Developing clarity of thought

#204

After acquiring crucial skills such as speed reading, touch typing, speed-writing via shorthand, it’s time to slow down. In fact, slowing down eventually allows me to move faster.

Let me explain.

The goal earlier was to sift through things and jot down everything as quickly as possible so I may revisit the material at a later date. The new, current goal is to invest time in the first go itself so I only capture summarized notes based on what I’d want to retrieve in the future, thereby saving more time. Same with speech. I used to talk faster but end up saying several umms and ahhs in between. I am consciously attempting to speak more slowly, more deliberately, thus achieving better articulation with almost-zero fillers, also resulting in the listener forming a better understanding more quickly. Likewise, typing a tad slower reduces the number of times I hit Backspace.

Another area I am working upon to develop clarity of thought is when talking to myself, either using the Feynman technique to explain something I’ve learned, or brainstorming on a topic to disambiguate a problem or generate ideas. The objective here is to ensure I complete my words, sentences, and thought process to not only bring things to a logical closure but also articulate the initial thought or idea into a complete point, and then follow it up with questions and potential clarifications, fostering meaningful dialogue. 

When writing, rather than starting from scratch and not knowing where I’d end up, I begin with an outline, add bullet points to each section, and come back with fresh eyes later on to create the first draft, which I then review and make iterative edits. My note to self is to keep in mind or on paper what I want to say, end with, and include points and aspects in the form of a mental model or a sequential flow. This approach also helps me keep track of the ultimate goal in a meeting or when reviewing a document. 

Lastly, journalling has been an effective mode of furthering a thought. As Benjamin Hardy describes - Writing goals makes you more likely to work on them. Writing self-feedback makes you more likely to improve yourself. Journalling can lead to creative breakthroughs, solidify insights, and crystallize your ideas.  

All-in-all:

• Journal for personal growth and mental creation

• Practice makes better, Miss Toastmaster 

• It's okay to slow down to move faster!