Snow? How about piqsirpoq, qimuqsuq and qana? Thinking how to think...

What do you call the white substance that falls from the sky when it's freezing outside and too cold to rain? Snow? Same as me. Phew!

Eskimo's however have multiple words for snow. This allows them to make better decisions and operate in a more effective way in the environment they're in. This is due to the increase in quantity and quality of distinctions.

I heard this same example while listening to Tony Robbins recently and he mentioned the level of your performance is related to the number and quality of the distinctions you can make in the environment you're operating in.

Additionally to show the value of this, in Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell, he also mentions 'thin-slicing' which is when experts, who have more and better distinctions because of their experience, can make a judgement quicker and more accurately than others who have more time and may have been judging incorrectly. George Despinis, head of the Acropolis Museum in Athens, made the bold statement below despite countless others who were sure the Getty kouros, was legitimate. This was due to his experience and the quality of his distinctions:

"Anyone who has ever seen a sculpture coming out of the ground could tell that that thing has never been in the ground"

When 'thin-slicing' you also have to remember that this is subject to your bias, and becoming aware of these biases is crucial to improve, over time, your judgements and decisions.

Some things I've learned recently that can increase the quality of your thinking are:

• Taking stock of your cognitive bias and values as this can filter good/bad the information you're taking in to make decisions. Our bias can come from our experiences as they help us filter abundant information and speed up our decision making. Inherent in this though is information you lose out on including. An example of a cognitive bias is consistency bias: "Once we've made a commitment - a promise, a choice, taken a stand, invested time, money or effort - we want to remain consistent." taken from Seeking Wisdom by Peter Bevelin if you'd like to learn more about bias. Another example of a bias is based on the quote: "To a man with a hammer, every problem is a nail." There's always more than one way to do things, and our bias can keep us from trying and innovating these new solutions or being open to different ideas. An example to show the power of values: if I value security and you value excitement, we may have a difficult conversation about whether to go skydiving or not. This will also filter the information I take in from the environment, which will naturally inform my decisions, whether I realise it or not.
• Our experiences shape our beliefs and our beliefs can shape our narrative, or story about the world. Examining the story we tell about the world through conversations and alternatives can improve our thinking.
• Increasing the diversity of things you come in contact with daily, weekly, monthly.... This is one of the benefits of travelling. You're subject to multiple, differing, sensory nuances that can overwhelm or intrigue. This diversity is also one of the things that can increase conflict or discomfort because if we are met with something different and opposed to what we value, it may rub against us the wrong way and we tend to respond negatively to this. Instead, noticing the value in 'different' for your own development, the quality of conversation, solutions provided etc. and practicing curiousity can be a powerful activity. I've noticed recently this is a huge growth area for me when an experience rubbed against a value I held deeply. I spent time reflecting, journaling and thinking about what was important to me and why this rubbed against it and found the experience helped my understanding of myself and the situation at a deeper level.
• Learn and keep learning. And learn some more. Only by being a life-long learner can you become better at thinking. Remaining as you were 10 years ago, will not improve your habits or thought-processes and so learning new and better ways of doing things will always beat status quo.
• Find other people who may have figured out some of the things you're exploring already. Ask them why they do what they do and why they think what they think - examine their thought process. Going deeper into their thought process will increase the level of your understanding of your own.
• Get a coach or a trusted, objective partner who can allow you the space to externalise what you're thinking, reflect it back to you so you can clarify what you meant, and get closer to what you hold to be true. This is a powerful output I've seen from being coached and coaching others and something I think we forget the power of this curiousity and space to explore our deepest held beliefs and values.
• Spend time thinking. This can be walking or with others who can expand your thought-process with their different or greater experience in the area you're thinking about. I find the most beneficial way I've learned and increased my perspective taking is through conversations with people that challenge me mentally and add to what I currently understand. Find a mentor, or someone who is experienced. Or find someone with no experience and try to explain your challenge or opportunity to them. That will improve your thinking, along with your understanding in a much deeper way. Richard Feynman said:

"If you can't explain something in simple terms, you don't understand it."

• Reflecting through journaling: Easily overlooked but when you reflect honestly about the decisions and judgements you've made retrospectively with the evidence of what the actual outcome happened to be, you're able to use this information to improve future decisions and thinking.

We are all trying to perform at higher levels at a more rapid rate in an ever-changing environment. Improving your thinking, and your distinctions, with some of the tips I hope you try here, will help increase the quality and speed up your decisions and judgements in the future.

How do you improve your thinking?