One of the things I’m working on this year is becoming a sharper person. I don’t just mean “more productive” or “more efficient” — I mean becoming mentally sharper, more focused, and better at communicating, thinking, and leading. I’ve identified a few key areas I believe will help me reach that goal, and I want to share them here as I work through them myself.
1. Strengthening My Listening and Recall Skills
The first area I’m focusing on is listening and recall. Practicing active listening, I believe, can completely transform your cognitive ability during conversations. When you truly listen, think about what’s being said, and respond thoughtfully, your communication becomes more precise — you skip the fluff and get to the point. That creates efficient, engaging conversations.
Recall is the other half of that coin. When you can remember what’s already been said — previous discussions, decisions, context — you bring depth to every interaction. You don’t waste time rehashing the same things. You can tie ideas together and build stronger connections, both intellectually and relationally. It’s not just about having a good memory — it’s about being intentional and present enough to retain and reapply key information.
2. Improving Focus and Information Absorption
The second area I’m honing in on is my ability to focus and absorb large amounts of information. We’re constantly bombarded with input, and the ability to block out distractions is a real superpower. One thing I’ve been experimenting with is sensory deprivation — sitting in a completely dark, silent room for 5–15 minutes before starting an intense focus session. What I’ve found is that my brain becomes starved for input during that time, and when I reintroduce focused work, my attention is razor-sharp.
I also chew gum while I study or work. I think the rhythm of chewing creates a kind of background cadence for the brain — a track for your thoughts to follow. It helps settle the mind and gives your brain a pattern to ride on while you consume information.
Another tool I use: specific frequencies of sound — usually 4Hz or 8Hz — playing in the background. These sounds don’t have lyrics or melodies, just pure tones. And while I don’t have the hard science behind it, I’ve noticed they help shift me into a more creative, open, and receptive mental state.
This combination — sensory deprivation, rhythmic chewing, and sound frequency — has helped me focus deeper and retain more during study sessions. It’s part science, part self-awareness, and a lot of consistency.
3. Building Depth and Breadth in My Expertise
The third step to sharpening myself is developing both depth and breadth in my area of expertise. That means going deep into certain subjects while also expanding my knowledge across the broader field.
I believe you only get here by doing the first two steps well: listening, recalling, and consuming focused information. But it can’t stop there — you also have to apply what you’ve learned. For me, that means leading complex meetings, making real decisions, designing solutions, and building systems. You don’t prove your expertise by just studying — you prove it by producing.
The feedback loop matters. When you put your knowledge to the test, you expose your weaknesses — and that’s a good thing. It gives you something to improve, something to study next. If you want to be sharp, you can’t be afraid to find out where you’re dull.
Depth means knowing the inner workings of your craft. Breadth means understanding how all the pieces connect. In my case, cloud computing is my field. That includes compute, serverless, storage, networking, security, etc. I know a lot about each, but I also go deeper — for example, in compute, I’ve specialized in Lambda; in security, I understand web firewalls and IAM policies. And I measure how well I really understand by constantly applying what I know and identifying what I don’t.
4. Explaining Complex Topics Simply
Lastly, if you want to be sharp, you have to be able to explain complex topics — especially to people who know less than you. If you can’t teach it simply, you don’t understand it deeply.
A true test of mastery is being able to break something down like you’re talking to a fifth grader. Not dumbing it down — simplifying it without losing meaning. That’s what makes you stand out. Anyone can throw around big words in front of their peers. But someone who can take a dense topic and make it accessible? That’s rare — and that’s someone who’s truly sharp.
So that’s where I’m at going into 2025. I’m working to become a sharper person by:
- Practicing active listening and recall
- Training my focus and absorbing more information
- Deepening and broadening my expertise
- Explaining complex topics in simple terms
This journey applies directly to the work I do in cloud computing, but it’s really about life in general. Whether you’re building systems or building relationships, sharpening your mind and your skills is always a good investment.
Let’s get sharper.
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