Transcripts
1. Introduction - How to Think Differently: introduction when we were young, we probably tried to avoid being different in any way out of fear of being shunned by our peers. Yet the ones who thought differently from everyone else went on to become individuals who make the greatest difference in impact on the world. It takes a combination of courage and ingenuity to become somebody who thinks differently and is willing to stand up and own net. The ones who think outside the box don't fear the future. They own the future. Today, the ability to think this way is valued as a tremendous asset and a skill that is needed today. More than ever, the word thinking can mean an extensive number of things the way that we think shapes the world around us. A person who thinks positively tends to attract opportunities and success because of their optimistic outlook and ability to see the silver lining where others will be tempted to give up a person who thinks negatively tends to experience a higher degree of failure. The way we think influences our outlook on life and to bring about great change for the better requires a shift in the way that we think From this point onwards, thinking outside the box gets you ahead in life. If Thomas Edison gave up after his first few failed attempts at creating the light bulb, the world might look very different today. There might be no electricity, no power, and we would probably still be living in darkness. Edison is the perfect role model to look towards as a reminder of why you never give up until you finally see the change that you want. Critical thinking, problem solving, strategic thinking, logical analysis. These are the mental skills needed to succeed in the competitive world that we live in today. Nothing is going to change for the better unless that change starts from within. And that's why you're here today, reading about the seven steps you need to start thinking differently and make better decisions. You picked up this guide, and that means there's some part of you that knows you're ready for change to become a better version of yourself. It's happens all that potential buried underneath the mindset that has been holding you back for far too long. You've yearned for too long to be like those successful individuals you look up to and This is where you take your very first step in that direction. Changing your mindset is not only possible, but it's also necessary to revolutionize your life and witness visible change happening. It last your progress begins right now with how to think differently. Every effort was made to ensure it is full of as much useful information as possible. Please enjoy.
2. Chapter 1 - Your Mind, Your Priority: chapter one. Your mind, your priority, you're thinking, sets the stage of your life. When you change your outlook, you change your entire life. That's how powerful a tool the mind can be when your mind focuses on nothing but misery and the problems that you played with your life and outlook are going to mirror that train of thought. If you would have focused on the positives, however, and focus on the solutions instead of the problems, you would become the type of person who can still smile in the face of adversity. Your mind is your most powerful weapon of change to achieve success in everything you do in life. If you want your life to change, to think better, do better and achieve more. Then you need to begin taking ownership of your thoughts and change the way you think Nothing is going to change unless you make a choice to do it, to be accountable and take ownership of your mind in your thoughts to be a problem solver instead of a downer, and the seven step approach to mastering the mental models you need for change is going to get you there, understanding mental models what are they and how they work. If you've never heard the term mental models before, a mental model is a phrase used to describe how something works. It is an overarching term that is used to describe a worldview concept or framework that you carry in your mind. Essentially, mental models are the tools you need to help you understand how life works. These models are responsible for getting your behavior and the way that you perceive the world. They are the very tools you need to help you resolve problems, make better informed decisions and ultimately understand life. Every mental model you develop is another tool gained that helps you see the world in a different light. Not only are these models responsible for shaping the way you think, but they shape the opportunities and connections that you see because there's only so much information that our brain can contain at a time. We need these models to help simplify some of the more complex information that we receive . We need these models to help us break down that information into manageable organized chunks that make it easier to process. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits and Creator of the Habits Academy explains that each mental model has a different framework that we can all use to look at life. Mental models are like your toolbox for life. The bigger your toolbox grows, the better your ability to resolve problems. And conflict becomes because you have more tools at your disposal to help you reach the right decisions. Mental models are among the essential tools of the successful brilliance individuals out there use to distinguish themselves from the rest. It is their mental model way of thinking that makes them stand out in the crowd types of mental models. Charlie Munger is device chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc and a colleague and close friend of Warren Buffett's mongers. Interest in the subject of psychology is no secret and suggest that there are numerous mental models available that help us solve and dismantle some of the more difficult problems in life. Not every problem that we're faced with is presented to us in the same way. Nor can a decision be reached from the safe vantage point. We need several mental models to experiment with, so there is room to play around with and be flexible in dealing with the challenges to come our way. The list we will discuss next looks at some of the most common mental models, and you might have already been practicing a couple of these yourself without realizing it . The base their model. This model describes the probability or likelihood that something is going to happen based on factors that might be relevant. Factors could include past evidence and how current conditions may affect a new outcome. The Competence Circle model. In 1996 Warren Buffett gave his shareholders this message. You don't have to be an expert on every company. You only need to have the necessary skills needed to evaluate the companies that are within your circle of competence. Hence the competence circle model. The size of your circle does not matter. What matters more is the knowledge that you have of the circles boundaries. What Buffett was trying to say was that we should concentrate on the areas where our expertise lies. We don't have to be afraid of saying I don't understand or I don't know when we must deal with another person's circle of competence. You have your strengths and they have theirs. The confirmation bias model it is human nature to interpret information based on their bias . We want to process information in a way that strengthens or confirms what we already believe in. For example, if you're running a business and your confidence sales in December are going to exceed that of November, that bias might lead you to focus too much on December's potential and not enough on what you can do to bring up sales in November. To avoid confrontation bias, you need to understand that perception is not always reality. Just because we think something may happen. There's no guarantee that it will. And we need to challenge our minds to think about the different interpretations and possible outcomes of a scenario. The inversion model. This is one of the most powerful models around with the inversion model. Instead of thinking about the outcome you desire, you're going to do the opposite. You're going to think about the outcome you want to avoid instead, for example, when you're after a promotion at work instead of thinking what are the five changes you would implement once you were promoted? The inversion model of thinking is going to make you think about what five things might be responsible for keeping you away from that promotion. This model makes you think about what you want to avoid or what's going to hold you back and help you stay away from it. You may not always find the answers you seek when you invert the problem, but you will improve. Instead of making the problem worse, The Hanlon's razor model, this mental model asked that we stop and think before making assumptions to avoid attributing malice when another explanation could be the real reason. For instance, if your supervisor what to go missing during a critical time when you and your team members need them, you might assume that they were irresponsible when there could have been a good reason why they couldn't make it to the meeting. Rather than jump to conclusions, Hanlon's Razor model seeks to give the benefit of the doubt the outcomes razor model. The simplest explanation is most often the right one, according Toa Occam's razor model. Anyway, like the Hanlon's razor model, avoid jumping to conclusions or making assumptions when you're trying to process or understand what happened. The simplest explanation is usually the right one. The jealous Tennessee model envy comes in two forms. One is productive, and this is classified as inferiority. Under this category, you envy a person, but you aspire to raise yourself to their level, and you're motivated to take the necessary steps needed. So land you in that position. The other type of envy is malicious, and this envy seeks to take away what might be valuable toe another out of spite. We might not want what they have, but we choose to take it away from them so they can't have it, either. It is important to be conscious of our jealous tendencies when it comes to making decisions . When there is the element of competitiveness it play. Are we acting based on inferiority, envy or malicious envy? Do we want other people to fall out of spite so they don't succeed, too? How are your jealous emotions affecting your ability to make the best decision? The safety margin model in elevator might be able to support up to 200 kilograms at a time in a single trip, but the air on the side of caution it might be best to captain limit at 100 and 50 kilograms. It wouldn't be a major disaster if there was 200 kilograms on board that elevator, but it's not worth the risk to push the boundaries of its maximum capacity. The idea behind this mental model is to encourage us to leave room for mistakes. When you're starting a new business, you might project to turn a profit within a year after operations. But you're preparing enough funds to last your business two years, just in case you don't hit the target a safety net if you will. And it is always better to have this net in place rather than be overwhelmed with stress. When you're unable to meet your projections, the opportunity costs model, every opportunity or choice that we make will comment the cost of another. When you decide to write your work report after lunch, that choice is going to cost you the emails you might have worked on responding to during that time. When formulating the right decision before every action, think about the opportunity cost to help you make the best choice. If you chose to go with PATH A, what would you need to or be willing to give up? What would the alternative path be And could that be the better choice? The preferential attachment. Model two competitors air running a race. The first runner makes it past a one mile marker and has given a protein bar on water. The second runner gets nothing because they were slower. This is an example of the preferential attachment model, a dynamic that is often seen in a professional setting. The manager or leader is often given more Resource is to work. Resource is that give them the upper hand advantage over the rest of their peers. The preferential attachment model happens all the time. In the business world, too. Businesses are tempted to spend almost all their time serving the most qualified leads, but in the process, they end up neglecting. Other resource is that could have been nurtured into something more when a business places more emphasis on keeping the clients happy instead of the hard working staff who help keep the business running. That's the preferential attachment model in play
