it until the day you die. After all as a willing learner and a GHB, if you’re green, you’re growing, if you’re ripe, you’re rotting!

President Obama went on to tell students, “No matter what you want to do with your life you’ll need an education to do it. You can’t drop out of school and drop into a good job. You got to work for it.” Well, he’s right about that! How we invest in ourselves will most certainly affect this entire nation. If we have a quality consciousness and one of excellence, then we will be able to compete in the new global marketplace. Without top-notch skills, we will be left in the dust.  China and India are eating us alive in many areas including math and science.

I hope others who were listening were as moved as I was when he said, “If you quit on school you quit on your country.”

And who doesn’t have a wheelbarrow full of challenges?  To skirt that often raised objection, our President said, “None of the circumstances of your life are excuses for failure… In America you create your own destiny.” I’ve been abroad to many places and he is absolutely right. We have opportunies here that don’t exist in many other places. And we take so much for granted.

Politics is a mean game and it takes someone with lots of guts to stand before the nation, put themselves on the line and work to hammer out the problems. Hang in there President Obama. I couldn’t walk an inch in your shoes. We both know that change takes time, especially changing hearts and minds.

Our Pres was right again when he said being successful is hard and not to let failures define you, but teach you.  His message is simple and clear and wisdom always is.

Two other points in the speech moved me. When he said that asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength and encouraged young people not to ever give up on themselves. With encouraging words like that, I fail to see what the controversy is about.

Our President offered some provocative questions when he asked: “What’s your contribution gonna be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?” That’s not too far removed from “Ask what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” Hmmm.  I’m working on that one myself with the work I do teaching accelerated learning, PhotoReading and how to move past self-defeating beliefs and behaviors.

And our President closed with the final directive, like any good leader, teacher or parent might by saying, “I expect you to put your best effort in everything you do…I expect great things from each of you. Don’t let your family down, don’t let your country down and most of all, don’t let yourself down.”

Nuff said.

The world we live in is changing rapidly and what we need are great learning strategies to help us keep up with the pace of change. I encourage the students that I work with to develop an insatiable curiosity for life, learning and discovery. Learning more about who you are and how your incredible brain can serve you is more important than learning about subject matter. Once you know who you are and how your hardware (body/brain) and software (conscious and unconscious mind) works, you can activate it powerfully to learn any subject quickly and easily.

One way to open your mind is to have new experiences. This means engaging with new friends so you can see the world through different eyes, trying out new foods from different cultures, or learning a foreign language so you can be a global communicator. It also means reading different genres of books so you can expand your world view and know others better. Reading helps to develop your brain and opens up a new world of possibilities and is one way to stretch your mind. Reading also helps improves writing! The more reading you do, the easier it is to understand and appreciate different styles of writing. They go hand in hand!

Turn that un-reality show off and grab a good book! The imagination of many authors is infinitely more interesting than programs of folks bringing out the worst in others! What kind of book might you have inside of you waiting to be written? So live your life fully and create some wonderful experiences so you can have rich stories to tell that go beyond the known.

Smiles!
Millicent!

There are two kinds of people – Owls and Larks. Owls like to stay up late and do their best work when all of the fanfare dies down. They drag butt in the mornings and don’t get activated until mid morning or afternoon. On the other hand, Larks are morning people. They rise with the sun, sun shinny and smiles and they irk the daylights out of owls. Knowing which type you are will make a big difference with your study habits and results. Since most traditional college courses are held during the day, owls must adapt and even be at early morning classes long before they’d prefer. We’re creatures of habit, and being flexible and adaptable are certainly good characteristics to have as you will need to go with the flow in college and in life.

Consider the best times for you to get your study and assignments done. It is also good to establish a place that is free from distractions. This might be a library or study hall, away from the home environment where many things will compete for your attention.

So, for Owls and Larks alike, prime your brain and get ready to ace those tests by scheduling your study time during your personal peak thinking times. And stay on top of the assignments when given to avoid falling behind!

Smiles!
Millicent!

Did you know that the most important skill for learning is reading? Think about it – you have to read in every subject, including math! The whole of our existence is about communication – and words are king in that they convey lots of detail, ideas, information and valuable genius insights. You must read in order to prepare for tests and even write your papers.

Sometimes reading can see seem like a daunting task. Not to worry. The first thing to consider is that reading is simply a conversation with the author. If you can get yourself relaxed and in the right state of mind, you’ll find that you may be able to actually hear the author speaking to you.  You’re reading his writing and he is speaking into your listening. It’s a dynamic relationship and you are important to the author!

In addition to the directions from your professor, consider what is the author is saying and what value it offers for your assignment. In addition to text books, you may have articles, newspapers, journals and information from the web.

The trick is to transform your perception of reading into one of enjoyment and conversation and keep pace with your reading assignments so that you don’t fall behind.

