We can understand and influence how we think. That’s an amazing ability because thinking is who we are and determines what we are capable of. In this page, I’ve summarized the notes from the Mindshift course.

These are the most important actionable aspects in my opinion.

  • Reading
  • Increase motivation by increasing the perceived value of something.
  • Assign labels to negative feelings

Internal influences to thinking

graph LR T(Thinking) --influenced by --- Feelings T --improved by --- I2[Meditation] T --faster by--- I3[Prioritization] Feelings --- Feeling3 & Feeling1 & Feeling2 Feeling1[Points of view] Feeling2[Don't get too comfortable] Feeling3[Label feelings to better understand them] I2 --- Meditation1 & Meditation2 Meditation1[Focused attention] Meditation2[Open Monitoring] I3 --- Prioritization1 & Prioritization2 Prioritization1[Motivation = Expectancy + Value - Impulsiveness] Prioritization2[Selective ignorance]

Label feelings to better understand them

The emotion center of our brain (the amygdala) is not rational. You can use a technique called labeling to rein in emotions and become a Jedi master. Or at least, better rationalize and think about a situation. It’s helpful to memorize and understand these labels.

  • All or nothing thinking
  • Magnification
  • Over generalization
  • Mental filter
  • Discounting the positive
  • Jumping to conclusions
  • Emotional reasoning
  • Shouldy thinking
  • Pejoratives
  • Personalization and blame

Point of view matters

How we feel about a topic is super important. We’re not really rational creatures, so being able to understand different points of view will allow us to empathize with more people. How you think about a situation matters. Sometimes your worst traits can be your BEST traits.

Don’t get too comfortable

Learning novel things may contribute to brain health as people age. It’s also makes for a more enjoyable life. Easy ways to try new things are to travel and read.

Meditation

Meditation has various forms focused and open monitoring. These …seem… to correspond to our brain modes of focused and diffuse. Types of focused meditation to try: breath or mantra meditation Types of open-monitoring meditation: keep aware of your surroundings.

Prioritization

We prioritize things that we value or that are pleasant to do. And we can get distracted while doing them. You can adjust your perceived value or expectation to increase your motivation to do that thing. This is discussed in more detail in this blog post by Alex Vermeer.

External influences to thinking

graph LR T2(Thinking External) --- E1[Learning] & E2[People] E1 --- Learning1 & Learning2 & Learning3 Learning1[Brain health] Learning2[Tracking Trends] Learning2 --- Courses & Reading & Conferences Learning3[Soft skills] --- Management & Creativity & Communication E2 --- Mentors

Learning

Learning helps to stimulate your brain and keep it healthy. Keep exercising and trying new experiences. However, don’t get carried away trying to learn everything. One way of making sure that you’re not getting carried away is if you are continuing to create something from your learning.

Invest in soft skills

  • Creativity:
  • Management skills:
  • Communication skills: Writing, Speaking

You can keep track of trends in society or your specific fields of interest by reading books, journal articles, and the news. Attending conferences is a good way of also doing this and meeting people.

People

Who you are around affects how you live. Expand your network and find mentors that inspire you.