"For an idea which, at first, does not seem absurd, there is no hope." -- Albert Einstein
Thinking can be described as a process whereby in our brains we create maps, representations, models, or simulations of the "world out there." The more accurate our maps, etc., the more effective our thinkings tend to be and the more likely we are to achieve the results we desire. Thinking can also be described as recognizing and defining identities, similarities, differences, relationships, and patterns. Discovering causal connections (or recognizing those others have discovered) is an important aspect of thinking. This is closely related to discovering the origins, predecessors, or causes of things. Critical thinking, particularly the ability to question everything, is crucial to effective thinking. It helps a great deal if you can spot errors in the thinking of others (relatively easy) and in your own thinking (much more difficult!).
Prediction is a most important aspect of thinking, particularly related to money. You often need to make decisions about what to do and what not to do in order to make money, to not lose money, or to cut your losses. These decisions are based on probabilities of future prices going up or down, projects or programs working or not working, products achieving market acceptance or not, being able to sell something or not, etc.
Learning from your own experience -- and, even more important, from the experience of others -- is another important aspect of thinking.
Yet another important aspect of thinking is to recognize that something you're doing isn't working and isn't likely to work, therefore you should do something different. You could also recognize that something isn't working very well (or as well as it could or should) and needs to be improved. You can apply the scientific method to come up with better formulas for what to do (see also Money Skill #23) as follows: (a) State the problem (You may need to make some observations and ask some questions in order to do this.) (b) Research the problem (What will it take to solve the problem? What do I know and what do I need to find out?) (c) Form a hypothesis (Or a formula you can apply to solve the problem. The simplest solution is often the best.) (d) Test the hypothesis (Apply the formula experimentally to see if it works.) (e) Draw conclusions from the results (How well did the formula work? Do I need to do more experiments? Return to (a) or (b), if necessary. See The Scientific Method. See also Money Skill #23.
A good way to continue improving your thinking is with the "Brain Freebie" course >>>from School of Thinking. See also Improving Your Information and Thinking Skills, Creativity & Problem Solving.
To further improve your thinking, you need to think about how you think. You become aware of how others typically think and how you typically thought in the past. This is called "metathinking" -- see Metathinking Explained.
Earl Nightingale points out that your mind is like a garden, which may be cultivated or allowed to run wild, but whether cultivated or neglected it must and will produce results. Good thoughts bear good fruits, bad thoughts bear bad fruits. You can lift your thoughts high. To lift your thoughts, you may need to renew your mind. And once you renew your mind, you will soar like an eagle. The sky is the limit. Energetic thoughts bring achievements. Choose your thoughts carefully to shape your character, life, and the results you produce.
Anxiety, fear, worry, and self indulgence tend to weaken and demoralize your body and damage your nervous system. Your body tends to obey your mind. So negative thoughts can ruin your body. Joseph Murphy points out you are the captain navigating a ship. You should give right orders to your subconscious mind. Uplift your thoughts to improve your destiny!
