Published by Pearson Business (March 1, 2023) © 2023
Richard TemplarA personal code to think yourself smarter, wiser and happier
We all envy the natural thinkers of this world. They have the best ideas, make the smartest decisions, are open minded and never indecisive.
Is there something they know that the rest of us don't? Is it something we can all learn? The answer is a resounding yes. They know The Rules of Thinking.
These Rules are the guiding principles that show you how to make wiser decisions, stop procrastinating, know when to compromise, avoid mistakes, find other options, think well with others, stop obsessing about things, keep your brain active, be more creative, and have happy, healthy thoughts.
Think for yourself
1 Avoid echo chambers
2 Don't be scared
3 Consider the motive
4 Beware self-interest
5 Keep hold of your heartstrings
6 Don't be gullible
Resilient thinking
7 Know who you are
8 Seek out support
9 Take control
10 Be flexible
11 Be self-aware
12 It is what it is
13 Don't get over-distracted
14 Like yourself
15 Be ready to cope
16 Better out than in
17 Cut yourself some slack
Healthy thinking
18 Think yourself happy
19 Focus on other people
20 Be in the present
21 Stress is optional
22 Normality isn't normal
23 Evaluate your emotions
24 Laugh at yourself
25 Keep learning
26 No one likes to be incompetent
27 Practice makes progress
28 Turn off the action replays
29 Sidestep bad habits
30 Appreciate semantics
31 Keep the bar steady
32 Look for the spin
Organised thinking
33 Believe in being organised
34 Learn to love a list
35 Think outside your head
36 Don't overload your RAM
37 Make deadlines your friend
38 Don't indulge decision making
39 Get creatively organised
Thinking creatively
40 Train your brain
41 Feed your mind
42 Get in the mood
43 Open up
44 There are no rules
45 Spot the box
46 Think like someone else
47 Make connections
48 Make mistakes
49 Forget about other people
Problem solving
50 Clear your emotions out of the way
51 Make sure there's really a problem
52 Check you're solving the right problem
53 Loosen up
54 Don't settle for your first answer
55 If it's plausible, it's worthwhile
56 Find a way in
57 Don't get bogged down
58 Try a new angle
59 Don't panic
60 Get help
Thinking together
61 You're better together
62 Play to everyone's strengths
63 Think like a hive
64 Leave your ego behind
65 Keep an eye on the quiet ones
66 Question groupthink
67 Conflict is OK
68 Think up a storm
69 Have stupid ideas
70 Keep in synch
Making decisions
71 Decide what you're deciding
72 Don't start at square two
73 Set yourself boundaries
74 Untangle the knots first
75 Go for Goldilocks
76 Vet your advisors
77 Be your own advisor
78 Don't jump to conclusions
79 Understand your emotions
80 Balance logic and emotion
81 Learn to compromise
82 Find option C
83 Assess the cost of a bad decision
84 Regret is a waste of energy
85 Be honest about procrastinating
Critical thinking
86 Read John Donne
87 Don't be played for a fool
88 Stand back and take in the view
89 Look for what comes next
90 Don't bother your pretty little head
91 Consider the odds
92 Facts are neutral
93 Don't trust statistics
94 Understand cause and effect
95 If you can't prove it's true, that doesn't mean it isn't
96 Don't believe it just because everyone else does
97 Don't believe it just because you want to
98 Be devil's advocate
99 Don't go into lockdown
100 Opinions aren't facts