3. Chapter 2 - Step 1: Becoming the Master of Your Choices: Chapter two. Step one, becoming the master of your choices, decisions there something all of us face each day. What should I eat today? Which report should I begin working on first? What time should I schedule my interview? Should I take the bus or the train that work? What should I watch on Netflix tonight? Should I wear this to work today? Should I pack a lunch or eat in the cafe? Should I quit my job? Should I call my mom today? Nearly everything we do has a decision involved in a process. Some decisions may not be life changing, but they will be moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. The decision about which path we choose to walk could be the very decision that changes the course of our lives forever. That's a heavy responsibility to think about. Every action in decision that we make has a consequence. Some people are great at making these choices, while others find it's so overwhelming that they freeze when faced with the prospect of having to make itself. Call Mark Zuckerberg the late Steve Jobs Barack Obama. There's one thing that these three individuals have in common. They're almost always seen wearing the same clothes, which, to a lot of people might not make sense. They're some of the most renowned, wealthy, successful people in the world today. Why would they choose to wear the same thing day in and day out? Surely it can't be an issue of affordability because, well, they're rich. There's a simple answer to this puzzle. They eliminate the simple decisions in life, so no time or energy is wasted on it. The choice of what to wear each day is a simple decision compared to a lot of other bigger choices that must be made. And by preserving their energy, they leave room for greater efficiency when time and effort are not wasted on decisions that are deemed inconsequential. Instead of wasting time and energy trying to decide what to wear each day, these individuals cut back on that worry and save their brain power for the more complex and difficult decisions that are going to come dealing with decision fatigue. You don't need to be a powerful figure in society that is up and about making changes that affect millions of people to suffer from what is known as decision fatigue. Regardless of your income level, employment or social class decision fatigue can play anyone. It is a term for a psychological condition that is a result of many decisions that need to be made decisions, cost energy and having too many choices results in mental exhaustion to the point you run out of energy and have trouble making the right decision. Unfortunately, this former fatigue is not simply going to go away on its own decisions. Whether we like them or not must be made. The ones we want to avoid are often the hardest choices that require the most mental exertion. Here's something you might not have been aware of, though there are no bad decisions. But there are bad decision makers. There is no guarantee the choices we make are going to have the desired outcome we want. What is guarantee, though, is that every choice is going to lead us down a path where experiences air created and connections are made. These experiences and connections could either improve your life or do the opposite. However, when too much energy is exerted worrying about having to make tough choices, you're going to find yourself stuck and never progressing forward. Types of decision makers. There are two types of decision making people. The first are the ones who try to avoid deciding on anything until it is too late to do anything about it. They're indecisiveness and hesitance. Hold them back. The second group of decision makers are the ones who decide without thinking things through and worrying about dealing with the consequences later. The act first think later group. Although it is good that they're doing something about it, rushing into a decision without careful thought and consideration can sometimes leads what heap of trouble. Rush decisions could also sometimes end up being the wrong ones to make the secret to making good decisions. Balance that is the secret to find that balance between not waiting too long to reach a decision, but still giving yourself enough time to make the right choice is the secret to getting the best overall outcome. Successful people need to make tough choices quickly and easily, and it is a mental model skill they have worked very hard to perfect. As for the rest of us, becoming a master of the decision making process requires that we perform the following actions to sharpener mental muscles in this capacity, understand your goal. You must have a goal. There is no exception to this rule. To understand your goal, you must look inward by asking yourself what you want and how you're going to achieve this . Essentially, you need to know your why and that goal that reason is going to be your compass. When the path gets challenging down the road, defining your vision, your reason why will lead you to your vision. Where do you see yourself? At the end of this goal, your vision will be the driving force to get you from where you are and where you want to be. How does it help with the decision making process? Because every choice will now be guided by that vision as you ask yourself a each step of the process. Is this leading me one step closer to my goal? Scripted versus live performances? Think of your daily decision making process like an improvisation show. A well executed performance will no doubt take the audiences breath away when you walk on stage and go with the flow. It could be enjoyable and entertaining, but this kind of directionless improvisation could lead you somewhere you don't want to end up. If you want to give the performance of your life, you need a perfect script that dictates the course of your actions from start to finish. Your goals and your vision are like your script, and if you want to kneel every decision down the road, you need to know we're going and how to get there time out when you need it. Decisions are more exhausting than we realize when we're not in the right frame of mind to be making a choice. That's when poor choices happen. Imagine having to make an important decision when you're feeling pressured, angry, stressed or frustrated. Your emotions are running high and that is going to cloud your judgment. And that's just your mental state that is compromised when you're not functioning in peak physical condition, your decision making ability will suffer, too. Lack of sleep, tiredness, hunger, pain. Those factors distract your mind and make it difficult to focus. Making decisions is not an easy task. It takes a lot of brain power and energy, so it is important to give yourself a break whenever you need it being kinds of yourself is the best decision you can make in the situation. Do what you need to do, get relaxed, recharge and then revisit the choice once more with fresh eyes. In a more open perspective, be clear about your options. To make the best decision possible, you need to be very clear from the beginning about what your options are. Before you conclude, make sure there is no doubt about the options you have on your hands. Weigh the pros and cons on each option from an objective perspective and then compare these choices against each other. Be realistic manager expectations and then think about what decision is going to be best. Given your current situation. Eliminate the trivial. Take a leaf out of Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs books by getting rid of trivial decisions that you shouldn't be wasting too much energy on each day. Cut down the number of decisions you need to make by pre planning as much of them as you can the day or week before. Make its do list. Plan your meals for the week. Plan your clothing items plan how you're going to commute to work, basically cut down the time you spend what choices in your routine that is repeated each day instead of planning what's aware today only when you wake up in the morning and start to get ready for work planet the day or week before. So you're not using a precious mental energy in the morning Trying to decide Don't strive for perfection. This might seem counterproductive to someone who wants to be successful, but there's a good reason not to strive for perfection. That's because you can't always be perfect in every choice that you make. And holding on to that unrealistic possibility is putting pressure on yourself, which then clouds your ability to make other decisions. Aiming for the very best is not a bad thing when you can pull it off. But when you can't, then you'll have to settle for good enough. Avoid overthinking. This is only going to throw you off your good decision making game. Being caught up in obsessing over the worst case scenario is never productive or necessary . If you find yourself overthinking and can't seem to break out of the cycle, then you need to put your decision on hold until you can do something to break yourself out of that cycle when you're over thinking you're not thinking clearly, and that's never the right frame of mind to make any kind of decision learning to take your own advice. Another way to approach a decision making process is to approach it from a different angle . Instead of trying to come up with a solution for yourself. Think about what advice you would offer a friend or family member who was in the same predicament. How would you help them reach a decision? What would you like to see them do? In this case? Sometimes getting the clearest perspective means having to remove yourself from the situation and approach it from the angle of 1/3 party. Seek help. It's OK to admit that you might not have all the answers. A good leader knows when to ask for help, and often a different perspective from fresh eyes can help you see things from an entirely different angle. Talk to those you can trust and brainstorm, working through the problem with them. When several heads come together to solve a problem, you double or triple the options you have to work with compared to if you try to go at it alone
