Brian Tracy! Positive thinking awakens potential!

2. Slow Thinking vs Fast Thinking

Successful people get into the habit of doing things

that unsuccessful people don’t like to do.

They certainly don’t like doing those things either.

But the power of purpose overwhelms disgust. – Albert.E.N.Gray

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Your wisdom is extraordinary.

You have the power to come up with more ideas

than the total number of molecules in the known universe.

By focusing the power of your mind on whatever goal

or wish you have,

you can achieve extraordinary things

and often faster than you think.

A man in debt is so far a slave. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Your mind functions continuously.

Your stream of consciousness is about 15,000 words per minute.

Your mind jumps from thought to thought

and back again.

It takes self-control

and strong willpower to control

and restrain the rushing thoughts

and direct them in a way

that will help you achieve all that you can.

Incidentally,

you can pour out hundreds of thoughts continuously,

but you can only think one at a time.

Thus, you can control the flow of consciousness

and focus your thoughts,

like a sniper,

on one thought,

one purpose at a time.

Have patience.

All things are difficult before they become easy. ― Saadi

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Reaction mode – respond

What you do over and over becomes a habit.

The masses often operate in a reaction-reaction mode.

They have made it a habit of reacting

and responding constantly

to what is going on around

and within them,

with little or no careful

and rational thought.

From the first sound of the alarm,

they primarily respond

and respond to environmental stimuli

and frequent or transient impulses.

The normal thought process is almost instantaneous:

stimulation,

then immediate response,

with no downtime.

Higher thought processes are also triggered by stimuli,

but between stimulus

and response there are a few moments

where you think

before you respond.

As your mom used to tell you,

“count to ten before responding,

especially when you’re upset or angry.”

The very act of stopping to think

before saying

or doing anything almost always makes your final response more qualitative.

This is required for success.

That is also a quality of the rich.

Your money management habits are more important

than how much money you have. – T. Harv Eker

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Thinking is hard work

Thomas J. Watson, the founder of IBM,

required every office on the wall

to have a sign that said, “TREAT.”

In the early days of work,

whenever there was a problem to be solved,

someone would point at the whiteboard

to remind his co-workers

that the more time they spent thinking

through the topic at hand,

the more likely they are

to come up with a solution

or a reasonable decision.

Thomas Edison once said,

“Thinking is the hardest part,

which is why most people avoid it at all costs.”

There is a saying,

“There are brain stormers.

There are people

who think they are brainstorming.

And there’s a huge portion of people

who would rather die than brainstorm.”

Serious thinking is hard work.

You must study and practice continuously

if you want to explore the depths of your mental strength.

Luckily, everything you do over

and over again soon becomes a habit.

Once it becomes a habit,

it will work easily and automatically.

Goethe once said.

This sentence can completely apply to forming new habits.

“Everything is difficult before it becomes easy.”

“To maintain your enthusiasm,

you have to make your goals substantial enough

that they keep your attention.” – Grant Cardone

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Slow thinking

One of the best habits you can practice is to think slowly in areas

that require slow thinking.

As we discussed in Chapter 1,

the most important factor is the consequences.

Almost all of the mistakes we make in life stem

from not carefully considering the consequences of our previous actions.

Daniel Kahneman’s best-selling book,

Thinking, Fast and Slow,

is a huge contributor to correct thinking.

Similar to R. H. Thouless

and C. R. Thouless’ classic Straight and Crooked Thinking,

Kahneman’s book explores

and explains many of the reasons

why we come to conclusions,

leading to actions that do not achieve the results we want.

The authors show how we take in information

and make decisions based on partial information,

selective statistics,

or confirmation bias looking for information

that supports what we think.

I decided to believe.

The general conclusion of these studies on poor

or negligent thinking is that being forced to slow down

before making a decision can have extremely positive

or extremely negative consequences in life and in business.

One of the simplest ways to do this is to keep asking,

“How do we know this is true?”

before receiving an information

as a basis for decision making.

Money grows on the tree of persistence. — Japanese proverb

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Two ways of thinking

Two opposing ways of thinking are fast thinking

and slow thinking.

With quick thinking,

we process information quickly,

automatically,

instinctively and intuitively,

like making decisions while driving in a traffic jam.

We react and respond

without much thought or consideration.

In most of the activities of the

For us,

such as dialogue,

meeting,

navigating daily life,

or going to the market,

quick thinking is both appropriate and necessary.

Consequences don’t matter,

like you order a burger

or a fish sandwich for lunch.

That’s not so important.

In many other areas of life,

slow thinking is more necessary,

even imperative,

if we are to make the right long-term decisions,

decisions that bring about the consequences we expect.

This is Kahneman’s insight,

central to what makes his work a bestseller,

and it deserves it.

He says that the biggest mistake most people make is

that they use fast thinking for survival

and long-term decisions,

while slow thinking is much more appropriate.

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Consider the consequences

For example, decisions about which class you will enroll in in college,

the career path you embark on,

who you marry,

and how you make,

save,

and invest,

all come into play requires slow thinking.

The more important a decision is to you in the long run,

the more you have to slow down,

pause,

and carefully consider both the facts

and your options.