And on one final note, when reading, remember to look up every word you don’t know so you can expand your vocabulary! Be active and adopt a positive attitude towards reading. For the rest of your life, it is one of the most important skill for learning and for communicating ideas.

Smiles!
Millicent!

I was in awe at the high level of passion and energy and the way Ken moved the audience with his interactive presence and style. What does all of this have to do with learning? Everything. Ken Ford embodied a commitment and love for learning  in everything he did. He spoke to the audience at the end and answered some of his most frequently answered questions; He has been playing for 30 years and was encouraged by his parents. He was embarrassed by the violin early on and it took time to get used to it. He now has his own foundation that is committed to taking up the slack with the budget cuts in schools for arts and he tutors and supports children who play string instruments. That’ living a life of contribution!

The theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardnerlists 8 primary intelligences including musical intelligence, which is actually, one of the most outstanding and significant intelligences because while playing an instrument, you are automatically incorporate the other intelligences such as liguistics, logical/mathematical, bodily/kinesthetic, visual/spatial, inter and intra-personal intelligences. I saw genius in action.

I was completely present to this phenomena tonight and I was in love. I was in love with his love for his music and I was also in love with what I do. I realize how many people don’t love what they do or don’t love learning at all for that matter. While watching him play I couldn’t help think that if we aren’t expressing passion and love at the level that he was, we’re only half alive.

Ken Ford was on a natural high and so was I. And! I appreciated the beauty of who he was as well as his sexiness too. Remember, intelligence and creativity are very alluring qualities. One who is committed stands out from the crowd and the one who can turn on the light of hundreds of people all at once, must have some special gifts. Are they special talents or did he develop them with persistence, commitment and determination to be the best? I know what I believe. I’ll let you decide.

I play the flute and I realize that either we’re committed to mastery or we’re just dabbling. And that’s with any subject!

How committed are you to standing out from the blase crowd of mediocre, just doing enough to get by dolts? Think about it. Check out Ken Fordfor a shining example of mastery and holla at me! Let me know what kind of music floats your boat and if you are committed to playing a musical instrument.

Smiles!
Millicent!

When you study, you can’t afford to entertain distractions. To get the most of your study time, turn off the TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Gameboy, and whatever else! Now, the only exception is music!

The key to effective learning is to be in the right state and the right kind of music can facilitate learning in an incredible way. And this doesn’t include rap and hip hop with a bunch of lyrics that all go together and a funky beat that makes you want to shake your groove thang.

Studies by the renown Dr. Alfred Tomatis have shown that classical baroque music is by far the best music to study to. Dr. Tomatis has authored 14 books on music and learning and his work, now known as the Tomatis Method offers a variety of incredible benefits including better communication and improved creativity and it helps those with dyslexia, ADD and a host of other learning challenges. Dr. Tomatis is also responsible for developing what is known as the Mozart Effect.

With so many things competing for our attention these days, nearly everyone seems to have a touch of ADD! But discovering and using the right tools can bring us the results we are looking for and help us excel in life – and isn’t that the point?

So, open your mind to the science of learning and how your brain works so you can get more use from it! By the way, I get great results with classical jazz, new age and world music as well. Remember to select music with no lyrics so it doesn’t make you want to sing along or distract you. Enjoy creating a powerful set of study tools that includes music!

Smiles!
Millicent!

As a facilitator of the HeartMath Resilient Educator program, I see the immediate benefit this program offers. Try this on for size: the next time you are confronted with energy that makes you feel anthing less than incredible, just stop and check in with your heart. You could even close your eyes, take in a few deep breaths and ask your heart, “What would be the best thing for me to do in this situation?” The heart always knows the right answer and will keep you safe from harm. Even science has discoverd that the head is the seat of knowledge, but the heart is the seat of all wisdom. And remember, a change of heart, changes everything.

SMILES!
Millicent!

Can you really concentrate, study and learn well if it’s too hot, too cold, or if you’re hungry? How about if you have a headache, or gotta go the toilet? NO WAY!  Effective learning means being in the right state. Ideally, you want to be in a comfortable environment. Addressing all physical concerns, like an empty belly or thirsty mouth really helps. Otherwise the brain will switch off and focus on those more immediate needs.

How about if you just had an argument with your significant other? NOPE. In that case, the brain is concerned with safety and security and learning is at the bottom of the list. So, emotional self-control and learning to let go of drama is important for your success. You are in charge and can create a place for yourself to get your studying done that is just right. It takes planning and time management, but know that the payoff is huge!

No one rushes through a gourmet meal. You savor the flavor of each bite, appreciating the creativity and thoughtfulness of the chef. What if we transformed our approach to reading and learned to savor the reading experience in a similar way? Each author has put scads of time and energy into researching and writing the book for your benefit. However, many people read like they are eating fast food, gulping information down without savoring or appreciating it.