4. Chapter 3 - Step 2: Critical Thinker, Mental Master: Chapter three Step two. Critical thinker, Mental Master. Have you ever, systematically and deliberately processed information so you could generally understand things better or make better decisions? That's what engaging in critical thinking looks like. Thinking critically involves processing information. Using intellectual tools involve conceptualizing, analyzing, synthesizing and then evaluating to reach an informed decision. Information can be obtained through observation, experience, communication, reasoning or reflection. Critical thinking is not the same as the thinking that takes place each day. Moments a moment. Most of the thinking we go through daily happens almost automatically, especially the more routine decisions. When you're thinking critically. On the other hand, you're deliberately using the intellectual tools mentioned before to help you reach an accurate conclusion than you otherwise would have. If you were thinking automatically. Does critical thinking matter? Yes, more so than ever these days, most of the thinking we do right now is not critical. If we have to deliberately think about everything from actions as simple as breathing, said more complex thinking that needs to be made, we wouldn't have any mental energy left for the more important choices that must be made. The brain protects itself from this fatigue by automating much of our thinking processes each time we run into problems. It is our automatic mental process to govern the important decisions that are made without the ability to think critically. It would be all too easy to be a victim of other people's agendas. When we can't think for ourselves. We are at the mercy of bending to the will of others who offer to think for us. The door to unnecessary problems is sprung wide open when critical thinking is absent, and we don't have the venture far to look for an example of this, either. A lot of the pointless, menial arguments that happened when we say the wrong thing happens because we fail to stop thinking deliberately. If you're wondering why critical thinking matters, here are the reasons and ways that can make a difference. It helps you reach conclusions by engaging in the material beyond just a superficial level . It trains you to think about the material you're consuming, so you understand. Rather than memorize. It enables you to approach each new information you encounter by thinking about how this information is going to be beneficial to you and what you would use it, for it trains you to weigh the pros and cons objectively of each option you're confronted with to make the most informed decision. It protects you from being easily influenced or swayed by the opinions of others by critically reflecting on if the information makes sense to you. Instead of accepting everything you're being told at face value, you start to work through which information is relevant based on what makes sense becoming a critical thinker. It's a skill that anyone can develop. Critical thinkers are balance stinkers. They exercise moderation in their decisions, so they ensure they are well protected against the dangers of overthinking or under thinking. They exercise situational awareness and are strong advocates of appropriate choices and critical thinking. Masters have honed this skill so well that they have made it into an art. In every decision that gets made critical thinking employs the emotional intelligence skills of self awareness and self regulation. This helps him remain focused on the outcome, not the distractions that are no doubt going to side check them along the way. They focus on solving the problem more so than anything else, and they have become so masterful at the skill, it is almost akin to strategic brilliance. It's a mental model that is going to change the way that you think and approach information when you begin applying it in practice to sharpen your mental capabilities. In this context, becoming a critical thinker is going to require balanced thinking. This is a way of thinking that you need to begin practicing under thinking leads to arrogance, ignorance and a lack of focus. Overthinking leads to fear, bias and rigidity and decision making a mind is unbalanced in its thinking is one that is likely going to trip and fall when problems arise. It will be hard to face the challenges around you when you're struggling to overcome the ones inside you. Basic questioning skills Life may be complicated, but that does not mean every complicated situation can only be resolved with an equally complicated solution. Explanations are sometimes in danger of becoming so complex that the original question is for gotten basic questions. Help critical thinkers stay on track and minimize the risk of going too far off the path. Did they forget what issue they were trying to resolve in the first place, A critical thinker would approach each situation with basic questioning skills that focus on what they already know, how they know what they're trying to prove or disprove and what information they may be overlooking. Question assumptions, the adage goes, assumptions make an ass out of U and me. This rings true when you're trying to think about a problem and fail to question your assumptions instead of looking at the fax, your drawing, your own conclusions. And there's the very real danger of your assumptions being completely wrong. When you assume without proof, you're compromising your decision making abilities because you're not thinking with a clear head. A critical thinker never assumes they choose to question the assumption awareness of your cognitive process. As amazing as the human brain is, the automatic and speed thinking that sometimes takes place can be a disadvantage when we're to think critically. The human brain naturally relies on heuristics to make sense of the world around us. A critical thinker trains themselves to be aware of the cognitive biases and personal prejudice that might influence their ability to make objective decisions and their best to keep these biases out of the picture reversal. Thinking a common problem with every day is thinking we sometimes find ourselves stuck and unable to come up with an adequate solution. When that happens, critical thinkers employ reverse thinking to help them get out of that conundrum to a critical thinker. Here's what their train of thought might look like if X causes why that is obvious. But what if there was a possibility that Y caused X? Instead? It's a classic chicken and egg problem. At first, the answer seems obvious. The chicken had to come first, laid the egg, but when you stop to think about it, the chicken must have come from somewhere to. But where, of course, the reverse Thinking Avenue might not provide all the answers, but it is something worth thinking critically about. For a different perspective on the issue. Evidence evaluation, Sir Isaac Newton once said, If I can see further, it is because I have stood on a giant shoulders. What Sir Isaac was trying to tell us was that when trying to resolve an issue, it is sometimes helpful to look at what has already been done in the same field before attempting to come up with a brand new solution of your own you don't need to solve a problem from scratch. If someone else has already done from scratch, critical thinkers would ask themselves questions that include Who else has done work in the same area? What solutions have they come up with? Why, who gathered this information and how did they do it? Thinking for yourself, critical thinkers utilized the most powerful tool they have at their disposal. The ability to think for themselves. It is easy to get weighed down by the research and information that you're bombarded with and forget that you have a mind of your own that you should be using to your fullest advantage. Thinking for yourself does not mean your overconfidence. It is acknowledging the fact that you recognize the ability to think for yourself is critical in the decision making process. Otherwise, it becomes easy to get lost in the sea of other people's work and lose your voice in the process, knowing when to think critically. Being a critical thinker does not mean you should think critically all the time. In the wise words of Michael Scrivener and Richard Poll, everyone falls subject irrational and undisciplined thoughts. Critical thinking is not universally present in any individual, it's okay not to think critically all the time. Save it as a tool that you can deploy in the moments when you need to make the most importance in difficult decisions. There's no need to think critically about every single thing, even during important decisions. There will be moments in the process when you're thinking lapses. When that happens, it is important that you acknowledge these lapses in your reasoning and do your best to avoid them next time. Exercising situational awareness Emotional intelligence skills come into play here as you develop your ability to recognize what is relevant to you within complex situations or circumstances. Critical thinkers have learned to develop this ability to be able to evaluate practical, theoretical and personal situations. They are aware of the situation around them and taking into consideration when formulating their judgments. They have trained themselves to become adept at listening to what is being said by others while at the same time approaching analyzing the construct behind how it is being expressed . This ability to be situational e aware increases the odds that the information and requests being received during the communication process are not going to be misunderstood. Exercising self awareness. It is no secret that the best types of leaders are the ones who lead with self awareness. Ah, highly coveted emotional intelligence skill. Critical thinkers employed the same skill set where they practise awareness of themselves and other people, too. To assess the situation better, they seek to understand first, rather than focus on trying to be understood. Self awareness enables him to think and see beyond themselves and incorporate all these external elements into their final decision. Through self awareness, critical thinkers have learned not to let their impulses control or dictate their thoughts and actions by being mindful of everyone else, focusing on the destination, not the distractions. Keeping their eyes on the prize, so to speak, is how critical thinkers stay on track by focusing on the destination they want to get to, not the distractions along the way that threatens to pull off the path. Critical thinkers focus on their work by keeping their sights planet firmly on the goal. They see themselves as having a responsibility to resolve the issues they face, using effective solutions so they can get themselves to their destination.
