6 Ways to Enhance Your Thinking Skills
The World's Great Thinkers
Throughout history, advances in the world have resulted from great thinkers. Great thinking led to penicillin, computers, putting humankind on the moon, and more.
We need people who can focus their critical and creative thinking towards the challenges of our times. You may believe that great thinkers are someone else, somebody with a different type of education or a job different than yours.
This is not true. Every one of us is as capable of great thinking as any other. Thinking is a skill everyone can master.
The Power of Thinking
Positive, insightful thoughts can do many things. Thinking allows us to review issues, generate ideas, and solve problems. Our thoughts can take us from where we are in any given moment all the up to the highest levels of success. If you change your thinking, you change your life.
Thinking That Creates Change
In his book, "How Successful People Think", John C. Maxwell reminds us of three important aspects of the kind of thinking that changes lives:
- This kind of thinking is not automatic. Great ideas do not land on our laps. They arrive after deliberate and focused thinking.
- This kind of thinking is difficult. It is not easy to come up with great ideas. If it were, our world would be practically flawless. Critical and creative thinking takes skill, energy, and time.
- This kind of thinking is worth the investment. The good news is that the results justify the work and dedication required.
6 Ways to Enhance Your Thinking Skills
Like all valuable skills, thinking requires constant practice and genuine work. Here are six ways you can enhance your thinking skills:
- Keep an open mind. The simpler response to a problem is to think of one solution and put that solution into action. This may appear to save time, but it can also prevent real creativity and innovation from happening. Great thinkers consider all options, not just the most obvious.
- Consider all sides of the issue. Great thinkers take nothing for granted and they question everything, even their most deeply held beliefs and perceptions. So many innovations would never have happened otherwise. As Carl Sagan said, "In a complex universe, in a society undergoing change, how can we find the truth if we are not willing to question everything and to give a fair hearing to everything?"
- Be persistent. Great thinkers do more than consider a variety of ideas; they put them to the test. Some of the ideas do not work. Great thinkers expect that and they have a bunch of other ideas ready to be tried. Like I said earlier, great thinking is difficult and it is worth it.
- Stay agile. Sometimes what looks like a good idea stops working. It may have even yielded exceptional results, and then the situation changes. Great thinkers remain ready to adjust to the circumstances. They pivot with an open heart and mind.
- Learn from others. Great thinkers do not come up with all of the ideas they explore. They talk to others, listen, learn, and work together.
- Pay attention. The world is filled with interesting people doing interesting things and a physical world full of wonder. Great thinkers have their minds turned on. They take note of what is happening around them, ask questions, and keep learning.
Call to Action
The next time you find yourself faced with an issue or a challenge, take note of how you think it through. Do you follow all of the tips listed in this blog? If not, try a new approach.
Your Friends,
The UpCloseTeam
