To Cognate or Metacognate - Which is Smarter? Not exactly words you use every day, but we do apply cognition and metacognition every time we are asked a question. Cognition is knowing something, like the answer in a test, while metacognition is knowing whether you know the answer or not. So which is more important? To know the answer or to know that you don't?
Unless you're taking a test or playing Jeopardy, metacognition is more important to success than cognition. In real life, when you're faced with a question the first decision is whether you know the answer or not. With strong metacognitive ability this is easy. If you know the answer, but can't come up with it, you can always do a bit of research. If you know for sure that you don't know, then you can start educating yourself. Because you're aware of your ignorance, you don't act with foolish confidence. The person who thinks they know something that they really don't makes the worst decisions.
This is something I find myself doing more and more. When faced with a question, I know I can just do a search on the web for relevant answers. I may know that I don't know the answer to your question, but I will in a minute…
When you're faced with a decision, do you act on what you think is the right thing to do, or do you make sure first?
Learn To Understand Your Own Intelligence [PickTheBrain]
The Prepared Don't Procrastinate We often debate the cause of procrastination. While doing so you inevitably ask yourself, "Why am I putting this off?" The most common answer is probably a lack of purpose.
However, what may really be the problem is a simple lack of planning.
We know what it is that we want, where it is we want to go, but because we don't know how to get there and which route to take, we by default procrastinate. Procrastination therefore, is a natural "side effect" of a lack of having executed the necessary preparation and planning.
And this makes a lot of sense. Why would I postpone finishing something when I have, essentially, already started it by planning?
Overcoming Procrastination with Preparation and Planning
Getting Things Done, we're all trying but where do we start? LifeDev have pulled out a handy chart from David Allen's book, appropriately titled, Getting Things Done.
What this chart does is outline the steps of what to do with the 'stuff' that comes into your life, simply and most handy of all, visually. Essentially it's common sense, but sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to put into practice.
Now that this is laid out visually, I can organize my workspace to suit. I know that if something isn't actionable then it can end up in one of three places; why not have an area set up for the Trash, the Tickler File and my References?
As I run down the chart I see that for each type of item that needs to be actioned, I can designate an area, whether that's a physical space around my desk or in my mind, it doesn't matter.
This is the kind of thing that with practice it is second nature. But until then, it doesn't hurt to have a guideline.
GTD Cheatsheet: The Workflow [LifeDev]
I think it's safe to say that you and everyone you know, has been impacted by cancer in one way or another. In fact, every year more than 10 million men, women, and children are diagnosed with cancer. The statistics are sad but true, however, Reader's Digest posted a recent article called "31 Simple Ways to Prevent Cancer." The article presents 31 small changes you can make in your life to lower your chances of developing cancer.
Every time you go to the bathroom, stop by the kitchen or water cooler for a glass of water. A major study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1996 found that men who drank six 8-ounce glasses of water every day slashed their risk of bladder cancer in half. Another study linked the amount of water women drank to their risk of colon cancer, with heavy water drinkers reducing their risk up to 45 percent.
Have a beer tonight. Beer protects against the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, known to cause ulcers and possibly linked to stomach cancer. But don't overdo it. Drinking more than one or two alcoholic drinks a day may increase your risk of mouth, throat, esophageal, liver, and breast cancer.
Take a multivitamin every morning. Many studies suggest getting the ideal levels of vitamins and minerals can improve your immune system function and help prevent a variety of cancers.
31 Simple Ways to Prevent Cancer - [Reader's Digest]
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