When starting a business,

slow thinking is essential in all areas.

What product or service you specialize in,

what customer segments you target,

how you choose to manufacture,

sell,

market,

and distribute,

how you decide pricing and costs,

all Both are vital to the success or failure of the business.

“The two most powerful things in existence:

a kind word and a thoughtful gesture.” – Kenneth Langone

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Analyze how you think

From now on, ask yourself frequently,

“Does this situation require fast or slow thinking?”

Buy yourself some time whenever you can.

Delay as long as possible between stimulus and response,

between thinking and decision making.

Practice the “72 Hour Rule”.

Give or buy yourself 72 hours or three days

to consider a big decision before making it.

Lord Acton once wrote,

“If it is not necessary to decide,

it is necessary not to decide.”

The longer it takes you to make an important decision,

the better it will be in most cases.

Do not stop using the words

“Let me think and contact you later”.

If someone is trying to force you

to make a decision on an important issue,

you might say,

“If you ask for an immediate answer,

the answer is NO.

But if you let me think about it for a moment,

the answer might be different.”

“Set excellent performance as your standard

and strive to achieve it each day.”— Brian Tracy

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Write down the details

Think on paper.

One of the most powerful thinking tools is a piece of paper,

on which you write all the details of the problem or decision.

Something wonderful happens

between your head and your hand

as you write everything down.

When you write down all the details,

you are forced to think slowly

and meticulously,

especially when you write by hand rather than type.

Often, the more you write down one task at a time,

the more clearly you will understand

what you should do.

This is why Francis Bacon writes,

“Writing makes people precise.”

Whenever you make a decision that has the potential

to have serious consequences,

buy as long as you can.

Your final decision will always be more correct

than if you made a hasty decision.

Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying. ― Roy T. Bennett

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Deciding who to choose

95% of business success,

by some estimates,

will be determined

by the quality of the people you recruit,

assign, appoint,

and delegate work to.

Who you choose to work with,

and who chooses you,

can make or break things.

This is why Peter Drucker writes,

“Quick casting decisions are always the wrong ones.”

The person you choose to work with,

socialize

or marry,

invest or do business with,

determines about 85% of your life’s success and happiness.

The rich know that most of their fortunes

are built through ambition, effort, vision and patience. ― Angel Aysa

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Recruitment Secrets

The brilliant sales manager of a large company,

who is known for recruiting many talented salespeople

for that company,

was once asked about the secret to successful recruitment.

“Simply put,

I apply the ‘Three Days Rule.’

No matter how much I like a candidate,

I force myself to wait three days

before making a final decision,” he said.

When I meet and talk to a candidate,

someone who looks great on the first meeting

or two often begins to reveal shortcomings

and weaknesses that make him

or her a complete mismatch in the long run. ”

Most of the most successful companies

and directors adopt different variations of this rule.

They realize that the cost of hiring the wrong person can be very high.

This rule also applies to business partners and agreements.

“I’ve found that luck is quite predictable.

If you want more luck,

take more chances,

be more active,

show up more often.”— Brian Tracy

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Strategic thinking

Among the many ancient self-management techniques,

strategic planning ranks first among the factors

of long-term importance.

In strategic planning,

you are forced to think slowly,

carefully weighing the possible consequences of an action or decision.

You are outlining the long-term future of your business.

The same goes for personal strategic planning.

You outline your own future.

You think about the future to determine

where you want to be for many years to come.

As strategic planning expert Michael Kami once wrote,

“Those who do not plan for the future cannot have a future.”

Personal strategic planning forces you to think slowly,

with greater clarity and precision.

It forces you to think about what you really want to be,

have,

do,

and achieve in the years ahead.

Taking a lot of time,

even a day or two,

to think about the future is often a good idea,

especially during times of upheaval,

turmoil,

and breakdown.

Take a walk and let your mind relax.

Talk to your partner about future goals.

Take a two or three day break,

away from all electronic devices,

including computers,

smartphones,

desk phones,

pagers,

and any other devices that might disrupt the flow your thoughts.

Show up early,

treat people with respect and perform at the highest levels

till the world can’t deny you. – Grant Cardone

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Learn to calm down

One of the most useful ways to practice slow thinking is

to regularly learn to calm your mind.

Many people have never practiced mindfulness

even once in their lifetime.

They are always busy and active,

filling every minute with stimuli.

But not with you.

Learning to be still is quite simple.

It requires you to spend at least 30 to 60 minutes alone,

in silence,

without music

or distractions,

and just sitting there quietly,

making no noise

or doing anything.

You can sit quietly in nature,

in a park,

where there is no noise.

Perhaps the best mental state

for meditation is “thinking about water.”

Sitting looking at a lake,

or even a swimming pool,

calms your mind and opens up your subconscious

and superconscious abilities.

Life is for service. ― Fred Rogers

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Mindfulness requires discipline

The first time you learn how to be calm,

you will find it extremely difficult.

You will feel restless

and think of things you can get up and do right away.

You’ll probably have to keep yourself

still for 20 to 25 minutes.

But at that point, wonderful things will happen.

All your stress and tension will begin to melt away,

and you will feel completely at ease.