5. Chapter 4 - Step 3: Logic and Reason: Chapter four Step three. Logic and Reason. The human mind knows how to make the distinction between what is right and what is wrong by using logical thinking. Logical thinking can only occur when logical reasoning is present. Logic is a basic skill that is present within all of us. Whether it gets used as often as it should is a different matter. An individual with the ability to think in a reasonable manner improves their brains. Analytical thinking, capabilities. Why do we need it? A lot of people don't realize that their logical thinking can always be improved. True, we might already be utilizing the skills sometimes when we need to use reasoning to solve a problem. But that does not mean we know how to properly structure these starts and express our ideas in a straightforward, clear, intelligent and logical manner. The reasoning you may have come up with makes sense to you in your mind. But when you try to express these ideas, it might not always make sense to other people. Have you ever experienced sitting through someone's speech only to wonder? Okay, so what? When this speech came to an end? That's probably because the speaker couldn't express their ideas or presented in a clear manner. Being able to express your ideas with clarity is a necessary ingredient in success when others can understand your purpose idea, objective or go of no misunderstanding. That's when you're on the right track that making things happen. Picture work scenario. When an employee understands with clarity what their manager or colleagues are trying to convey, they know what they need to do. They know what steps must be taken, and they have no question that this is the direction they should be heading in. Work progresses smoothly. Everything is on track and going well now. Imagine if the employee had trouble understanding what their supervisor or colleagues were trying to tell them. Or what if stakeholders misunderstood the company's objectives. A poorly stated objective or goal leads to confusion and frustration and is very costly in terms of morale and motivation. You could be the most brilliant person in the room with fantastic ideas. But if no one can understand where you're coming from or what you're trying to tell them, your efforts are going to be futile, and in the end nothing gets done. Your intelligence doesn't show through, and you could potentially miss out on opportunities when others failed to realize how much potential you have. The principles of learning as adults stipulate that we must fully understand our sense of purpose. If we are going to commit to anything, it makes it hard to be fully committed when you have no idea what you're doing or which is supposed to be doing when the rationale and logic behind why you need to take certain steps or actions, I'm not clear enough. You start the question where you should be expanding any time or effort at all on something that doesn't make sense. Since logical thinking is already an innate skill that we all have, It's time to sharpen those skills as you attempt to think differently and enhance your mental model capabilities. Having these skills on your side is going to be advantageous to you and put you ahead of the pack. Those who can think logically are able to easily make the correlation between objects and events minimize their chances of making mistakes too. Impulsive decisions achieve higher levels of success compared to those who don't apply. Logical thinking established a relation between cause and effect to make better decisions. Logic versus intelligence. What's the difference? Intelligence is the process of recording, perceiving, utilizing and interpreting the information that you get. This is not the same as logic, which defines the use of intelligence to come to the right conclusion. Both skills can be developed and improved over time, but they are not the same thing. The long aero metaphor, the long arrow metaphors used to describe logical thinkers who skipped out on several steps in the cause and effect thought process. They skip out on the steps that link the cause to the effect and vice versa. The link exists. But since the logical thinkers air cutting corners with their explanation, the link becomes poorly defined or in some cases doesn't seem to exist at all. When others failed to understand the link between cause and effect, they lose their trust in you and find themselves stuck in a logical hole where they begin to question and doubt your ideas and ability. Let's look in an example to illustrate this point. You need to make a presentation in 15 minutes and you need to walk to the building from where you are. It begins to rain, and you need a number Look. Since you don't have one, the next logical thing to do would be to buy one. If none are available for sale, you turn to your colleague and ask, May I borrow your umbrella? Since I need to give a presentation, the colleague might wonder, What's the correlation between needing an umbrella and your presentation, since they may have no idea that it is raining outside, They may Lindsay the umbrella, but they won't fully understand why you need it. You did not feel it was necessary for them to understand it was raining outside, and that's why you needed to borrow an umbrella. Since you don't have one and there's none available for sale in your mind. The cause and effect sequence was logical and clear. Yet the way you expressed its here colleague did not convey that Becoming the master of logical thinking means you need to avoid these long, aero metaphor situations. You need to learn to detect when you might be using them and then mindfully put a stop to it, and it's him to reformulate or express your ideas in a clear manner. How to sharpen your skills. It may be a latent ability within us, but it is a skill that must be exercised nonetheless. If it's going to work well, having the ability alone is not enough. If you don't do something about it and put it to get use, the more you practice the skills, the better you become at it. And the easiest way to strengthen your logical thinking and reasoning capabilities is through logical exercises, math problems, solving puzzles, clues and riddles, designing structures and toys like puzzle blocks, which are three dimensional playing chess, these activities stimulate thinking in activities like these are an enjoyable waits to improve your brain power, sudoku and crossword puzzles. Nothing feels you with a sense of triumph, quite like solving a particularly hard crossword or sudoku puzzle with no help. These complex puzzles are brain food that fuels your ability to think logically as you scan your brain, trying to figure out the answers with a small set of clues you've been given in a crossword puzzle. Sudoku puzzles encourage you to harness your analytical in mathematical thinking abilities . Combine these skills together and you're well on your way to becoming a logical master visualized with mind maps. Mind mapping is an excellent tool to help you work through your logic and reason. It presents a visual depiction of the problem at hand, and as you brainstorm two possible solutions, your logic and reason become clearer. Visually. Depicting your train of thought stimulates the brain and increases your capacity for creative thinking that take place. The problem you need to resolve will be the central idea on your mind map and then extend the branches of the problem to explain the possible reasons for that problem in question from those branches draw sub branches. If more details and explanations are needed, your next mind map is going to have to problem once again is the central idea. Except this time, the branches and sub branches extending out of that problem are going to be solutions. Reflecting on the maps you've John will present a clear picture of which option or branch is going to be the most logical time saving reasonable, practical and cost effective solution to the problem, Mr He reads. Another way of stimulating the little grey cells in your brain and sharpen your powers of deductive reasoning is to read mystery novels. Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, James Cain In many of these heralded mystery novel writers can shed valuable insight into thinking like a sleuth. See if you can solve the case ahead of time before you reach the final chapter and see if your answer was right on the money. Physical exercise. The mind is not the only thing that needs exercise. The Harvard Health Letter is one study that believes exercises conduce your world of good in terms of improving your thinking and memory. Power. Exercise, according to this study, helps to stimulate the release of growth factors and chemicals in the brain that impacts the growth of new blood vessels. And how healthy are brain cells are the healthier your brain cells, the better you become it logical thinking and reasoning. Listen to the classical Studies have proved how powerful classical music can be for the mind. One classical piece in particular, is Beethoven. Symphony number four Finale have shown to be excellent for the brain. While some experts claim Johann Sebastian Bach's music is exactly what the brain doctor ordered, debated out one way of encouraging thinking, analysis and recollection, all of which are great brain training exercises is to get involved in debates. Admittedly, this is hard to do these days, since socializing has declined significantly since social media and technology came into the picture. Nearly everything is done online these days, and it's hard to find good old fashioned debates anymore. If you've got friends and family who are willing, organized some fun, healthy debate sessions of your own every now and then to get the creative juices flowing, creative activities, anything that encourages creative thinking is always good for the mind. Like logical thinking. The ability to think creatively is inherent within us. When we were young, creativity float freely as we drew, painted, colored and built things based on nothing more than pure imagination. As we grew older responsibilities and expectations got in the way of that creativity. But now that you're attempting that master several mental models and thing differently, there's no better time than the present to pick up some creative endeavors. Once more, right? Sing, sketch, grab a pen and paper and start writing. It doesn't matter what you write, draw or sketch. What matters is that you let it all out and get us creative as possible
