In the rush to get things done, it's tempting to cut corners, and it's usually the thinking and the planning that gets sacrificed. But we can also spend too much time corner-making - exploring ideas and thinking about the complexities as a substitute for getting anything started.
I find myself corner-making all the time, probing a mix of issues that have some bearing on an idea, and contemplating circumstances that will probably never happen.
But I go there anyway, "just in case".
Is it possible to develop the quick-thinking habit? I read somewhere that habits are one of the greatest forces of nature, so that most of what we do is automatic. And these are not just the trivial things like cleaning your teeth. For example, in my work I need to develop complex business models, and I automatically build them expecting others to need to use them to examine 100s or 1000s of scenarios. Even though the methods are in our best practice guide I generally do this without thinking - I know the techniques to use, and so it's become a habit.
My suggestions for developing a quick thinking habit are:
- Do some thinking every day. Thinking is an action, so whether your on the bus, in a queue, driving, or on the "throne", switch off the MP3 player and instead fill your mind with new challenges.
- Put that thinking into action. OK, maybe not everything. But form the habit of doing as well as thinking.
- Leave a few problems unsolved. This is the tricky one. We're usually want to solve everything that we've identified as a problem, but I usually find that the bigger and more significant problems are the ones that I've not imagined (yet). You can always think about a solution on the next trip to the loo. But don't let an unsolved problem prevent you from making a start.
- Accept that you'll make mistakes. Even when I've thought through things, I still make mistakes. So accept that and get on with it.
