Back To Basics: How to Think Better

Thinking is the hardest most important task any person performs.

-Harvey Mackay.

Random thoughts fly our minds at staggering rates. One report quantifies this rate to be on average; 70,000 thoughts per day.

However, what is more interesting is the premise that 90% of the thoughts thought up today are the thoughts that were thought up yesterday, and the day before that. If thoughts lead to action as depicted by the thought-choice-decision-action chain, it implies that there is a 90% chance that we would be repeating things we must have done in the past that led to our current status. Change would then have to come from our ability to alter our thought/thinking pattern; either by introducing new ones or/and eradicating old ones.

In my previous post, I highlighted thinking as a requirement for overcoming the hindrances that hold us back. Hindrances that results from useless habits. Useless habits that may not be within our awareness.

In this post, I continue the discussion focusing on improving our ability to think. And, argue that the most valuable thing in doing the best with what we have the best way we can lies in our ability to think –most times creatively.

Wikipedia defines thinking as the act or process that produces ideas or the arrangement of ideas.  Vocabulary.com defines it as the process of considering something carefully.

While these definition bring some clarity to what thinking is, I am more interested in the answer to a basic question: How can I think better?

Think Big vs. Think Small

The first non-fiction book I ever read was Think Big by Benjamin Carson. I was ten. At that time, my parents had coaxed my siblings and I into reading; all in the spirit of getting us to inculcate the valuable habit.

The concept of thinking big implies that you think up outcomes that seem impossible to achieve. Such as; experiencing galactic travel; becoming a Fortune 100 company CEO or swimming across the Atlantic ocean.

On the other hand, thinking small implies focusing thoughts on small actions required to achieve results. Such as; waking everyday at 5am to write a page of a book; weighing yourself regularly to maintain your weight or speaking to one new person a week to improve your network.

When put side by side these two concepts -think big and think small- seem to be at opposite ends. But, a closer look reveals that they point to the same thing.

While think big advises you to think up outcomes, think small suggests you focus on the process that lead to the outcomes you seek. One without the other might just turn up results that fall below expectations.

Take this with you. In thinking, don't be so consumed by the thrill of achieving a big dream that you forget the small steps in the process necessary to get you there. Recognize big outcomes you desire but focus your thoughts on the process required to get you the outcome.

Developing Insights

The ability to quickly develop insights is what makes the outstanding amongst us truly shine. However, most of us  take this skill for granted, arguing that the ability to develop insights is not a skill; it just comes naturally to some people.

Without delving into why such argument is greatly flawed, let's consider a few tips that help us in improving our ability to develop insights. 

Explore Opposing Ideas.
Ever heard that love is selfishness through selflessness? This stands as one of the epitomes of opposing ideas I have recently come across. Opposing ideas once connected and understood have the power to keep us grounded and open-minded.

Probe Your Mind.

Ask questions and probe your mind for answers. In every area of your personal and professional life -work, friends, family, health, finance- learn to ask the right questions.

Use Why? How? What? Who? When? Where? to begin sentences as it regards the problems you currently face. Pick one question you feel makes a priority and attempt to answer it.

Incubation and Meditation.
Chances are when you probe your mind with questions, answers won't come rushing into your awareness. You have to wait patiently for your mind to incubate the ideas necessary to answer your question.

The best ideas have been said to come in the most ill-prepared times -while bathing, cooking, eating, sleeping etc.

Relaxing moments are invaluable in the insights-development process. This is why insights come to us when we are engaged in the mindless activities of cooking or sleeping rather than when we are anxiously probing the mind for answers.

Meditation relaxes the mind and body and increases the chances to seeing inward revelations. Set out time to meditate on a regular basis so as to bring clarity to your mind. Headspace.com has an amazing system to ease you into building this habit.

Articles, Blogs and Books

It's been said that you are a product of the books you read and the people you spend time with. Read books. Books change people. New concepts found in books alter our thinking pattern and ultimately changes our inclinations to take certain actions, sometime quickly, other times very slowly.

Thanks to the internet, information now circulates at an unprecedented rate. How you use this opportunity is up to you.

I personally look to books and articles found in blogs and magazines. Books have the advantage of containing deep insights especially when it comes to delving into specific topics. Blogs have articles that gives quick insights into areas that may be troubling you.

When reading, seek understanding from what you are reading. Its only in delving deeply into a book that you can truly grasp the breadth and depth of what it is trying to teach you.

As you read, take notes of your thoughts, make out questions for clarity and build to-dos that you can add to your activities to test. If a book doesn't appeal to you. Dump it and move to one that does.

Some of us have difficulty with reading new books. Sometimes we have genuine reasons, the most common of which is "no time". Think of not having time to fuel your car or not having time to water your plants. You have to deliberately make out time. Start small. 30 minutes a day/week with a book. Read it when you have the chance -during commute, waiting on a queue, taking a dump. With time you'll begin to wonder how lived without this valuable habit.

Final Thoughts

A better life rests in your ability to think better. The random thoughts that fly our minds don't really care about leading us to where we'll love to be. We have to deliberately apply ourselves into the art of thinking better.

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Post Written by W. P. Uduk.
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Editor's Note: Back to Basics is an occasional feature that focuses on vital behaviours and hacks necessary for a remarkable life.

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