Have you ever taken the time to think about thinking? Thinking in its basic definition is the action of using one’s mind to produce thoughts, so is fair to say that everybody thinks. “But much of our thinking left to itself is based on recall of remembered and memorized information” according to Ben E. Johnson in his book Stirring up Thinking.

Being that the case, why are some people capable of making choices that help them create the life they desire as supposed to others? For these people is not enough to think, it comes down to the quality of thought and how they make decisions.  One skill that can help you make better choices in life is becoming a critical thinker.

Critical thinking can be explained as the ability manifested by the human being to analyze and evaluate information regarding a specific topic while aiming to discern the truth of the information until a justified conclusion can be reached regarding that subject while avoiding possible blind spots.

When I first learned about this ability, I was both surprised that I haven’t heard much about it until adulthood and overwhelmed because the list of skills to become an adept critical thinker is bast, so in this article, we’ll be diving into two areas that you can start practicing right away to get you started in the right direction

Become a great observer

While this concept may at first seem self-explanatory, the truth is that the majority of us underestimate its importance. Too often we are running on automatic pilot and therefore not paying attention to what’s happening around us. A person may see his/her surroundings daily and never really observe them. Being a good observant requires you to absorb the information with your senses to see and feel what’s around you.

Imagine doing one thing that will help you increase your ability to problem solve, be more creative, become a better listener and ultimately help you obtain relevant information to make better decisions. Count me in!

Two components will help you learn more about it, the first one is to assess where you are at the present moment, and the second makes a conscious decision to start absorbing every situation that comes your way. Please be patient with yourself and enjoy the process of uncovering the world with new eyes.

Get really good at asking questions

Have you ever come across people that know exactly what to ask? When they do you tell yourself,  that is a great question, why didn’t I think of that? It almost feels as if these people are in-tune with the situation and naturally flow to get to the point they are after. Is valid to say it could be a natural talent, but more often than not is a skill that has been learned.

Depending on how you experienced asking questions while growing up, you may have integrated it as something negative. For example, if you asked a question, and you were mistreated or bullied for doing so, you may be afraid to ask questions that could recreate a similar sensation, hence staying quiet when you have a very valid point of view regarding a subject.

Since we’ve all had different interpretations of this concept, let’s look at it from a neutral perspective. The Webster dictionary defines it as “an action to obtain information”. When is reframed in this matter is easier to start exploring and put it into practice. How can you start exercising it effectively?

• The first thing to keep in mind is to have a clear purpose of what you are going after
• Then, get familiar with the different types of questions, to figure out the right ones to ask. Let’s say you are wanting to get more clarity on a situation, in this case, you can consider questions starting with: when, where, how. Another example would be if you seek to understand the purpose of something, consider asking directly: What do I want to achieve? If you are feeling stuck with ideas there are articles online that speak specifically about this topic and can become very useful.

Ultimately the idea is not to interrogate others or ask for the sake of asking, stay curious, and pay attention to what’s being said, you’ll be amazed at the things you start to uncover.

Learning to think critically will take practice, however, the rewards of this ability will positively impact your life as you start to make educated decisions for yourself and those around you, avoid common mistakes, make better choices and create new opportunities that are aligned with your heart’s true desires.