6. Chapter 5 - Step 4: The Master of Strategy: Chapter five step for the master of strategy as a leader or someone who aspires to be successful. In general, the ability to think like a strategist is one of the many skills that you need to develop today. The environment that we're living in is so fast paced, with immense pressure to keep up, think holistically, streamline processes, leverage on opportunities and more just to become the best or excel at what you do. That's a lot of responsibility. And with the right mental models to support you throughout this process, it can quickly become an overwhelming situation that you find yourself in. Strategic thinking is a term that has become the new buzzword that is interpreted differently from one individual to the next. From a professional standpoint, strategy is a vague concept, and unless you understand what it entails, it can be difficult to attempt to apply the skill when you're doing your job. A look inside a strategic mindset Managers, entrepreneurs and many successful individuals alike had to rely on a wide skill set to get them where they are, one of which was a strategic mindset to help them stay on the path to success. The business and career world is demanding and volatile environment. One minute you may have to make a decision on the fly, while other times you need to maintain a rational and level head. Strategic thinking is how you keep yourself prepared and ready to respond the way that you need to. Even if you're not a successful entrepreneur or business person, Strategic thinking is a skill set that is going to serve you well in your job and perhaps other facets of your life where you might need it. To remain competitive, you must be able to adjust it a flow of information and ideas to be dynamic and adaptable. Based on your given environment. To be able to listen and give direction, observe and demonstrate develop new ideas and solutions. Strategic thinking helps you achieve all of this and more. And that is why this mental model is going to be a crucial contributing factor to your overall success. The benefits strategic thinkers have an advantage over everyone else. They know how to maximize their strengths and efficiency, using them as leverage to help them get one step ahead of everyone else. The strategist within them allows him the plan with the next logical steps are and figure out what the most direct routes of success is going to be. Becoming a strategic thinker is going to bring you the following benefits, including the ability to comprehend. Strategic thinkers have learned how to approach one problem from multiple avenues with the goal of applying the most productive, effective and logical approach to resolve the problem. They comprehend the problem at stake, and this affords them a deeper understanding of their personal and professional goals. After all, you cannot improve what you don't fully understand the ability to remain open minded when you find yourself face with a problem. The problem itself is not the problem. The bigger problem is having a mind that is already made up even before you have fully wait out your options. Having preconceived solutions based on bits and pieces of information that you have or past experience of a similar situation you might have encountered is the biggest challenge of becoming a strategic thinker. Keeping an open mind until you have carefully explored all avenues is one of the biggest assets a strategic thinker has because it lets you see the bigger picture instead of approaching the problem from a narrow tunnel perspective, the ability to evaluate in question strategic thinkers don't take anything for granted. They consider every option, every possibility and every avenue carefully before making a move, they question. They analyze, they evaluate, and they don't limit themselves to a rigid way of responding to maximize their effectiveness. The ability to think outside the box strategic thinkers think outside the box, and they are able to come up with solutions no one else might have even considered. Thanks to the skill, the ideas they bring to the table are innovative and fresh, and often yield better results than what the traditional approach might have brought. Developing the skill will allow you to focus on developing and sourcing new and better opportunities while challenging the normal assumptions and the solutions. You come up with the whole greater value thanks to your ability to think creatively outside the box. Harnessing your strategic thinking powers As a strategic thinker, you need to envision what could happen in the future and take that vision and apply, it said. A current circumstances you find yourself dealing with it sounds rather difficult at first , but it gets easier with practice and when you apply the following techniques that will sharpen your strategic thinking capabilities. Active reflection Strategic individuals heard The Harvard Business Review are individuals who are connectors. They forge connections between ideas, plans and people connections that others might not be able to see. They can make these connections where others failed to do so by giving their minds a chance to see these connections. How, through active reflection, strategic thinkers commit to making time reflecting under thoughts and actions. In other words, they commit the spending time thinking they think and reflect when they're going for a walk in the morning. They think when they are on the commutes work they reflect. When they are alone, they think and reflect at every opportunity they get using your entire brain. Since strategic thinking involves making connections, there are two types of thinking that you need to tap into. If you want to make it happen, The first type of thinking you need is divergent thinking where you observe the bigger picture and then work on generating ideas. The second type of thinking is convergent thinking where you begin examining and rearranging these ideas in a rational manner, studies claimed. The most innovative type of thinkers is the ones who can quickly switch between these two thinking styles. Doing that requires to use of your entire brain in a conscious decision. Toe alternate from one style of thinking to the next. Edward de Bono was a pioneer. The six thinking hats technique. They capitalized on this ability. De Bono's approach was to confront the problem, using six different hats and reflect using the divergent and convergent thinking. In other words, you need to be an active participant in the thinking process to use your entire brain expanding your horizons. Strategic thinkers are curious, and they actively seek opportunities to expand their horizons. They know firsthand that more ideas happening with greater exposure. The more experiences you have, the greater the connections you can make. They're not afraid to step outside of their comfort zone and try new things. New experiences meet new people and explore new places. Every difference or new avenue that is explored is an opportunity to stimulate the mind. Walking in another shoes, not in a literal sense, but the ability to see things from someone else's point of view is the mark of a good strategic thinker. Strategic thinkers know that ideas increase in value exponentially when they are approached from different angles and perspectives. To do that, they need to see things from someone else's point of view, and it's him to see how they view the world. To you, a problem might not seem like a big deal. But to someone else, that problem is the difference between success and failure. Encouraging the exchange of ideas with others is how strategic thinkers end up with a new pull of ideas and solutions that they can use be encouraging. Strategic thinkers encourage and welcome the introduction of new ideas and solutions. They don't believe that old saying Too many cooks spoil the broth to them, more strategic minds coming together means more ideas and solutions are being birthed. If they happen to be in a leadership position, they would be the kind of leader that encourages their team to speak up and share their ideas. They celebrate when someone else presents an ingenious solutions of foster confidence among the team. They encourage others to think strategically to because of their ability to see the real value of strategic thinking lies in building a strong framework for long term success in a business context. That framework is the ideas and knowledge that others contributes. Being decisive generating ideas alone is not enough. The execution of those ideas is equally important once they have generated these ideas and made the connections between them. Strategic thinkers know the next phase is to decide what needs to be done next, since time, money and a lack of resources are the common constraints. Most of the time in these situations, the ability to prioritize is going to be a strategic thinkers, most useful asset. They know they must be decisive, or all those ideas and solutions are going to go to waste. If nothing is done about it, think several steps ahead. Among the many traits that set strategists apart from everyone else is the ability to think several steps ahead when everyone else is only looking one or two steps forward when everyone else is only looking at what is going to happen tomorrow. Strategic thinkers are looking at what might happen next week and thinking about what they can do now to either change or steer themselves toward the desired outcome. This is one of the many qualities that makes them effective leaders, and they're not afraid to do what needs to be done to achieve the desired outcome, either. They're willing to make the short term sacrifice today for the long term gain they can envision next week.
