Mental Models - The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions

Mental models help us understand the world. They not only shape our thinking but also shape the opportunities that we see. We use mental models to simplify complexity, explain why certain things are more important than others, and reason.

Simply said, a mental model is a representation of how something works. Because we can't maintain all of the details of the world in our heads, we use models to break down the complicated into manageable bits.

How to Improve Your Thinking

The utility of our mental models in the circumstance at hand is related to the quality of our reasoning.?It turns out that variety is important when it comes to strengthening your decision-making abilities.

Here are 4 mental models to choose from that will immediately improve your thinking:

1. The Map is Not the Territory

The map of reality is not reality. Even the best maps are imperfect. That’s because they are reductions of what they represent.

If a map were to represent the territory with perfect fidelity, it would no longer be a reduction and thus would no longer be useful to us. A map can also be a snapshot of a point in time, representing something that no longer exists.

This is important to keep in mind as we think through problems and make better decisions.

2. Circle of Competence

When ego and not competence drives what we undertake, we have blind spots. If you know what you understand, you know where you have an edge over others.

When you are honest about where your knowledge is lacking you know where you are vulnerable and where you can improve.

Understanding your circle of competence improves decision-making and outcomes.

3. First Principles Thinking

First-principles thinking is one of the best ways to reverse-engineer complicated situations and unleash creative possibility.

Sometimes called reasoning from first principles, it’s a tool to help clarify complicated problems by separating the underlying ideas or facts from any assumptions based on them. What remains are the essentials.

If you know the first principles of something, you can build the rest of your knowledge around them to produce something new.

4. Thought Experiment

Thought experiments can be defined as “devices of the imagination used to investigate the nature of things.”

Many disciplines, such as philosophy and physics, make use of thought experiments to examine what can be known. In doing so, they can open up new avenues for inquiry and exploration.

Thought experiments are powerful because they help us learn from our mistakes and avoid future ones. They let us take on the impossible, evaluate the potential consequences of our actions, and re-examine history to make better decisions.

They can help us both figure out what we really want, and the best way to get there.

Intrigued and want a deeper understanding of Mental Models? Read the blog here:

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Tip for the Fortnight

I often get asked "Shreyas, how do you remember and recall exact details of a conversation?"

The answer is quite simple

I follow this time tested technique used in Journalism - The canonical 5Ws and 1H questions

??Read about it here:

Content Snack

I got to feature?Jerry Jose ?on?Coach Talks With Shreyas Live Stream ?and we talked about Purpose of building a personal brand.

Watch the video to find out if Personal Branding is for:

??Getting more followers, likes or social proof?

??Is it being recognised as an industry leader?

??Am I the best service provider in my niche?

??Build a great network and community?

and have some fun along!!

Still here? Great?? You made it to the end again. YAYY!!

See you next Fortnight for a more ridiculous jibber-jabber! Have a great weekend (ALMOST!) ahead.

About Me:

I am the Chief Visionary Officer & Principal Exec-Life Coach?Get Set Rise Coaching and Consulting . I coach senior executives to create a healthy work life balance to achieve their goals. Know more about me?here

Do you want to make better decisions? I can help. Let’s talk shop over coffee about your future,?here.