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THE 5 ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE THINKING

These strategies of effective thinking are

intended to be memorable.

Ones that you can-- when you're faced with

something

and you don't know what to do, you can just

go through them like a template

and say oh, can I understand something

deeply?

Can I make a mistake?

Can I raise a question?

Can I follow the flow of ideas?

In order to make them memorable, what

we've done

is associated them with the famous

elements from ancient Greece.

The elements of the world, namely earth,

air, fire, and water.

So the way to remember these elements--

it's a mnemonic-- is this.

Understand deeply is associated with earth.

And making mistakes is associated with fire,

because it's so scary to make mistakes.

And raising questions, there are questions

in the air,

so that is associated with air.

And then the flow of ideas obviously is

associated with water.

There's a fifth element in ancient Greek

philosophy

which was called the quintessential

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(http://www.flickr.com/photos/117150187@N08/12438884453/)Understand Deeply

Don't face complex issues head-on; first understand simple ideas deeply. Clear the clutter and expose what is really

important. Be brutally honest about what you know and don't know. Then see what's missing, identify the gaps, and fill

them in. Let go of bias, prejudice, and preconceived notion. There are degrees to understanding (it's not just a yes-or-no

proposition) and you can always heighten yours. Rock-solid understanding is the foundation for success.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/117150187@N08/12438884363/)Make Mistakes

Fail to succeed. Intentionally get it wrong to inevitably get it even more right. Mistakes are great teachers - they highlight

unforeseen opportunities and holes in your understanding. They also show you which way to turn next, and they ignite

your imagination.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/117150187@N08/12439234244/)Raise Questions

Constantly create questions to clarify and extend your understanding. What's the real question? Working on the wrong

questions can waste a lifetime. Ideas are in the air - the right questions will bring them out and help you see connections

that otherwise would have been invisible.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/117150187@N08/12438884273/)Follow the Flow of Ideas

Look back to see where ideas came from and then look ahead to discover where those ideas may lead. A new idea is abeginning, not an end. Ideas are rare - milk them. Following the consequences of small ideas can result in big payoffs.

element.

And in ancient Greece, it was viewed as the

unchanging element

from which the heavens were made.

So in our mnemonic, we think of the fifth

element as change.

Ironically, change.

Since ancient Greece it was the unchangingelement, and in a way,

change is the unchanging element.

So these are our mnemonics for

remembering

the five elements of effective thinking.

Understand deeply, make mistakes, raise

questions, follow the flow of ideas,

and change.

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