Here’s a tip to stop stressing, overloading your brain and pulling all-nighters. Cramming is the most counter-productive thing you could ever do! Get smart. If you buy a $6 timer from Walmart you could set it for 20 minutes. After relaxing and establishing your purpose, begin to read for meaning, not just words.

The secret is this: when you’re in a relaxed state and with a clearly established purpose, reading will be effortless and you’ll find yourself enjoying it. No kidding! When the timer goes off, take a break. Go to the bathroom, stretch, get a cup of tea. Do some neck rolls or brain gym exercises. Cool out. Twenty minutes will breeze by and you’ll be surprised at how completely absorbed you were. Your reading will be so smooth you might not want to stop.

Like a really good meal, savor the conversation with the author. As you read his writing, he is speaking into your listening. By establishing a purpose, eliminating stress, and taking in a little at a time, you allow the body to digest the conversation and you’ll actually get more reading done in less time. Check it out for yourself and let me know!

Smiles!
Millicent!

Great halls of learning shouldn’t be places to sleep! When I notice people sleeping in libraries, I often wonder, “Are our libraries becoming giant public bedrooms?”  I know what the problem is – people are passive in their reading, which bores the brain to death. The goal is to learn to be active in the reading process. Yes! This means sitting up! No slouching or chillin’. There’s plenty of time for that later.

Take in a couple of deep breaths, and establishing a strong purpose for the activity. A beginning purpose might be stated as, “My purpose for going through this material is to find the most relevant points to help me develop my term paper.” Or perhaps, “My purpose for reading through this text book is to help me to prepare for my oral exam. My mind is alert to the best information to help me to make an excellent presentation.”

Whatever you tell yourself about yourself becomes your self-fulfilling prophecy. You have the ability to program your minds to help you get the results you’re looking for and you must be active in the process.

You can also create questions that will send the brain on a search to discover the answers. Be on the lookout for great text books with summaries and review questions at the back of each chapter. That is a gift and an amazing resource. Reading those pages first primes the mind and the answers usually reveal themselves easily as you go through the chapters or sections of the book.

Creating positive energy and a love for learning is essential for your advancement. We are all life-long learners and ultimately you are responsible for your learning experience and outcomes. Be energetic and ready to learn after all, you’ll be learning something new until the day you die. By Golly, Make it Fun! Libraries are for learning. Bed equals sleep, not libraries for God’s sake!

Smiles!
Millicent!

Knowing something about Accelerated Learning helps students improve their study skills. Simply stated, Accelerated Learning or ‘whole brain’ learning methods are designed to relax students, and open them up to learning using a holistic approach. Yes, it’s a little different from traditional classroom learning, but it works.

The process starts with introducing students to real concepts about themselves and how their body/brain works. Once identified, AL emphasizes methods to activate our hidden human abilities and improve our results – not only for greater academic success, but for greater success in EVERYTHING. A well-run, AL-based course or workshop uses many experiential activities specifically designed to keep learners engaged and ‘in the game.’ (No ‘sit and git,’ ‘chalk and talk’ or ‘death by lecture!”) At the same time the activities teach practical techniques to enhance the learning experience. The message is definitely one of self-responsibility.

When working with students, I often use a neat framework called ‘The Four Powers of Greatness – Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.’ The Four Powers are all about effective communication and the bottom line is highly successful people are proficient in all four of these areas. I use this as a common thread throughout all of the sessions and provide tips on how to improve in these areas. As a speaker and trainer I’ve observed the overwhelming number of people who can read and comprehend, but can’t effectively express themselves through writing. Many people can speak (and speak, and speak) but really do a poor job of listening. From where I sit, this is unacceptable.

My heart goes out to teachers and professors everywhere. I realize that there are many demands and working with a large population of students, all with varying learning styles and personalities can be a challenge. Stress can be a factor for professors and students alike. Stress shuts us down AL also addresses ways to reduce the stress of learning new things and how to move past learning barriers.

I do trainings for educators as well so they can adopt AL techniques into their teaching toolbag. When working with students, I really encourage professors to attend at least one of the sessions to see a model of Accelerated Learning Instruction in action. This often results in continued conversation about simple things that professors can do inside of their classrooms to reduce the stress of teaching and increase the joy of learning. Yes, it is possible!

The bottom line is that learning doesn’t have to be hard. You just have to know how to use the equipment we were all endowed with. We have a user guide for our computer, our cell phone, our DVD player and our iPod. Accelerated Learning gives us a user guide for our brains!

Smiles ‘til later!

Millicent!

LEARN MORE…

Doubts, Disruptions and Distractions – These three Ds will choke off your learning so deal with them up front and get the job done.

No more late assignments. No more less than stellar test scores. No more “the devil made me do it!” as an excuse.

