One of the best and most profound books written in the last few years is Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow. His insight is that we need to use two different types of thinking to deal with the variety of situations we face in our daily lives.
Fast thinking is the type of thinking that we use to deal with short-term tasks, responsibilities, activities, problems, and situations. We act quickly and instinctively. In most cases, fast thinking is entirely appropriate for our day-today activities.
The second type of thinking that Kahneman describes is slow thinking. That’s when you step back and take more time to carefully think through the details of the situation before deciding what you are going to do. Kahneman’s insight is that the failure to engage in slow thinking when it is required and necessary is the cause of many of the mistakes that we make in life.
To become excellent in time management, and to get your entire life under control, you need to engage in “slow thinking” on a regular basis. Start with the question, “What am I trying to do?”
Very often you can find yourself working extremely hard at your work, but you have not taken the time to stand back and think about what it is you really want to accomplish.
There is the story of the husband and wife who leave on a car trip from San Diego to Los Angeles. He is unfamiliar with the road but driving at full speed in any case. At a certain point, the wife says, “Honey, is Phoenix on the way to Los Angeles?”
He then says, “Why do you ask?” She answers, “Well, we just passed a sign that said we are on the road to Phoenix.”
He replies, “Never mind. We’re making great time!”
Before you step on the accelerator of your own life, you must develop absolute clarity about what you are really trying to accomplish.
In The Devil’s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce wrote that “the definition of fanaticism is redoubling your efforts after your aim has been forgotten.”
Is your goal to create a great life? Are you trying to build a great career or accomplish a great piece of work? Your ability to stand back and engage in self-analysis and introspection—slow thinking—is essential for you to organize your time in such a way that you are the most productive, and that you are achieving the greatest amount of joy, satisfaction, and happiness from what you do.
Be clear about what outcomes you desire. As Stephen Covey said, “Start with the end in mind.” What is the final result, outcome, or accomplishment that you are striving to achieve? Where do you want to end up at the end of the day? As you scramble up the ladder of success, be sure that it is leaning against the right building.
Are you working so that you can earn enough money to be secure and to feel happy? Are you working because you love your work, or because you feel you’re on a mission to accomplish something that is very important?
What would your world look like if you accomplished your biggest goal? What is your vision for yourself and your career over the long term? What is your mission? What difference do you want to make in the lives of other people?
If all you are working for is to earn enough money to pay your bills, it’s going to be hard for you to build up and maintain a high level of commitment and enthusiasm. To be truly happy and fulfilled, you must be working toward accomplishing something that is bigger than yourself, and that makes a difference in the life or work of others.
When you are clear about what you are trying to do, you must then ask, “How am I trying to do it?” Each time you ask and answer these two questions, you will gain valuable insights that will allow you to look at your situation and know whether you are on the right track.
Once you are clear about what you are trying to do and how you are trying to do it, you must then ask a third question: “How is it going?”
Is what you are doing moving you toward what you want in the fastest and most efficient way? Are you happy with your rate of progress? Are things going well, or are you experiencing too many roadblocks and obstacles on your journey?
Most of all, question your assumptions. As Peter Drucker said, “Errant assumptions lie at the root of every failure.”
What are your assumptions about your work and your life? What are your conscious assumptions? What are your unconscious and often unquestioned assumptions? It is amazing how many hardworking people are laboring on the basis of false assumptions that they have never questioned.
As you ponder the “How’s it going?” question, you should also be considering another important question: “Could there be a better way?”
The fact is that there is almost always a different and better way to achieve a business goal. This other way may be faster, cheaper, easier, and more effective.
There is a beautiful line that says, “There is more to life than just increasing its speed.”
Many people are working very hard but going in the wrong direction on the wrong path. They are not clear about what they are trying to do and where they want to end up, but they don’t want to face or deal with the possibility that they could be wrong. The process of asking tough questions requires slow thinking, but it can significantly increase the speed at which you achieve your business goals and your vision and mission.