“Emotional resilience” is the ability to bounce back from emotional upheaval. You may have a moment of despair, but you recover quickly. Your buttons may be pushed, but you are able to be curious about your reaction and refocus on values. The key to emotional resilience is the ability to suspend action on an emotional […]| Thinking Directions
When you have limited time to get work done, you need to focus your effort and keep it on track. A 3-point plan helps you do that. I mean something specific by a 3-point plan. It is not just a list of three tasks. It is a prioritized, integrated list that captures your intentions for […]| Thinking Directions
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ backgro...| Thinking Directions
Thinking Lab scholarships are available from time to time from generous donors who want to support the younger generation. For an idea of how the Thinking Lab can […]| Thinking Directions
In this free teaser for the Thinking Lab, I will explain how tactics help thinkers use their minds more effectively and why even the smartest, most effective thinkers benefit from using them. (In fact, they benefit the fastest, because they quickly integrate the tactics with their existing processes.)| Thinking Directions
Share this page| Thinking Directions
This class teaches a radically positive approach to doing challenging work. I call this approach “focused action,” as opposed to “hard work,” because such work takes effort — often a lot of effort. But it’s not well-described as hard.[...]| Thinking Directions
Do you speak up about issues in your sex life with your romantic partner? Or about political issues with close friends and family who disagree with you? Or about fundamental philosophical differences with friends from work or school? Many people are afraid to discuss important disagreements with those they care about. They fear that talking about […] The post The Courage to Speak Up appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Emotional presence is a sometimes elusive state that is variously called being “in the moment,” or “in the flow,” or “centered,” or “grounded,” or “present.” I think of it as a state of mental poise, which you achieve by being fully aware of your surroundings and your purpose. You are aware of what is most […] The post 5 Steps to Emotional Presence appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Every emotion needs to be introspected to identify the deep values at stake. Don’t misunderstand this advice. I am not recommending that whenever you get triggered, you should stop whatever you are doing to go to your desk to work through an introspection tactic. My advice is a principle: you need to introspect your emotions […] The post Turn Off the Trigger with a 5-4-3-2-1 Switch appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Last week I wrote about the problem with setting twofers as goals. Drafting that article took longer than I planned, as I mentioned. What I didn’t say was that it took 5x as long as I planned! 14 hours! That was ridiculous in some ways, and okay in others, because it enabled me to make […] The post A Case Study in Integrating Systems appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
When your goal is really a “twofer” — two benefits you think you can get for the price of one project — it often turns out that you don’t get either benefit. That’s because a “twofer” doesn’t guide action the way a properly integrated goal does. What makes something a twofer It’s not always easy […] The post Why a “Twofer” Doesn’t Work as a Goal appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
When you set a challenging goal, you need to plan multiple ways to motivate yourself to ensure you follow through. There will be days you are distracted or have low energy. There will be unforeseen difficulties. Some of the necessary steps will seem like drudgery. You can’t just rely on your desire for the end […] The post The Role of Self-Understanding in Achieving Ambitious Goals appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Are you still keeping your New Year’s Resolutions? And/or working toward the goals you set for this year? Or did your plans flop? If you’re thinking they flopped, you need a new way to set goals — one that motivates you to follow through instead of breeding self-criticism. Why do you think the plan flopped? […] The post Did That New Year’s Plan Flop? appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
I’m an advocate of routines — highly individualized routines. A good routine ensures you do what’s best for you, without a lot of time or trouble. For example, routines for getting up and going to bed protect your time for sleep. When you’re sleepy — in the morning or in the evening — it’s hard […] The post Ramping Back Up After You’ve Been Off Your Routine appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In the age of streaming video and audiobooks, many people turn to listening as their primary way of learning new ideas. This has some cognitive risks that aren’t generally considered. If you are concerned with your operational intelligence, i.e., your ability to think and communicate effectively, here are some facts about how ideas get stored […] The post Listening vs. Reading vs. Talking vs. Writing appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Much chronic pain can be eliminated by better posture, but good posture cannot be forced. Rules such as “stand up straight” and “don’t slouch” can do more harm than good. Until it is fully automatized, a change in posture needs to be initiated and maintained throughout one’s day by conscious direction. For this, there is […] The post Book Recommendation: The Posture Workbook <br />by Carolyn Nicholls appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
