Q: I tend to overthink certain decisions while I make others too quickly. Is there a formula for effective thinking?
A: Yes, there is. Every problem is a thinking problem at its core. If you’re not getting the results you want or need, it probably has to do with your thought process. To change your results, you need to be willing to change your ways. There are three kinds of thinking I suggest you adopt: no-excuses thinking, solution-oriented thinking and long-term thinking. Avoid negative thinking—it takes up the same mental real estate as positive thoughts and pollutes your brain.
Expand your thinking by asking four questions:
1. How can I?
2. Who else is doing it? (Can I benchmark and/or model it?)
3. What resources might I bring in or add to help me think more effectively?
4. What roadblocks do I need to eliminate beforehand?
Related: 4 Steps to Make Decisions With Confidence
This article originally appeared in the January 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
