Don't face complex issues head-on; first understand simple ideas deeply. Clear the clutter and expose what's really important. Be brutally honest about what you know and don't know.Then see what's missing, identify the gaps, and fill them in. Let go of bias, prejudice, and preconceived notions. Rock-solid understanding is the foundation for success.

Understand Deeply

"﻿﻿I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

Fail to succeed. Intentionally get it wrong to inevitably get it even more right. Mistakes are great teachers -they highlight unforeseen opportunities and holes in your understanding. They also show you which way to turn next, and they ignite your imagination.

Make Mistakes

﻿“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

Never pretend to know more than you do. Don’t build on ambiguity and ignorance. When you don’t know something, admit it as quickly as possible and immediately take action — ask a question.Ideas are in the air - the right questions will bring them out and help you see connections that otherwise would have been invisible.

Raise Questions

﻿﻿“One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing.”

﻿"﻿We spend the first year of a child's life teaching it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut up and sit down. There's something wrong there."

Look back to see where ideas came from and then look ahead to discover where those ideas may lead. A new idea is a beginning, not an end. Ideas are rare – milk them. Following the consequences of small ideas can result in big payoffs.

Follow the Flow of Ideas

﻿Sir Isaac Newton was asked how he discovered the law of gravity. He replied,"By thinking about it all the time."

You can always improve, grow, and extract more out of your education, yourself, and the way you live your life.Change is the universal constant that allows you to get the most out of living and learning.

Change

﻿﻿“In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned shall find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists.”

Offers real-life stories, items, and methods that allow for a deeper understanding of any issue, provide the power to use failure as a step toward success, and develop a habit of creating probing questions.

The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking

by Edward B. Burger

11

KEY
IDEAS

The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking

by Edward B. Burger

11

KEY IDEAS

KEY
IDEAS