For years, I’ve been arguing against a simplistic “just do it” approach to getting things done. That approach uses pressure as the prime motivator. But pressure sabotages your ability to think clearly and creatively. The alternative I developed is self-direction, a method of activating the values you already hold to motivate the action. The general […] The post The Focus Sprint appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
My mother had a few one-liners she used to encourage us. If you were in a funk, she would say, “You need to stand on your head.” If you faced a daunting task, she would say, “Effort, St. Swithins!” I never did learn how to stand on my head, nor why St. Swithins should be […] The post Effort, St. Swithins! appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
If you’ve read my newsletter for a long time, you know a few things about my thoughts related to working on a deadline. I don’t think it is ever wise to suppress your emotions (barring a literal life-and-death emergency) — a related discussion is here. Based on this conclusion, I gave up acting on the […] The post Thoughts on Sticking to a Deadline for Writing Work appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
I have been reading and thinking about one paragraph a day from “Galt’s Speech” from Atlas Shrugged. When I got to paragraph 75, I decided it needed two days of thinking. Then I decided I should share my chewing of this meaty and important paragraph with you. Here is the paragraph: Happiness is not to […] The post Chewing Ayn Rand’s Ideas on Happiness appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Recently I’ve been discussing the need to reboot your thinking when you are in a dysfunctional state. The emotion of despair deserves special attention under this heading. Unlike other emotions, the emotion of despair always indicates a mistake somewhere in your thinking. And because it is so enervating, it requires a definite decision to “reboot.” […] The post Thoughts on Despair appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In my previous article, I explained what dysfunctional states are and why you need to “reboot” your mind when you get into one. But I kept to the simple ones: overload, confusion, and blankness. Conflict, meaning the experience of emotions pulling you in multiple directions, can also be a dysfunctional state — one that is […] The post Intense Emotional Conflict as a Dysfunctional State appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
After back-and-forths with some Thinking Labbers, I’ve got a lead to what causes some people to bog down in thinking about issues and never get into action. It’s popular to say that such people are “overthinking” and need “a bias for action.” But inaction is a symptom of the problem, not the problem per se. […] The post Thoughts on “Overthinking” appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Some people muddle together values and emotions when they discuss motivation. These are two very different (though causally related) phenomena. Some people get confused about the roles of thought and action in forming values and triggering emotions. I thought I’d sort these issues out in one place. The terms A value (in the psychological sense) […] The post Distinguish Values and Emotions appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
When I was a graduate student studying Objectivism, my professor, Harry Binswanger, required that I memorize all of the definitions that are mentioned in Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. One or more of them appeared on every exam. Thanks to this assignment, I created a set of handwritten flash cards, and I used them to memorize […] The post The Value of Knowing Definitions appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
As soon as you finish reading this article, I recommend that you take out your smartphone, open the stopwatch app, start the timer, and then march out of the building. Keep going until the stopwatch hits 90 seconds, then turn around and come back. You will have defined a 3-minute walk. How a pre-defined 3-minute […] The post The 3-Minute Walk appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
When the desire for approval is driving many decisions, it is a “defense value.” It distorts your choices and actions and undercuts your successes and sense of self. Fortunately, this is a problem that can be remedied by taking an active approach to reprogramming your value hierarchy to eliminate this distortion. What is a defense […] The post How to Deal with a Defense Value of Approval appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Big decisions can be made quickly and easily if you simply compare the best-case scenarios — and commit to doing the work to achieve the best outcome. This is a brilliant idea of Brooke Castillo’s that cuts through fear, doubt, and uncertainty and propels you into action. I’m sure you need convincing, so please hear […] The post An Effective Way to Make Big Decisions appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Everyone can benefit from making a list of 25 amazingly big goals they wish they could accomplish in their lives. What counts as an “amazingly big goal”? By an “amazingly big goal,” I mean something that seems audacious to you to set as a goal. It is something you occasionally daydream about, seriously or not. […] The post A Big Goals List appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Moral self-criticism doesn’t need to be deeply painful, not if you interpret virtues as telling you how to be happy, not what kind of person you are. What??? I’m not saying moral self-criticism is going to be pleasant. A moral person is always going to feel some guilt and concern if the thought goes through […] The post Virtues: The How, not the What appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
We had an interesting conversation about “failure” on a Launch call recently. One of the coaches for the program asked if we shouldn’t call a “failure” a “setback” instead. Calling the result a “failure” brought up a lot of old baggage and feelings of discouragement that seemed to get in the way of moving forward. […] The post A Constructive Attitude Toward Failure appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
I recently answered a query on LinkedIn: New LinkedIn data shows that the number of “boomerangs,” or employees who left a company for a certain amount of time and then returned, is rising — and it’s even higher at top employers. We’d love you to weigh in: What advice do […] The post Clearing Emotional Baggage About Flip-Flopping on a Decision appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
As part of improving my sleep, I’m on a campaign to jump out of bed at a standard wakeup time each morning. Although I’m pretty consistent at getting up, sometimes I resist getting out of bed. I have applied everything I know about motivation to creating a process for myself to make this change. I […] The post The First Choice of the Day appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Based on some comments I made in a coaching call, a Thinking Labber wrote to me as follows: I’m fascinated by the idea that self-sacrifice is an easily activated context and not a habit. I’d love to learn more about that, but I’m not sure of the right questions to ask. I’m […] The post Activating a Context Versus Triggering a Habit appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
There are three kinds of actions that mark a person as having an active mind. 1. You look beyond the obvious options and the obvious explanations to make sure you’ve got the full picture. 2. You do the introspective work to make your own values explicit, especially when you experience internal conflict. 3. You find […] The post The Active Mind appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
When you read self-help books, you can expect that you will need to analyze them carefully to separate the wheat from the chaff. Many such books can be very helpful if you look at the practical advice and rethink the validation of it for yourself. Too often, the explanation for why something works is mistaken. […] The post Are Patience, Humility, and/or Obsession Needed for Success? appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Curiosity is not just a penchant for asking a lot of questions. It is a specific kind of interest in a topic, which is critical to thinking and problem-solving. What is curiosity? Curiosity is the emotion you get when you have a sense that there is a phenomenon to understand of which you are aware […] The post Curiosity appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Asking yourself questions is a critical part of thinking. But it’s possible to become mentally paralyzed if you ask yourself unhelpful questions. You can easily figure out that a question is unhelpful if you do your thinking “on paper” as I recommend in the Thinking Directions Starter Kit. If you find yourself staring at a […] The post “Helpful” Questions appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
If you lack momentum on some project, that means your goal or the path to your goal is vague in some way. It is not enough to have a generalized idea of the outcome and the steps involved. You need clarity regarding how your steps will get you from here to there. If you aren’t […] The post Gain Momentum with an Initiative appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
What are your long-range goals? That is, goals that will take a year or more to achieve? If you already have long-range goals, now is a good time to take stock. How will you make significant progress toward them in the weeks and months ahead? The longer-range the goal, the more important it is to […] The post Planning for the New Year and Beyond appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Ayn Rand said man is “a being of self-made soul.” David Goggins is a man of self-designed soul. At a young age, he literally looked into a mirror and decided he didn’t like what he saw. He embarked on a journey to turn himself into the kind of man he wanted to be. He succeeded through total honesty […] The post Book Recommendation: Never Finished by David Goggins appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
