How to Become a Genius: 20 Tips to Boost Your Brain Power

To improve your intelligence and reach genius level, self-awareness is essential. This type of emotional intelligence allows you to make sense of your own feelings and behavior and facilitates recognition of how others view you. It helps you understand people, as well as yourself, on a deeper level, which in turn aids you in decision-making. Improving your self-awareness is the best starting point if you’re looking to bolster your intelligence.  

Tip 1: Know yourself first 

Self-awareness is the foundation on which knowledge is built. It means knowing what makes you unique, your natural strengths and weaknesses, your blind spots, your values, what genuinely interests you, and your subconscious beliefs that may be quietly holding you back. When you see these clearly, everything shifts. 

You stop wasting energy trying to fit into a box by fighting your own nature, and instead, you find opportunities that reward how your mind actually works. This allows you to make decisions with clarity and confidence. Progress that once felt like pushing a boulder uphill starts to feel effortless.

Most people spend a lifetime figuring this out through trial and error without actively working on self-awareness as part of their self-development. And let's be honest — no one ever became a genius by taking a quick online quiz and getting a four-letter label. Those surface-level personality type tests are fun to share, but they won't rewire how you think, decide, or grow.  

The ones who get there faster? They skip the surface-level labels and make real self-awareness an early priority. Want to fast-track yours? Look for performance-based assessments, like The Natural Ability Explorer (NAE) program, which are specifically designed to give you deeper, personalized self-awareness. 

To build your intelligence, there’s no more obvious way than to improve through learning. To become a genius, you need to be an expert at something. You need to be knowledgeable, and this means deep learning, questioning, soaking up all the information you can, and putting your critical thinking skills to good use. 

Tip 2: Become an avid reader  

With so many distractions competing for our attention, unfortunately, reading isn’t always a first choice. In some cases, books have lost their place to Netflix and audiobooks, but reading books is both a source of great satisfaction and a great way to learn and improve your intelligence. Yes, you can learn from a YouTube video, of course, but you get deep learning from a book. You can lose yourself in a good book, and books don’t come with the distraction that a screen might.  

Reading boosts your intelligence around the topic you’re studying, but regardless of what you’re reading, it makes you clever. Reading literally changes your brain as it improves your cognitive skills, like memory and vocabulary.  

Tip 3: Get more sleep 

This one may seem counterintuitive if you want to spend your time learning and improving your cognitive ability, but getting enough sleep is vital for optimum brain function. Without a sufficient amount of time spent in dreamland, you’re going to impact your cognitive performance as well as your physical health. The suggested minimum is seven to nine hours.  

If you have trouble falling asleep, consider your bedtime routine. Reduce blue light exposure in the evening, such as from your smartphone, avoid caffeine or snacks later in the day, invest in a good mattress, pillow, and comforter, and make sure your bedroom environment is conducive to sleep. Reduce external noise, keep it dark, and make the temperature comfortable. You might want to develop a pre-sleep routine, like reading a book (not again!) or listening to relaxing classical music. 

Tip 4: Ask and answer questions 

What is the event horizon? Should human organs be bought and sold in the marketplace? Why don't we travel up in space from Earth? Why does time only flow in one direction? Is a hotdog a sandwich? How come we can travel to the moon but can’t make our shoes smell good? 

Many of us have questions that we ask out loud or think in our minds, but we never get around to answering some of life’s greatest mysteries. It might be about time to carve out an hour or two out of your day to find the answer to your quandaries. You can start by visiting educational websites and exploring your subject of interest from there. 

Tip 5: Go deep 

The most intelligent people in the world usually have a niche. There's at least one subject they know inside out, but they're also clever in general. Einstein had physics, Leonardo Di Vinci had art and engineering. If you want to reach genius level, it's helpful to pick something you can learn and go deep. Focus on the one thing that interests you and you’re good at. You’ll know what this is through your work on self-awareness.  

Intelligence is trainable. You can gain it and lose it. Just like any other muscle, you have to work it to maintain and build it. However, the gym won’t help you here. To train your brain, you need to learn new skills, test your memory, practice thinking, and find ways to use what you learn.  

