You Can Usually Tell How Intelligent Someone Is By These 8 Things They Do Instinctively
Peopleimages.com - YuriArcurs | Canva I’m often the first to yell from the rooftops about how there are no shortcuts in life or work. And this is absolutely true for 99.9% of things. But I was chilling in a hammock recently, looking up at the clouds, reflecting on my 39 years on this planet, and was struck by a thought.
I've taken some shortcuts in life — the most intelligent people instinctively do. These shortcuts have certainly made life far easier for me, saved me potentially years of pain, and today I'm sharing them with you.
You can usually tell how intelligent someone is by these 8 things they do instinctively:
1. They avoid mistakes other people make
Let other people make the mistakes first, and then learn from the errors of their ways. Of course, this doesn't mean you're not ever going to mess up — making mistakes is the human condition — but you can certainly make a lot less if you take stock of where other people went wrong and adjust course.
2. They outsource as much as they can
Anything anyone else can do that you don’t need to do, outsource. Brainstorm a list of things you can pay others to do, and feel absolutely zero guilt about it. Use sites like Fiverr and Upwork to find talent. Delegation is an act of brilliance and self-love; only suckers try to take everything on themselves without help — it's not sustainable.
3. Intelligent people simplify everything
Many of us make life harder because there’s unnecessary complexity in the things we own, our systems, and our communications. Don't make things more complicated than they have to be. What is a five-step process can often be pared down to two if you remove the extra, unnecessary junk.
4. They mimic success
Mimicking other people is underrated because we associate it with plagiarism. But as long as you put your own spin on something, mimicking something that has worked for someone else often ensures a similar level of success for you.
"Visionaries can perceive almost invisible potentials in previous discoveries or ideas," therapist Dr. Gloria Brame explained. "Intelligent people don't necessarily invent something utterly original from scratch. Instead, they take existing work forward to an entirely new peak."
5. They exercise every morning
Benoît Deschasaux / Unsplash+
Most people view exercise as a tedious chore; I see it as tapping into an energy resource that feeds me throughout the day. This energy payoff is exactly why intelligent people refuse to skip it.
Mental health counselor Miki Anderson agreed, explaining, "Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep contribute to better physical health, increased energy levels, and a stronger immune system."
6. Intelligent people pay to play
American businessman Grant Cardone introduced me to the power of investing money into your business’s growth. Pay to join communities and masterminds and gain access to the bigger players. Put everything you can afford into growing your network.
7. They do more with less
Intelligent people continually ask: ‘How can I do more with less today?’ You must be ruthless if you want to see life gains. This means saying no to more things so that you see results that multi-taskers will never experience.
8. They're intolerant of worry
So many of us lose hours of our days spent worrying. Just say no. It only makes us feel worse, which is the last state you want to be in to be a highly intelligent person and life performer.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.