I purchased Outlive by Peter Attia just a few weeks ago. As a result of reading it, I have already materially upgraded my diet and exercise regimes. The book gave me a new clarity about my health priorities, which created instant motivation. I recommend Outlive to you, my readers, in part because you are generally […] The post Book Recommendation: Outlive by Peter Attia appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Over the years, I have written several articles on how to do a mental cleanup when you need to stop a task prematurely to get started on something else. And I’ve also written about warming up your mental circuits to get started from a cold start. I reviewed how to stop and start on demand […] The post Stopping and Starting: Why It Can Be Hard to Make Transitions appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
The very first article I wrote for my newsletter was a book recommendation for David Allen’s book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. That was 2004. Recently I realized that I had misunderstood the utility of a key tool from his system — the weekly review. This is particularly ironic to me, because […] The post The Weekly Review appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Many people tend to use the terms “values” and “goals” almost interchangeably. But though your goals and your values are related, they are not the same thing at all. Understanding the difference between your goals and your values can help you avoid or solve many problems with productivity. This includes problems as diverse as overcommitment, […] The post Goals, Values, and Productivity appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In the Thinking Lab, I have a lot of material teaching goal-setting. But generally, the exercises start with writing down a pre-existing list of goals or a vague goal or a list of possible goals. Usually the problem is that people have goals that do not effectively guide and motivate their action. Either the goals […] The post FAQ: What if I don’t have any goals? appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
A while ago, I read an interesting book called The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Goals by Keith Ellis. Much of his approach is compatible with mine. Here is a clever tactic of his for using your skill at procrastination as a power for good. The problem What do you do when […] The post When You Might Want to Procrastinate… appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
If you are in a major transition in your life — a career transition, or a change of phase, or an adjustment of your direction — you need objectivity about your deepest, most meaningful goals. You might want to consider writing your own eulogy to help clarify your direction. This is not a morbid exercise in considering your death. […] The post Clarify Your Meaningful Goals by Writing Your Own Eulogies appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Stress is a real mechanical phenomenon. The picture with this article is a graphic showing a “finite element stress analysis.” It’s important to see how pressure on one part of the material can affect the strength of the material — and perhaps cause it to fail. It is also a real physiological phenomenon. If you […] The post Thoughts on the Concept of “Stress” appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In Tap Your Own Brilliance, I teach in-depth tactics for dealing with the three most common thinking obstacles: overload, blankness, and floundering. But sometimes you need only the basic solution. The basic solution for overload is to get ideas out of your head onto paper. The basic solution for floundering is to clarify your goal. […] The post The Basic Solution for Blankness appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In my (free) Thinking Directions Starter Kit, I teach a foundational tactic called “Thinking on Paper.” Whenever you need leverage to deal with any mental issue — cognitive, emotional, or behavioral — “thinking on paper” helps. The process of purposefully writing out your thoughts, sentence by sentence, activates relevant knowledge, brings hidden values to light, and frees […] The post Color Your Thoughts appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Life events that cause “stress” include both marriage and divorce, both losing a job and getting promoted, both the birth of a child and the death of a loved one. What is in common among these? All such “stressful” events cause a sudden shift in your priorities. That shift has predictable cognitive and emotional consequences. […] The post Mitigate “Stressful” Events appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In my husband’s discussion group for Objectivists, a member asked: What I’m grappling with here is the manner and degree to which the underlying ideas and value-judgments can be formed in the first place, without one being conscious of forming them. This is an interesting question that I’ve been grappling with for a long time. […] The post FAQ: What is the Source of “Implicit” Ideas and Value-Judgments? appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
