Thinking About Thinking

If you want to think better, practice thinking.

 I started running marathons after I turned 40.  I set a personal record (PR) in each of the first three. (Of course, I had to set a PR in the first one.) Then, I went ten years before setting another PR. Since 2016, I lowered my record five more times.  What changed?  I practiced better.  I did not significantly increase total training time each week; however, I trained better.

 That same principle applies to thinking and planning.  To think/plan better, you have to do it more and, you have to do it with intentionality. You cannot make good decisions without good thinking and good thinking requires time and focus.

 I always do best when I think through issues in stages.  First, I  spend time alone to generate ideas.  Then, I test them out with others.  Third, I spend time evaluating what I learned. Finally, I engage with clients, mentors, or friends and finalize a decision.  When I follow this process, things go better.  Now, with my MBA out of the way, I look forward to a season of thinking and planning.

 That same level of intentionality goes to being present in the moment during meetings.  Try this trick several times over the next couple of weeks.  Before getting on a video call, spend two minutes thinking through the objectives of the meeting, the people on the call and gearing up to be present.  Then, ignore your email, phone, and other distractions to fully focus on the interaction.

 P.S. I am a big fan of Shane Parrish (Farnum Street and The Knowledge Project).Thanks to him for an article on thinking this week that triggered this post.