Tip 6: Deliberate thinking  

When was the last time you had a good thinking session? Indeed, we think all the time, trying to decide what we want for dinner or figuring out the best route to work to avoid the traffic. While this is using your brain, deliberate thinking is different — taking time out of your day and thinking about various concepts, ideas, and solutions, from the trivial to the complex.  

You can do this anywhere, whether while lying on the couch, walking outdoors, or even during meditation. As long as you're focused and free from distraction, it counts. You wouldn’t believe how many of us don’t have deep thinking sessions, since we routinely distract ourselves with mobile games and YouTube videos about cats. 

Tip 7: Train your memory 

How good is your memory? As we get older, we become less sharp; scientists say we typically reach our peak in our early 20s. But does that mean we have to face the inevitable memory decline? Nope — as long as you train your memory. 

You’ll find multiple ways of doing this, many of which might remind you of school days, such as taking notes about a speech, lecture, or a book you're reading, because it forces you to remember what was said or done. Repetition helps us to commit thoughts to memory.  

To further train your memory, try doing tasks manually so you don’t need to rely on automation, whether it’s speed dial on your phone or autocorrect for your spelling. Memory training can be fun if you use it as a game. Use the four-detail observation exercise, where you have to note four distinct details about a person or scene to reinforce memory, or do a daily puzzle or game like pairs.  

Improving your memory is critical, not only in helping you become a genius, but also in ensuring your cognitive fitness lasts longer than just your 20s. 

Tip 8: Do puzzles 

When was the last time you solved a jigsaw puzzle? If you’re struggling to remember, you may want to consider solving jigsaw puzzles more often.  

What’s special about them is that working on them engages multiple cognitive functions at once, namely short-term memory, concentration, and problem-solving. By engaging both brain hemispheres at once, puzzles help improve mental speed and visual and spatial reasoning. A real mental workout! 

If you can’t bear to put down your phone, you’ll find numerous daily puzzles that help you train your brain, such as Wordle and Number Waffle. 

Tip 9: Teach what you know 

We learn and develop our brain function through processes like recalling, repeating, and reflecting. A great way to activate this is through teaching what you’ve learnt. To teach something to another person, you first need to learn it, then you need to reflect on it, make sense of the information, and reorganize the ideas so they're easier to digest. You then repeat what you’ve learnt, adding your own take and interpretation, all the while cementing your own learning and memory.  

Tip 10: Embrace mental discomfort 

What makes someone an academic? You probably think it’s possessing several degrees, writing peer-reviewed papers, and pontificating on five-dollar words. An authentic academic is someone who thoroughly learns opposing views to expose themselves to other thoughts and ideas, even if it makes them uncomfortable. 

Of course, it’s more comfortable to be adept at the Flying Spaghetti Monster orthodoxy, but it’s critical to develop intelligence by exploring and becoming an expert on concepts contradictory to your belief system. 

The unique trait of a genius is not that they’re clever. Of course they’re clever, but a genius is a critical thinker. Someone who challenges conventional ways of thinking or doing something and connects ideas to create something new. To truly be a genius, you must learn to challenge, learn from failure, and use your knowledge in an innovative way. This comes back to learning more about yourself by developing your self-awareness.  

Tip 11: Challenge convention  

Learning about the ideas of others, even if it conflicts with your own views, is an important part of being a genius, as we’ve seen above. However, part of being a genius is challenging convention and accepted theories by gaining and presenting evidence or hypotheses to the contrary. Challenging in this way requires critical thinking and problem-solving skills to break down ideas and suggest other ways of doing things.  

For example, Steve Jobs defied convention to create a new technology and a way of working that the world had never seen before. AI technology is continuing to defy convention as our world is becoming more automated by taking on tasks that we previously thought were only possible for humans.  

Tip 12: Connect ideas 

As well as challenging ideas, a genius is known for forging together ideas that may have previously had no connection. This is often in part due to a vast amount of knowledge in overlapping fields and a view of a bigger picture, but also by using associative thinking, which is something you can learn.  

To help your brain connect topics that seem unrelated, try to use mind maps, journal your random thoughts, and study widely across multiple domains. 

