Limitless - Jim Kwik Page 0,97
c (K),
4: a (A) b (V) c (K),
5: a (K) b (V) c (A),
6: a (A) b (K) c (V),
7: a (V) b (A) c (K),
8: a (V) b (A) c (K),
9: a (V) b (A) c (K),
10: a (A) b (V) c (K),
11: a (V) b (A) c (K),
12: a (A) b (K) c (V),
13: a (A) b (V) c (K),
14: a (V) b (K) c (A),
15: a (K) b (A) c (V),
16: a (K) b (V) c (A),
17: a (A) b (K) c (V)
Your answers will give you a good sense of the kind of learner you are. In all likelihood, you’ll be some mix of audio (A), visual (V), and kinesthetic (K). But you might see a real dominance in one of these, and that can prove to be extremely useful as you embark on unlimiting your thinking, as you can make a conscious effort to bring the others into the mix.
MENTAL MODELS
Mental models are constructs for thinking that help us make sense of the world around us. Think of them as shortcuts. For example, we’ve all heard of the economic mental model of supply and demand. You’re probably familiar with the idea that supply is representative of the amount of something available within a market, whether that’s a service, product, or commodity. When that is juxtaposed against the demand for that item, value is determined, and that often dictates the price of the item. This model is a quick way to understand what’s happening in a market. It’s not always accurate and doesn’t explain every factor involved, but it serves as a simple way of evaluating the price or value of an item.
Mental models train your mind to think; after all, you don’t rise to the level of your expectations, you fall to the level of your training. Models can act as shortcuts that save you valuable energy and time when you’re evaluating an idea, making a decision, or problem-solving.
In the following pages, I’m including some of my favorite mental models for faster and sharper decision-making and for creative problem-solving.
Decision-Making: The 40/70 Rule
One of the greatest barriers to quick decision-making is the ever-present feeling that we don’t have enough information to make the “right” decision. Colin Powell, former secretary of state, addresses this with his 40/70 rule.6 His rule is to never make a decision with less than 40 percent of the information you are likely to get, and to gather no more than 70 percent of the information available. According to Powell, anything less than 40 percent and you’re just guessing. Anything more than 70 percent and you’re stalling over making the decision. Of course, this means you need to be comfortable with the possibility that you’re going to be wrong, which is necessary in any case.
“When you have about seventy percent of all the information, you probably ought to decide, because you may lose an opportunity. My own experience is that you get as much information as you can and then you pay attention to your intuition, to your informed instinct. Sometimes what my analytical mind says to me is not what I’ll do,” Powell said.7
Productivity: Create a Not-to-Do List
This one might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes it’s just as important to know what not to do as what to do. This tactic is used best for directing your attention to the essentials and avoiding what doesn’t matter in the moment.
Often at the beginning of a project, or even just a packed day, it can feel overwhelming to decide what to concentrate on. The power of the not-to-do list is that you decide from the very beginning what you will definitely put aside. When we write down our list of tasks for the day, we usually don’t prioritize, nor do we assign a value to these tasks. It’s easy for a conventional to-do list to become a catchall for all the things we know we have to do that day, instead of the things that must be done first, for the most value.
Lest you think that the not-to-do list is filled with things like participating in social media, let’s work out exactly how you should compile this list:
First, write down tasks that might be important but can’t be done because of outside circumstances. Maybe you’re waiting for an e-mail from someone else, or you’re waiting for a colleague to finish their portion of a project.
Next, include tasks that you think need to be done but that don’t add value to your life; you might also