You will begin to enjoy the feeling of simply sitting still.

And now your mind will begin to fill with thoughts,

ideas,

insights,

perspectives,

solutions to problems,

and other inspirations,

any of which is possible change your life.

Let your mind flow,

like a river.

You don’t need to write anything.

If it’s a good idea,

it will stay with you after your retreat.

There is a saying that “People begin to become great

when they begin to spend time alone in silence.”

If you haven’t done 30 to 60 minutes of meditation before,

make an appointment with yourself for the first session.

Usually, I would stop at a park on my way home in the evening

and sit still for an hour.

You can stay in the office after everyone leaves.

You can sit in the yard or upstairs bedroom,

places that are completely quiet.

Help others achieve their dreams

and you will achieve yours. ―Les Brown

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This always works

This is my promise to you.

Whenever you face problems,

difficulties,

obstacles,

disappointments,

or challenges in your life,

sink into silence and sit still.

The very first time you do this,

almost without exception,

the answer to your biggest problem will pop into your head,

almost like a butterfly perched on your shoulder.

Many students tell me that the issues

that bother them weekly

or monthly are almost immediately resolved the first time

they practice mindfulness.

When the answer appears,

it will be complete in every way.

It will answer every detail of the problem or difficulty.

It will be simple,

clear,

and entirely within your power to act.

It will deal with every detail of the problem.

When you complete the cycle of retreat

and put ideas into action,

things will immediately correct themselves.

You will be at peace.

Approach each customer

with the idea of helping him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal,

not of selling a product or service. ― Les Brown

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Unleash the power within you

Regular practice of mindfulness requires slow thinking.

It requires you to stop all work

and activities around you

and just sink into stillness for a few minutes.

The good news is that the more you practice mindfulness,

the faster,

better,

and more comprehensive the answers

and ideas you get from each cycle.

In collective strategic planning,

the consequences can be very significant,

take time to slow down and reflect on the key issues

that can turn into action that determines the success or failure of the job.

There is a rule in time management,

“Every minute you spend planning saves 10 minutes of execution.”

When you see a successful business,

you see a successful strategy put into action.

You will see the result of an extended process of slow and steady thinking.

People who look for shortcuts are blind

to the real opportunities.― Grant Cardone

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Applying the GOSPA thinking model

To help yourself and others slow down and think right,

use the GOSPA model often.

The word GOSPA stands for “Goals,” Objectives, Strategies, Priorities, and Actions.”

Purpose:

Goals are specific,

measurable,

and limited outcomes in terms of time,

the results you want to achieve in the long term in the business.

These criteria relate to the goals set for sales,

profits,

growth, stock prices,

and ratings.

If you look at what you have in life,

you’ll always have more.

If you look at what you don’t have in life,

you’ll never have enough. — Oprah Winfrey

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Goals:

Goals are temporary goals that you must fulfill

in order to achieve your main goals.

Imagine your goals are the things at the top of the ladder,

your long-term goals,

and your goals are the bars of the ladder you must climb to reach it.

Don’t be pushed by your problems,

be led by your dreams. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Strategy:

Strategy is the many ways in which you can achieve each goal.

For example, in business,

one of your goals is to achieve a certain level of revenue.

There are many different strategies you can use

to achieve your sales goals.

Life is 10% what happens to you

and 90% how you react to it. ― Charles R. Swindoll

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Priorities:

Priorities are the things that are most important in achieving your goals

and objectives.

Apply the 80/20 rule to everything.

What are the top 20% actions you can take that account for 80% of the results?

Whenever you feel like a failure,

just remember that even Coca Cola only sold 25 bottles their first year. ― Angel Aysa

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Action:

What are the specific, measurable,

time-bound actions you must take to execute the strategy,

accomplish the goal,

and achieve the goal?

This method of thinking,

and carefully considering each and every thing you do,

will dramatically improve your decision-making ability.

It forces you to use both long-term thinking

and slow thinking at the same time.

Be strong enough to let go

and wise enough to wait for what you deserve. ―Angel Aysa

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Law of Probability

Many people assume that their success,

or failure,

is due to luck,

good or bad.

In fact, looking back on what happened,

success turned out to be not entirely down to luck.

Instead, it’s about probability.

The law of probability says that there is a probability

that anything can happen,

and by applying some mathematical model you can calculate these probabilities

with great accuracy.

In its simplest application,

the law says that if you do more of the things

that successful people or organizations do,

you increase your probability of doing the right things at the right time

and will be just as successful.

By adopting slow thinking when necessary,

you’ll find yourself doing more of the right things

and making fewer mistakes on the road to success.

Success is not accidental. Failure is not accidental.

The more you think and plan carefully before you act,

the faster you will be able to control future success.

One thing’s for sure,

if you don’t play,

you don’t win. ― Kylie Francis

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Practical exercises

1. Resolve today to create space for slow thinking between your stimulus,

problem or idea, and your response.

2. Choose an important area of your work

or personal life and apply the GOSPA model to help you think clearly

and clearly in planning for the future.

3. Plan to spend 30 to 60 minutes today to meditate,

sit still in silence and listen to your intuition.

Do it regularly.