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Shireen Jaffer

What does “thinking well” mean to you? And what helps you think well?

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A few years ago, I found myself hunched over on my living room floor, with my head between my hands, crying out “I can’t think.” I was so overwhelmed. My health was out of control, my business was failing, my friendships were non-existent, and worst of all, I felt helpless because I couldn’t think straight. Since then I’ve lost 120 pounds, raised $5M for my startup, attracted beautiful friendships, and have built my dream home. And it really came down to taking control of how I think. Curious to hear what thinking well means to you, and what you find helps you think well despite all the noise?

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Ben Hohner
Great discussion topic Shireen! For me thinking is related to the process of being agentic in this world; we Perceive the world and Interpret it, Decide what to do then Act. Thinking is the perceiving, interpreting, and deciding parts. There are ways to focus on and improve each part to bring yourself into health and prosperity. 2) your perception is coloured by your belief systems see Reticular Activation System. Also emotions can colour your perception, what's why being embodied and aware of your emotions can make you better at perceiving reality. 3) your interpretation is definitely coloured by our belief systems, as well as any mental models and cognitive biases you might have 4) decision making is the real of strategy and tactics. Despite common use of storytelling, it's possible to use tools like Wardley Mapping and Cynefin to make decisions in a systemic way that take into account the reality of the multiple interacting complex systems we live in. Of course all of these processes are occurring in your physical body, so things like sleep, diet, hydration, and relaxation will improve thinking across the board. The number of people with reduced cognition due to excess carb intake or poor sleep hygeniene is huge. Anyway, this is the framework I use to understand and improve my thinking.
Shireen Jaffer
@benhohner2 thanks for sharing your framework! Awareness of your mental models is so important — i didn’t realize how many narratives and beliefs I needed to unlearn until I became aware of my thoughts and reactions to day to day occurrences.
Akhil Draksharapu
To me, "thinking well" means having clarity of mind, being able to process information effectively, and making sound decisions. It's about having a balanced and focused mental state that allows me to navigate life's challenges with confidence and purpose. It also is the freedom and clarity how things happen and where it happens in my life, thinking is bringing order to the chaos.
Shireen Jaffer
@akhil_draksharapu and what is the hardest part about thinking well / achieving this clarity of mind for you? I’ve found it requires making so much intentional space to quiet out the noise and go inward for the clarity. What helps you?
Akhil Draksharapu
@shireenjaffer yes, it is a lot of groundwork to put in, the hardest part is finding the right resource at the right time, I don't want to spend 3hrs on YouTube and then at the 3rd hour I find the right resource, what helps me right now is keeping related things to a single workspace inside various apps, yet maintaining them is also a big Hassel.