Tip 13: Learn from failure  

Geniuses do not get everything right on the first attempt. In fact, failing is a part of their learning. You test ideas, do experiments, and you learn from the results whether the outcome is what you expected or not. As a genius, you need to work on your growth mindset, part of which is realizing that failing is not a reflection of your worth, but instead, an important part of learning and development.  

It’s not just what you learn, but how you feel when you’re doing it, and a lot of that comes down to the environment you learn in. Creating a space that encourages you to think, to focus, to play, and to seek support from others is very important.  

Tip 14: Manage distractions 

Distractions are all around us, and tending to them isn’t doing much for your intelligence. Believe it or not, these distractions don't have to be related to your smartphone or a social network. Instead, they can be the regret of yesterday, the promise of tomorrow, and the pursuit of perfection. 

Some philosophical minds might even contend that apathy is the worst distraction of them all. This can sound like the insight from the Stoic school of philosophy, but it’s hard to dispute that we waste time on things that are out of our control.  

Put anything that might distract you out of sight — phone on silent, TV off, then create a space that allows you to focus without being pulled in different directions.  

Tip 15: Create a morning routine 

What you do first when you wake up sets the tone for your whole day, so decide wisely. For many successful people, a solid morning routine allows time for some movement, a healthy meal, and reflection time, along with setting intentions for the day. 

To create a morning routine that will get you in the mood to learn, make sure it’s always the same, so you build focus and discipline. Wake up at the same time every day (even on weekends!). What you include as part of your routine will be personal. Suggestions include: 

• Journaling 
• Meditation 
• Yoga or gentle movement 
• A cold plunge 
• Goal setting 
• A walk 
• Listening to a podcast 
• A healthy breakfast 
• Reading something you can learn from 

Beginning your day with these small but impactful activities can enhance the power of your brain over time. 

Tip 16: Choose your friends wisely 

As Jim Rohn famously said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” This means that you’re influenced and shaped by the people you have around you most often. They influence how you think, what you believe, and how you communicate. With this in mind, surround yourself with people who inspire you, motivate you, and support you. Make sure the people you connect with lift you up, and are the model of who you want to become.  

Training your brain isn’t just about learning. It’s important to build a lifestyle that supports your ability to learn and ensures optimum health. Exercise, reflection, and good mental health are essential to train your brain effectively. 

Tip 17: Exercise regularly 

Engaging in any type of physical exercise boosts your cognitive abilities as it stimulates blood flow and chemical changes in the brain that can enhance learning, memory, and thinking. Exercise can be anything that gets you moving. Even brisk walking is beneficial. It doesn't have to be vigorous exercise. Choose something that aligns with you and makes you feel good. 

Tip 18: Reflect and journal 

Take time out to reflect on what you’re learning, what you’re enjoying, and to note any questions you might have to help you continue. You can do this while you walk or run, during meditation, or you might keep a journal where you can scribble on first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Journaling is a great way to get your thoughts out and to tap into the subconscious.

Tip 19: Maintain a healthy diet  

Have you ever heard the gut being referred to as our “second brain”? Since “our two brains ‘talk’ to each other,” says Jay Pasricha, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Neurogastroenterology, what benefits one very likely benefits the other. So, what nutrient-dense foods can we add to our diet to reap both health-promoting and brain-boosting benefits? 

According to the Harvard Medical School, leafy greens, berries, walnuts, fatty fish, and tea and coffee are all loaded with nutrients that can help slow down cognitive aging. Among those nutrients associated with good cognitive function are B vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein, which is a plant pigment. 

Tip 20: Cultivate happiness 

Your mood has a big impact on your ability to learn. When you’re happy, you’re more focused, able to remember more information, and you’re more open and creative. Low moods can lead to low energy and low productivity. So, make sure you take time to rest and recharge to be at your best for learning. 

Becoming a genius takes work, but if you’re prepared to put in the time and effort, make changes to your lifestyle, and treat your brain like any other muscle you work, there’s no reason why you can’t boost your intelligence to genius level. By adding a few (or all) of these tips into your daily routine, you can improve your brain power and enhance your memory. 

The more you understand how you think, learn, and grow, the more intentional you can be in boosting your brain power. Discover your strengths — start the NAE assessment. 

This article is an update of an earlier version originally published in December 2022, and contains contributions by Andrew Moran.