7. Chapter 6 - Step 5: Abundance vs. Scarcity: Chapter six, Step five. Abundance versus Scarcity. The difference between success and failure is the abundance and scarcity mindset. The direction that your life goes will depend on the type of mindset you choose to it out. You can either see the world is abundant or you can see it is scarce, but you cannot do both. It is simply not possible for both mindsets to co exist, understanding the abundance and scarcity mindset when there exist within us a deep sense of security and self worth. That's when it becomes easier to adopt an abundance mindset. This way of thinking is rooted in the belief that there is more than enough of everything to go around for everyone on the other side of the spectrum. The scarcity mindset believes that nothing will ever be enough, and those with this mindset are often played with anxiety, fear, stress and seemingly live in a constant state of worry. Author Steven Covey, in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, explain that mindset, shrouded in scarcity, is like a mental prison You build for yourself. This mindset will always you competing against others even when there is more than enough for everyone to share. In other words, the abundance mindset will set you free, while the scarcity mindset will keep you trapped in a cycle of negativity. The mind set you choose to adopt is entirely up to you. But it is extremely important that you choose the right mindset to chart the course for the rest of your life. There's no shortage of research and evidence that clearly shows how the mind set you choose to adopt can radically alter the way you learn, how resilient you are, how you handle stress and the way you create the success you achieve in your life. There's even research that shows your immune system is affected by the kind of mind set you choose to adopt. Covey explained that those who live with the mindset of abundance were willing to share their success with others, while in contrast those living with scarcity way of thinking, engaged in destructive and competitive behaviour that damage relationships with others and themselves. The scarcity mindset is responsible for the win or lose way of thinking. I believe that if someone else one where they were more successful than you were, it meant you have lost the scarcity mindset can't comprehend or process the possibility that everyone could be a winner in their own way. Since copies bestseller hit the market, the abundance mindset has gained recognition as a beneficial tool needed for personal and spiritual growth and development. The abundance mindset is the prevailing belief that enables you to stay happy regardless of the circumstances. You find yourself in live a satisfying, happy and full life feel creative, inspired and plentiful. Feel secure and confident in any endeavour that you undertake freely received and give affection with these. Embrace the opportunities that come your way what sets them apart. Besides the terminology, there are other characteristics that set the abundance and scarcity mindset apart from each other. The abundance mindset encourages you to take risks, recognizing that growth can only take place when you're willing to step out of your comfort zone to achieve the goals you set for yourself. The abundance mindset welcomes change where the scarcity mindset believes in playing it safe by not taking any risks at all. The scarcity mindset is too caught up in their emotional fear and tries to avoid taking any kind of risk believing the worst case scenario is going to happen. The abundance mindset is a plentiful one and believes that there is always more of everything, whether it's resource is money, relationships, love or opportunities for success. The scarcity mindset, on the other hand, is a deficit, one that lives in constant fear of running out of the resource is they have, since they believe that nothing is ever enough, they're constantly competing against everyone else to remain on top. Unfortunately, sometimes they may be willing to resort to a less than honorable tactics to get themselves to the top. Of course, the abundance mindset is a positive one that focuses on the unlimited possibilities that life has to offer. Opportunities are everywhere, and those who practice this way of thinking have little trouble seeing the brighter side of life and everything that happens, be it good or bad. The scarcity mindset does the opposite, choosing to dwell on negativity and why life never seems to go their way to the one with the scarcity mindset. They're the victim, and it's always someone or something that should be blamed for any unfortunate events to default them. These individuals rarely choose to be accountable for their actions or thoughts, finding it easier to blame others, instead developing your abundance mindset. Becoming a mental model master means you're going to need to adopt an abundance mindset. If you're not already doing it. Begin cultivating this mindset by being mindful of your thoughts. We go through so many thoughts in a day that some of them haven't on autopilot. We often don't think about it mindfully enough to be aware of whether the thoughts that we're having are mostly positive or negative. We'll help you decipher which mindset you're creating for yourself When you take the time to notice what's going on in your head, you can actively switch gears when you realize your thoughts are drifting towards negativity. Being mindful of your words. It's not just our thoughts we need to be aware of, but the words that we say to the words in the language that you use to describe yourself, your life and the people around you shape the reality that you live in. The words you speak hold immense power in them. With a few simple words, you can either lift yourself up or bring yourself crashing down, defeated and demotivated. A few spoken words are all it takes to either give someone hope or destroy their self esteem. If you believe that you are surrounded by loving, supportive people, that life is good and full of possibilities, and you vocalize that you're cultivating such an environment for yourself using the power of your words practicing gratitude, studies have been done on the subject of gratitude, and it is proven that this is an immensely powerful tool in developing a sense of happiness and well being. Oprah Winfrey once said, When you stop to look at what you have in your life, that is when you'll have more. If you only look at what you don't have, then you will never have enough. Tony Robbins quoted something similar when he said, When you're grateful, that's when your fear disappears and abundance happens. It's hard to remain pessimistic when you think about all the blessings you have in your life. If you woke up this morning and you can think about more than one thing that you're grateful for, then you are very blessed person, and it's time to remind yourself of that every day. Share your passion. Life is always more enjoyable when you have someone to share in the happy moments and memories with when you learn to share what you have, there's a sense of contentment and deeper satisfaction that goes along with it. Sharing your passion and the things you are good at develops a sense of confidence within you. When you know you've done something that has helped another by getting into the habit of sharing what you have, you learn to see that you're never going to run out the way the scarcity mindset believes when you share, you get more in return when others share what they have with you. And this exchange keeps the cycle of abundance flowing so it never ends unless you stop it . Focusing on growth. The abundance mindset is a growth mindset, one that is always looking to develop its abilities. It's a grow, learn and become even better. Those who already practiced the abundance mindset are curious about the people in the world around them. They're curious about new experiences because they see it as an opportunity to learn. They're curious about other people because they recognize there is wisdom to be gained by learning from the experience of others. They reflect on their own experience to explore new avenues, to grow and develop the strings that they have, so they're always getting better each day. The abundance mindset constantly craves growth, and it's always seeking new knowledge, even on the subjects that they have already mastered. They do this by approaching everything from a beginner's point of view, and it is how they maintain an attitude of enthusiasm, openness and a willingness to always keep learning, no matter how experienced they may be focusing on the bright side, there is always a bright side to everything that happens and the abundance mindset individual has learned to recognize this. It is how they remain happy even in the face of difficult circumstances, where the scarcity mindset is busy complaining and dwelling on the Why me mentality, the abundance mindset keeps a smile on her face is by focusing on everything else, it is going right in their life. The abundance mindset has enabled them to see that problems never last for long, and it's only a small bump in the road. They choose not to let these problems rob them of their happiness or stop them from focusing on the bigger picture. This is how the abundance mindset maintains an optimistic attitude where the scarcity mindset cannot creating affirmations. Positive affirmations were underestimated for a long time until research suggested that they're powerful tools that could significantly decrease stress and enhance problem solving abilities. It is one of the many techniques used by individuals with an abundance mindset to help shift their thinking away from negativity so they can remain focused on the bigger picture . Positive affirmations could be anything that you want them to be and to cultivate the abundance mindset, these affirmations should be empowering enough to motivate and inspire you to act.