I recently re-read The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey, a classic book on mind management from 1974. I was struck by this passage: As silly as it may sound, one of the most practical ways to increase concentration on the ball is to learn to love it! Get to know the tennis […] The post Concentrate with Love appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Emotional resilience is your ability to recover a benevolent universe perspective after experiencing distressing emotions. After an incident that draws your attention to threats, problems, and difficulties, can you get back to seeing the world as filled with your values? Can you see around the threats to the opportunities to pursue what’s important to you? […] The post Recovering a Benevolent Universe Perspective appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Consciousness has identity. It is what it is. It can do some things and not others. Some aspects of it are directly introspectible, others can only be inferred. This is a fact that one learns in philosophy class. Knowing it helps you solve real-world problems whenever they have a mental aspect because it helps you […] The post Taking Facts About Your Mind Seriously appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Do you make a list of six tasks each day, rank them by priority, and then work through them, in order? Alan Zimmerman, author of The Payoff Principle, reminded me of this classic advice. He calls the list your “6-Pack.” Many successful people say that this practice — making a list of six items to […] The post What Goes in Your “6-Pack” Each Day? appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Many of the motivational tools I recommend involve clarifying your values. When you are fully clear on a value, you not only see logically that the value contributes to your success and well-being, but you also feel some pleasure as you contemplate it. That pleasure is the emotion of love (or liking or affection or […] The post Concretizing Values 1: Values in the Objects Around You appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
A role model is someone who exemplifies your ideal in some area. Though you can learn concrete skills from role models, there is something more important you get from them: an integrated sense of the kind of person you want to be. That is what is irreplaceable. When that vision is stored in your memory, […] The post The Value of Role Models appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Doctors disagree on when to prescribe medication. Sleep experts disagree on whether you should take naps. Time-management experts disagree on whether you should schedule all of your time. Therapists disagree on whether you should trace issues back to childhood incidents. As part of improving your life, you may decide to seek expert advice. How do […] The post On Choosing Expert Help appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Noticing and learning from negative feedback is crucial to self-improvement. Unfortunately, negative feedback can come in an unpleasant and even an unjust form. People who give unsolicited criticism are not always the most supportive of creatures. There are fault-finders and know-it-alls among us. It’s easy to feel discouraged and unappreciated by someone who is focused […] The post View Your Critic as the Canary in the Coal Mine appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
A Thinking Labber wrote: “Contrary to your advice to have one emotionally-challenging initiative, I have 4-5 major challenging initiatives at work and 3-4 in my personal life, none of which I feel I can realistically defer without significant consequences.” This is an objective problem. It is quite common. He is likely overwhelmed. If so, my advice to […] The post Have a Warm, Fluffy Towel Available When You Take a Polar Bear Plunge appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In Launch, some people come with money goals. In a few cases that makes sense, but not usually. A well-set goal needs to guide and motivate the action necessary to achieve it — and provide a lasting satisfaction with every step along the way. Money goals often don’t meet these criteria. Why money goals may […] The post Three Reasons Money May Not Be the Goal to Set appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
“Buffering” means doing a pleasurable activity to avoid feeling negative feelings about something else. A “buffering” activity offers instant gratification plus instant relief from unpleasantness. That can be an addictive combination, hence binge watching, binge eating, binge surfing the internet, binge Facebooking, etc. But buffering could also just be eating a donut to feel better, […] The post What You Can Learn From Tracking Your Own Buffering appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
A Launcher recently told me that her initiative was going well and she’d added another project. Then she asked, “What’s your short advice for how to be more productive, because I don’t have time for the long version.” In other words, she was now at least marginally overcommitted and didn’t have extra bandwidth to experiment with […] The post How to Be Effective When You’re a Bit Overcommitted: The 80:20 Rule appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
The participants in my Launch program do a daily exercise to develop emotional resilience. They each choose a different tool to use, and some are experimenting with “Five Bright Spots.” I had explained this tool briefly in a previous article, but from helping several people troubleshoot it, I see that I need to explain it more thoroughly. “Five Bright […] The post Do You Want to Add Bright Spots to Your Day? appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
