Intentional Thinking
Intentional thinking means examining beliefs about your abilities instead of treating them as fixed facts. Look for the specific difficulty, test your assumptions, and consider what support or practice might help.
THE IDEA
1. Intentional Thinking Helps You to Develop New Perspectives
A belief about learning can shape what you attempt. If you assume that struggling with math proves you cannot learn it, you may avoid the practice or help that would let you improve. Intentional thinking asks you to examine that inference.
Start with a specific experience. Which part of the task was difficult? What evidence supports your explanation, and what else could explain it? Math can be difficult; reading can be boring; an exam can go badly for several reasons. None of those experiences alone establishes a fixed limit on your ability.
Use the answer to choose a practical experiment, such as trying a different explanation, changing your study routine, or asking for feedback. Review what happens before drawing a broader conclusion.
When to use it
Exam preparation: Challenge the belief that you are bad at a subject before studying.
Skill development: Overcome the belief that learning something new (e.g., a language) is too hard.
Career growth: Confront beliefs like 'I don’t deserve a promotion' or 'I’m not qualified enough.'
Daily habits: Replace beliefs that lead to procrastination, such as 'this task is too boring.'
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Math is hard
A student who believes 'math is hard' avoids practice. They identify a particular difficulty with fractions, try worked examples, and ask a teacher for feedback. This tests what would help rather than assuming difficulty means inability.
Reading is boring
Someone who finds reading boring tries a different subject, a shorter reading session, or a quieter setting. The experiment can help them distinguish interest, concentration, and difficulty with the material.
Failing an exam means you are dumb
After failing a test, a student reviews which questions they missed and how they prepared. They consider gaps in understanding, study methods, anxiety, or other circumstances before deciding what to change.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
What are some limiting beliefs you hold about your own learning or abilities?
How can you use intentional thinking to challenge the belief that 'I'm not good at this'?
Think of a time you felt stuck because of a common belief like 'I can't change.' How might intentional thinking offer a different perspective?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Thinking in Systems and Mental Models Think Like a Super Thinker (Dawson, Marcus P)