8. Chapter 7 - Step 6: Seeing the Bigger Picture: Chapter seven steps. Six. Seeing the bigger picture Could your need for perfectionism be compromising your ability to see the bigger picture? It might be if you're spending too much time on the finer details and those details, unfortunately, don't matter as much. In the grand scheme of things, getting to college and perfectionism is when you produce 95% quality. When you were asked to only give 80% you spent too much time trying to get from 85% of 95% . And it wasn't a productive use of your time. Not that there's anything wrong with trying to give it your best effort when you can, by all means go for it. But you need to know how to pick and choose your moments. What makes a big picture Thinker? Big picture thinkers don't have a lot of tolerance for tedious tasks or busy work that is not actively contributing to their goals. These individuals are often thought to be right brain thinkers, creative and quickly able to investigate out of pattern within a problem. Being able to think this way puts them at an advantage over everyone else because they're focused on the outcome. That means when it's time for them to decide, there's a higher chance they're going to make the right one. Thanks to their ability to think with clarity, they know what the goal is. They can see the path they need to take to get there, and they align their actions so they're always moving in the right direction. In a leadership position. Big picture thinkers lead their teams to work within the same context. These leaders motivate their teams to work with the overall goal in mind. Instead of merely focusing on trying to get the job done on time. These leaders motivate their teams to work with the purpose and ensure every team member always knows which direction they're going in and why. Big picture thinkers are highly motivated individuals, and they can see opportunities where others cannot. They never dwell on problems for long, choosing instead to focus on quickly coming up with solutions to the obstacles they face. They no problem solving is the only way to move one step closer to the goal because they can see what the overall picture is. These individuals never worry about the little details. If those details are not actively contributing to the outcome. The goal is the only one that matters in their minds. What is stopping you from thinking about the bigger picture? There are several factors that might be hindering your ability to see the bigger picture. You tend to procrastinate. It's never a productive use of time to keep putting off tasks that need to get done. Either way, procrastination is nothing more than a waste of time. And getting sidetracked by distractions keeps you from seeing the bigger picture and working towards your goal. You think short term focusing on short term outcomes or instant gratification leads you away from your goals. Thinking about the bigger picture is a long term commitment in patients, knowing that it is going to take time to get where you want to be. The downfall of many on their way to the top is the desire to give into temptation for immediate reward. The road to success is a long one, but the delayed gratifications will be worth it. If you're willing to be patient, you're prone to excuses. Big picture thinkers get things done and they don't let excuses get in the way when you're always looking for a reason not to do something, then it will never get done. When you make excuses, you're focusing on things that don't matter, and that is not something big picture thinkers engage in. There's always going to be an excuse not to do something. If you spend enough time looking for it, why not channel that energy towards something more productive? Instead, you over analyze another common time wasting habit. That far too many people engage in is over analyzing everything over analyzing means. You're focusing on the details that don't matter again. And it is a habit that is killing your productivity. Mastering the big picture mental model Anyone could become a big picture thinker when they have a goal in a purpose in mind. That's how individuals who have already mastered this mental model managed to stay so focused on what they need to do. They have a mission, a purpose that they're working towards, and this mindset gives them the ability to black out anything that is going to sidetrack them to master this mental model. This is what you need to do de clutter your mind. Not every detail is going to matter and a skill you must now develop as you work on. Mastering the big picture mental model is to de clutter your mind and free it from all the excess information You must be willing to let go of the details that are not important. If you want to see the bigger picture de cluttering, your mind is going to eliminate the unnecessary details from your workflow, thus ensuring that you're not stuck on one problem or task for far too long before moving on to the next. Allocator resource is wisely. As much as you would like to do it all, there's only so much you can do in a day. You need to choose your tasks wisely based on your big picture outcome, and then allocate your resources accordingly. Every action and decision that you take must be in favor of getting you one step closer to your goal. If it isn't doing that, then you shouldn't be spending time or energy on it. The ability to prioritize your tasks based on the probability of moving yourself forward has a strategic thinking element to it, too. Realistically, you can choose to say yes to everything if you wanted, but That's not what big picture thinkers do. Consider your alternatives. The actions you take are no doubt going to have an impact on a few people. And it is important to consider what your alternatives are to ensure that you're making the best possible decision for everyone involved. Whether we like it or not, Success is something that cannot be attained alone. You need other people to help movie forward in life, and big picture thinkers consider the consequences of their actions and how it is going to impact the relationships they have. There's an element of emotional intelligence involved here as you practice empathy and considering your options. If a decision you're about to make is going to negatively impact a relationship with a colleague, what are your alternatives? You might need this Colleagues help again in the future. So is this course of action the right choice? Or is there another path you can take? Don't focus on certainty. We all feel much better when there is a guarantee in place. But the reality is that is not always the case. When thinking about the bigger picture, it is important not to get too caught up in vying for certain sea or guarantee, because in the event things don't go your way, you might end up distressed about it. Thinking about the bigger picture involves looking at ways to minimize your stress, and this means you need to keep an open mind and maintain an understanding that anything can happen. Work with a goal in mind. But be ready to adapt if the occasion calls for it. See, every experience is a lesson. There's something to be learned from every experience that you go through, even in a task. A simplest washing the dishes. Big picture thinkers reflect on your experiences and think about the lessons that they can draw from it. What did that experience teach them about themselves? What did it teach them about others? How would these lessons be useful to them in moving them forwards toward achieving their goal? Gather insight from others. Getting input from a variety of sources is a necessary criteria on for developing big picture thinking. If you rely on just your knowledge to move you forward, there is only so far you can go. But when you include the experiences in life lessons of others into your perspective, you might see things in a completely different lights and find new and unique ways of solving your problems. Big picture thinkers seek advice and input from any source they can and welcome every opportunity to learn something new. They expand their horizons through not just the experiences that they undergo themselves, but by interacting with many different people across all walks of life. Allocate time for planning. Spend some time each week planning for the next steps that you are going to take. Big picture thinkers never forget about their goals, even for a minute, and they're constantly thinking about what needs to get done. They don't rest until their mission is complete, and until then, all distractions air cast to decide. But they don't wing it either. They spend time planning so they never waste time being idle. Have a reminder if you find it easy to get sidetracked from your goal than having a reminder might be what you need. Create a vision board, write down your mission and stick it around your home or in your cubicle at work. Surround yourself with these reminders so you don't have the opportunity to forget them. Stick these reminders on your mirrors next to your bed or make them your desktop or mobile wallpaper. Every time you look at these reminders, you'll remember what it is you're working hard for and why you're committing yourself to master these mental models to think differently. Rest for the weary. Working hard towards a goal is great, but not at the expense of your mental and physical health. Schedule. Time for breaks in between so you can refresh and recharge. Coming back to your task with renewed motivation and energy fatigue and separateness will distract you from thinking clearly. And when that happens, you're compromising your ability to think about the bigger picture. All work and no rest are never good for anyone and planned rest times or part of your success strategy to.