A while ago, one of the Launchers came to a coaching call with a problem. He had done fabulously creative work in analyzing some financial trends — by working through the night until 5:00 a.m. In one respect, this was progress. He had come to an earlier coaching call with the problem that he couldn’t concentrate […] The post FAQ: How Do You Save Your Mental State? appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Flailing is my word for a particular pattern of unproductive effort: you try, and try, and try — harder, and harder, and harder — and you still don’t achieve your goal. Some people call this hitting your head against the wall. It sure feels like it when you’re flailing: a headache and intense frustration are the […] The post The Missing Step That Keeps You Flailing appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
An “affirmation” is a positive statement about your own knowledge, skill, or values, which you memorize in some way. Some common examples are: I am a good person. I know enough to do this job. I can take the next step. Some self-help books recommend you collect such statements and repeat them to yourself morning, […] The post Learn the Words for the Time You Will Need Them appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In the previous article, I opined that only a productive purpose can serve as a a central purpose. Before going deeper into the positive point, I’d like to address some common questions. People ask, why not make recreation or relationships or emotional well-being your central purpose? For example, why can’t a retiree have as his […] The post Why Relationships, Recreation, and Emotional Well-Being Don’t Function Properly as a Central Purpose appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
In the last article, I described a central purpose as a long-range productive goal that is stylized and utterly selfish. I gave a few examples of how different people in the same profession could have significantly different passions. And I argued that everyone, from young adults to retirees, benefits from having such a goal. There […] The post How a Central Purpose Fits Into Your Real Life in the Real World appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Most advice on time management needs qualification. This caveat applies to the oft-heard advice to decide how long you will take for a task and then just do it in that time. This idea sounds appealing. Consider how much easier your life would be if you could simply allot one hour to clear out the closet […]| Thinking Directions
Is this you? You don’t mind working hard, but you hate discovering that your time was wasted. You are proud of having high expectations for yourself, but you notice that unrealistic expectations sometimes undercut your enjoyment of success. You try to focus on priorities, but you may still get bogged down in the minutiae of[…]| Thinking Directions
I had an interesting conversation the other day with a Thinking Lab member who has hated his job off and on for a long time and wants to do something constructive about it. The key word here is “constructive.” People “hate” all kinds of things: the culture, how their families treat them, organizations they disapprove […]| Thinking Directions
“Thinking” is a purposeful process of integrating new observations with your existing knowledge and values to reach new conclusions. It is not a passive state of registering random impressions. It is an actively sustained process of identifying one’s impressions in conceptual terms, of integrating every event and every observation into a conceptual […]| Thinking Directions
Self-critical thoughts get a bad rap. You should neither reject self-critical thoughts nor treat them as revealed truths. Instead, treat them like crazy ideas from a brainstorming session. They, too, are products of your current knowledge, values, and skill. Used constructively, they can help you achieve your most ambitious goals. This new approach to dealing […]| Thinking Directions
If you want to do creative work at a high level, you need to spend significant time developing your skills. There is no substitute for practice. Some people would say you need self-discipline to develop the skills. Others would say you need self-control to put in systematic effort. I use neither of those terms because […]| Thinking Directions
In order to gain power over your own motivation, you need a rational morality — a self-consistent morality — that guides all of your choices and actions in a way that enables you to live, productively and happily, in long-term loving relationships over the course of your life. In other words, it is a morality […]| Thinking Directions
How a Central Purpose Integrates Your Life| Thinking Directions
Elsewhere I have argued on the importance of having a central purpose. To refresh your recollection, “a central purpose is the long-range goal that constitutes the primary claimant on a man’s time, energy, and resources.” (Leonard Peikoff, OPAR). Recently I’ve been chewing how a central purpose makes you happier, and I thought I’d share my […]| Thinking Directions
In my previous article titled So You Hate Your Job, I said, When you feel forced into a decision to take a job, it means you need to seriously look at the negatives of not taking the job. My Thinking Labber joked about being homeless if he didn’t work, but homelessness is […]| Thinking Directions