1. Doubts: “You are inherently brilliant!” Although that’s not the message most of us received growing up! Your brain has miraculous abilities, and what you tell yourself about yourself becomes your self-fulfilling prophecy.

   Before any learning assignment, affirm the following or something like it: “I am an active and confident learner and reading comes easily for me.” Stand up and affirm it out loud and then shake your arms and legs and body in a crazy motion for one minute, releasing all doubts about your ability. (There’s that Brain Gym thing again!) Then get down to business.

   And don’t worry what others think of you. When they see your results, they’ll learn to shake off the demon of doubt too!

2. Disruptions: Turn off your cell phone! Not on vibrate! Turn that thing off! The world is not coming to an end. If someone has an emergency, they should really call 911. You’ve got to handle your business. A distracted mind gets nothing accomplished. Stay focused on your goal in the allotted time and you’ll get the job done and feel better about yourself.
3. Distractions: Find a quiet place free of unnecessary noises and traffic. The library is an excellent place. No music, no farting around. The library is the place to get down to business.

One exception to that ‘no music’ rule. It may seem corny for some but listening to classical baroque music facilitates learning anything faster and better. It opens up the brain and helps to calm the body. Find five or six classical pieces and put them on your IPod and listen to them to activate your genius brain and advance your studies.

Smiles,
Millicent!

Imagine yourself hungry, irritated or fresh out of a stupid argument with your significant other. You can bet you’re not in the best state for learning! Gotta clear out the unnecessary drama first – whatever it is – and then get down to what’s important!

Believe it or not, you can get more learning done in a short 20 minute study period than with an all-nighter if you’ll just follow a few simple steps.

The bottom line: Effective Reading is State Dependent! Dependent on your mental and emotional state, that is. Here how to prepare mind and body for reading, studying or taking in new information so that it sticks!

1. Prepare. That means gathering your materials, and put all else aside for the time you have available. I said put ALL ELSE aside and get ready for the task at hand.
2. Establish a clear purpose. For example: “My purpose for the next 20 minutes is to read through this material and grasp the main points so that I can write an excellent paper for next week’s assignment.” The mind is like a GPS. Tell it what you want from it and it will deliver. If not, it goes on vacation!
3. Breathe. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths to calm the body and send oxygen to the brain. Relax and try to clear your mind of distractions. This simple step is a small investment that yields huge payoffs.

Getting into the right state with a clearly established purpose GUARANTEES improved results. A stressed out, distracted and scattered brain can’t get the job done. With preparation and the right mindset, you’ll easily develop a new study skill set and watch your accomplishments soar.

Smiles,
Millicent

you knew how your brain worked you’d never pull one anyway! All you’re doing is blowing the darned thing out!

As an accelerative learning specialist, I help you get how your brain works and show you how to use it to learn anything – without blowing a fuse. The next time you think about camping out, overdosing on pizza and making love to your text books all night, try starting with three easy steps IN ADVANCE…

Be Active! – Reading and studying are typically a passive activities and bore the brain straight to sleep. To get excellent results, you’ve got to be ACTIVE as a learner. This means physically and mentally. Don’t just sit there like a slug – get your butt moving! That’s right – even when you’re studying! Before you start – and during a few breaks – do some Brain Gym exercises to get the body in the right state. A couch potato is doomed to a life of mediocrity and failure because the brain just can’t fully engage without some cooperation from the body.

1. Be Questioning! – Can you get an answer to a question never asked? Not in this lifetime. Asking the right questions sets the mind on a search to find the right answers. The mind is like a heat-seeking missile. If it knows its target, it will go straight to it and – bullseye! If not, it can’t possibly fulfill on the mission. You might start with some general questions like this: “What in this material do I need to know that will help me fulfill on the assignment?” or “How much of this material is relevant to my paper and do I need to find another source?” The brain has a way of knowing things and if you ask it the right questions, it’s like rubbing the magic lamp. If not, it’s like having an employee – your BEST employee – sitting around, picking his nose.
2. Be Purposeful! – Think about purpose (why the heck am I doing this in the first place?!) as a final destination. Programming your brain’s internal GPS system is the same thing as telling it where you want to go. If there is no final destination then the brain goes on vacation – at least every five minutes! Setting a purpose might be a simple as “My goal is to absorb what I need to know to pass tomorrow’s test,” or… “to be comfortable enough with the material to participate in discussion.” Take a few minutes to lock in the coordinates and check out the results!

These things may sound a little strange to you now, but these small ways of ‘getting ready’ will reap big benefits. Pretty soon, your brain will be working hard, so you don’t have to!

Smiles,
Millicent

PS. To find out more about BRAIN GYM…

• http://esl.about.com/od/englishlessonplans/a/braingym.htm
• Visit BrainGym.org
• or search YouTube for BrainGym.