Thinking Skills | Journey of a Strategic Thinker | Day 31

 “A person who knows how may always have a job, but the person who knows why will always be his boss.”

 

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Thinking Skills | Journey of a Strategic Thinker | Day 31

 

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Last one month in this journey has been exciting. You can find more about that here:


Thinking Skills | Journey of a Strategic Thinker | Week 1
Thinking Skills | Journey of a Strategic Thinker | Week 2
Thinking Skills | Journey of a Strategic Thinker | Week 3 & 4


Today we explore another paradigm of thinking models. The more easy to understand these models are, higher the chance that you'll remember them and use them. In my pursuit to look for easy to understand thinking models, I landed upon this book - "How Successful People Think".
 

Strategic Thinking Myths Debunked -

Myth 1. - Improvement in your thinking happens over time automatically.

• We all (most of us) grew up thinking this to be true
• unfortunately this doesn't happen automatically
• I was 5'4" when I was in school. I'm 6' now. Body grows. Experiences grows. Thinking capability might improve a little bit (if you are lucky) based on what kind of experiences you faced in life.
• For majority of people their thinking capability remains almost around same through out life.

Myth 2. - Confident people are Smart and Better thinkers

• Unfortunately, this is also not true.
• Confident people are usually less than average.
• Famously referred to as Dunning Kruger Effect.

 

 

Myth 3. - I need to take a single action to become a better thinker

• single, one-off actions don't work
• it should be a lasting habit
• clear and effective thinking is achieved by committing to continuous process

 

Myth 4. - I don't need to expose myself to everything

• effective thinking is achieved when you can use idea from one field in another field.
• read books, listen to audiobooks, watch videos
• write down if you find something interesting

 

Myth 5. - I can do it alone

• humans are social animal.
• even if you are introvert, you need exposure to different kinds of people, different mindsets.
• helps with overcoming insecurity and embarrassment.
• spend time with the right people
• surround yourself with brilliant people
• you are the average of 5 people with whom you spend the most time

Thinking Model #1

Big Picture Thinking

Steps towards being a Big Picture thinker:

1. don't run away from uncertainty
   
   • uncertainty is frightening, but essential
   • accept the fact that most of what happens is out of your control
   • look at everything like watching a movie
   • notice the players, the events, the story
   • this way you can easily find places where you can make a move
     
     
2. don't try to fit everything into rigid frameworks
   
   • don't use hammer in every place
   • keep other tool ready with you
   • have a wide range of ideas 
   • see if you can find a pattern in complex situations
     
     
3. don't love status-quo
   
   • security and simple situations make average thinkers
   • think deeper and wider
   • look from all view points
   • come up with alternative solutions
     
     
4. don't run away from failure
   
   • search for lessons in every situation
   • you grow more from bad situations
   • both good and bad outcomes help you understand the bigger picture
     
     
5. don't just focus on yourself
   
   • look at others
   • get out of your comfort zone
   • try different things
   • absorb knowledge from the experience of others
   • don't be afraid to seek guidance from others

Big picture thinking have two main sides:

• knowing how to gain perspective in any situation. 
• The goal is to see a larger picture
• enlarge your frame of image
• broaden your vision, so you see more of what's there
  
• allow yourself to have big audacious, ambitious thoughts and dreams

 

Keep reading. Keep thinking.

Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals.

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