It’s a bromide that the holiday season can be stressful. There are plenty of reasons for that. Likely you have more social engagements than usual, so you have less time to yourself. You may undertake several seasonal projects with firm deadlines — decorating the house, hosting a party (or a house party), buying presents for […]| Thinking Directions
Jean Moroney, President of Thinking Directions, teaches managers and other professionals how to use targeted thinking to solve problems faster, make better decisions, and get projects finished. They use her tactics to be smarter about achieving their goals. She started her career as an engineer, graduating from MIT with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1985 […]| Thinking Directions
Happiness is the Fuel of Achievement| Thinking Directions
I was recently interviewed on the Yaron Brook Show on the topic of “Motivation by Love.” The main point of the interview is that it’s important to go deeper to understand the source of your motivation for any action. The fundamental motivation needs to be the desire to gain, keep, or create a value rather than […]| Thinking Directions
The Thinker's Toolkit explains the mental tools you need to solve problems faster, understand emotions, and make better decisions. These time-tested tactics come with some material support: a 4-color pen, a thinking notebook, and "mental cleanup" pads.[…]| Thinking Directions
To resolve conflict, you need to understand the root cause. It’s biological. We have two completely independent motivational systems. One system, traditionally called “motivation by love,” exists to motivate action toward values. A value in the psychological sense is something you desire to gain and/or keep, because you believe it promotes your life here on […]| Thinking Directions
The common wisdom is that you need to forgive an injustice from another. If that means “to grant a free pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.)”1 then I am not in favor of it. I’m in favor of a just response. Admittedly, that is more challenging. Often overlooked by those seeking justice […]| Thinking Directions
Achieve a Major Goal in 8 Weeks: Now is always a good time to revisit a resolution, start a new project, or just double down on a goal you've set for yourself. Accelerate your project by joining me for the latest Launch. [...]| Thinking Directions
Every few years, I re-read How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein. This little book helps me answer a crucial question: “What is the best use of my time right now?” Figuring out the answer can be difficult, particularly when I undertake new projects. It takes fresh thinking to challenge old […]| Thinking Directions
I’ve become a fan of Brooke Castillo’s “Self-Coaching Scholars” program. I find her methods to be a valuable complement to the ones I have already developed. She’s helped me speed up how I deal with distracting, unproductive emotions, while still maintaining the self-respectful, value-oriented perspective that is essential to success. For example, I recall a […]| Thinking Directions
Paradoxically, celebration and mourning* are similar processes. They involve similar steps and achieve similar purposes. And they are similarly misunderstood and neglected, despite their critical importance to a joyful life. Neither celebration nor mourning concerns an emotional experience per se. Their essence is that they involve strengthening your own values. I will explain this first […]| Thinking Directions
You already know what you need to know to complete most of the complex items on your To Do list. There’s just one problem. You can’t always access the information when you need it.[…]| Thinking Directions
Mental overload is the #1 obstacle to thinking. Whether it’s too many things to think about, too many emotions to give you space to think, or too much complexity to untangle in your head, it is THE problem. Indeed, what distinguishes humans from animals is that we have more mental abilities to deal with overload. […]| Thinking Directions
In a call on “How to Get Results Now on Your Long-Term Objective,” I was asked whether I thought “should” should be eschewed. I don’t. I think “should” should be reclaimed. However, for many people, this will involve automatizing a new meaning for the word “should.” “Should” is a moral concept. When you say you […]| Thinking Directions
What determines your productivity on a day-to-day basis? The effectiveness of your thinking. The more effective your thinking:[…]| Thinking Directions
If you’ve followed my work, you know I’m an advocate of “Thinking on Paper.” You can watch this 3-minute video explaining “thinking on paper, or read a short write-up on it here. People often ask when they should use “thinking on paper” to speed up their thinking. Like physical leverage, mental leverage entails a tradeoff. […]| Thinking Directions
The Thinking Lab is a membership program for ambitious people who believe their own mental skill is critical to help them rise to new challenges. They seek skills for developing: clarity, creativity, decisiveness, emotional resilience, and self-motivation.| Thinking Directions
In helping some Thinking Labbers make accurate, precise value-judgments, I was reminded of a song I learned as a child. The lyrics as I remember: Nobody loves me. Everybody hates me. I’m going out and eat worms! The first one was easy. The second one was greasy. The third one stuck in […]| Thinking Directions