9. Chapter 8 - Step 7: Reflect Before You Act: Chapter eight steps seven Reflect before you act. An extension of the critical thinking process is another mental model called reflective thinking, and it involves the process of analyzing the events that have happened to you when you think about what you know, what you need to know. And when you bridge that knowledge gap is, you learn from experience, you're engaging in reflective thinking. A lot of the problems we face today happened when we don't spend enough time thinking about the consequences of her actions and decisions. We don't reflect on what has happened. Instead, we waste our time feeling guilty or wishing we hadn't done it by that time. It is already too late, and if we had learned from the mistakes of the past, we could have easily avoided a lot of trouble. We bring into our lives. The society we live in is becoming increasingly more complex. Information is now readily available, but at the same time it is also rapidly changing, which then prompts us to continuously think adept, switch directions and develop new strategies to resolve the problems and challenges we might encounter. Reflective thinking is becoming a necessity as a tool to help us apply that new knowledge we acquire. Without it, we could not be able to develop the higher order thinking capabilities we need That prompts us to relate new knowledge to our prior understanding. The ability to think both in conceptual and abstract terms requires reflective thinking, and it is essential if we want to be able to succeed in complex and unpredictable situations with reflective thinking. You develop new perspectives. You develop an attitude of curiosity, constantly seeking new information and even questioning your existing body of knowledge. You develop the ability to identify what improvements and changes need to be made. You develop the ability to effectively respond to new challenges that you're confronted with. You develop the ability to generalize and apply what you know from one context to the next as you adapt. The reflective thinking process is an iterated cycle. It doesn't happen once and then stops there. Each time you acquire new knowledge, you have to reflect on what you've just learned and analyze how that information could be developed. Further. What happens when reflection is absent when we don't stop and reflect, we don't change for the better. We keep doing what we're already doing. Whether it works or not, we keep going. We continue to push through without considering if our actions are effective or not. We stay in jobs, were not passionate about we remain in toxic relationships, were stressed, were unhappy. We're frustrated and we asked ourselves why our situation doesn't change for the better. There's a reason why you're stuck in a rut because you're not reflecting on the changes that need to be made, and therefore you're not doing anything about it. When you don't think about what needs to be changed, you don't know what needs to be changed. Think of it like running on a treadmill. You're running, but you're going nowhere and you just keep running and see. He gets hard enough to stop in real life that is called Crash and Burn. Without reflective thinking, it might never occur to you to hop off the treadmill to do something different. There's a saying that you might be familiar with insanity is the act of doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting the results to be different. We know this yet we still do it anyway. Continue with the same routine and wondering why life is not getting any better when something is not going well in your life, you need to step back and reflect on the reason why you need to think about what went wrong , what didn't work and why and what, if anything, you could do differently to improve the outcome. That's what the reflective thinking mental model entails. Two things need to happen before reflective thinking can take place. You need to be prepared and you need to consider. You need to be prepared to step back and taken objective view of your circumstance. Criticize your actions. If something is not working, then it's not working. Be accountable for it. Think about possible alternative outcomes or solutions to your circumstance. Utilize information from more than one source. So your perspective and body of evidence or broader. Except that even your point of view might not always remain the same. Ideas, perspectives and opinions change all the time. Hold discussions with people outside your circle so you develop a wider body of knowledge. When you're brainstorming a solution, have a list of reflective questions to ask yourself. Think about the way your emotions influence your thoughts and your actions. If you reacted to a certain way to your circumstance. Why think about what you could have done differently? Think about what you would do next time. Should you find yourself in a similar circumstance, you need to consider how your experience compares to your current situation, how your experience may have altered your understanding of your current circumstances. What would have happened if you chose to think a react differently? It's easy to say I don't have time. I've got too much to do. I don't have the energy for this. When things were hectic everyday like it was mentioned in Chapter seven, there's always going to be a reason not to do something. If you want the reason to exist, it is a simple is that reflective thinking is something you have to make time for. If you want change to happen, you must make it happen. Working on your reflective thinking skills. If you want to master this mental model, this is what you need to do. Reflect on yourself. When was the last time you gave some serious thoughts what you wanted out of your life? When was the last time you thought about your emotions? The benefits of self awareness and knowing yourself have been well documented throughout history, starting with renowned philosophers like Pythagoras, Aristotle and Socrates. When you reflect on yourself, you're identifying your core values, guiding principles, ideas and believes you're learning to define your priorities and ascertain what your strengths are. You're pinpointing what your weaknesses. Maybe you're learning to understand where your true passion lies in what factors motivates you. You get a better idea of what you want out of your life. You gain all those benefits through the simple act of self reflection, reflect on what matters to you. Home family, health, happiness, relationships, well being goals, personal growth, spirituality, financial status, fun and enjoyment. Recreation. These are the various aspects that make your life hell. Hole. The Wheel of Life is a tool that has been used for the past couple of years. Many coaches who work with their clients for self improvement. The original wheel originated in Buddhism, and the modern version of the wheel was created by Paul Meyer, who was a pioneer in a self improvement arena. Ask the right self reflective questions. The wheel of life can be used as a reference point in the development of your self reflective questions. Examples of what self reflective questions would look like include What do I want more or less off? How do I feel about a specific area of my life? How about I write my satisfaction levels were happiness in this area. Is there any area in the wheel that is not working? Why, what areas are working well and why? What are my goals for these areas? What actions need to be taken if I want to see improvements? Am I focusing on the right thing? Make reflective thinking part of your routine. As mentioned earlier, Reflective thinking is not a one off process. It should be made a part of your everyday routine. If you want to successfully master this mental model, there is no good or bad time to reflect, since this is a process that could be done anytime and anywhere provided you're in the right frame of mind to do it, you can commit to reflecting in the morning, afternoon at night, over the weekend. Whenever you've accomplished a new milestone every week every month at the end of a situation you've recently dealt with, it is up to you schedule a time that works best for you, but do it consistently enough to initiate real change. Create a journal. A reflective journal is a great tool. There's something therapeutic about writing your ideas down on paper, and seeing it visually in front of you could actually help you see things a lot more clearly compared to if you were trying to process everything in your mind. Our minds are already filled with more than enough information and stimuli, sometimes to the point we feel we are overloaded with information and we simply can't take it anymore. A reflective journal then provides an outlet for you to channel your thoughts, and it comes with the additional benefit of being accessible whenever you need to go back and go through previous experiences become a neutral observer. Effective reflection happens. We can step back and step into the role of being a neutral observer, one without bias and judgment. You're going to need to be the fly on the wall in this context, looking at your life from a different point of view. This could be an incredibly insightful process, particularly when you're faced with a difficult situation that you're struggling to resolve as a fly on the wall, you're going to pretend you're watching a movie about your life. From this perspective, what advice would you give yourself and why meditating, possibly the most effective self reflection tool that has been around for thousands of years is meditation. Meditation helps you reconnect and focus on the mental side of things just like self reflection does. It is an introspective tool and possibly the only practice out there, which can help you tap into the power that lies within your self conscious mind. Meditation helps you develop an awareness of yourself while simultaneously giving you a greater sense of connection with the world around you. It brings a sense of inner peace and balance sue qualities that can go a long way towards your self reflective process. Because of the mental clarity that you gain from meditation, which will help you understand what may be holding you down, Meditation teaches you to live in the present instead of being caught up in all the noise and business of your life. Self reflection cannot happen if we do not live in the present, taking each moment as it comes and appreciating it for what it is
10. Conclusion - How to Think Differently: conclusion. Thank you for making it through the end of how to think differently. Let's hope it was informative and able to provide you with all the tools you need to achieve your goals. Whatever they may be, every problem has a solution. You simply had to tweak your ability to approach the problem from a different angle. That was the missing link you were searching for, and now you found it. With the seven step process you need to master the mental models needed for success. You have the potential within you to be successful to achieve every goal you set for yourself to stand out from the crowd and set yourself apart from the rest of the pack. You have the ability within you all along, except that you didn't know how to bring it to the surface until now. Along the way. As you learn to master these mental models, you're going to make mistakes. You'll make mistakes, yes, but you'll also learn from those experiences. Your triumphs will strengthen your mental muscles, and as you progress, it starts to get easier. Stepping out of your comfort zone. One day you'll reach the point where you no longer fear change, but embrace it. This is what thinking differently is going to do for you. Ultimately, it is the ones who learn to think differently. See the bigger picture and think outside the box that are the greatest leaders, the ones who contributes and make their mark. You have everything you need to chart the course towards success. It is now up to you to go forth and make it happen.