How I Learned To Think More Clearly (Day 17)

Thinking clearly sounds simple.

Yet I’ve come to realise, it’s one of the hardest things we do.

Not because we’re lazy or unmotivated.

But because our brains didn’t evolve to think clearly.

They evolved to react quickly.

To protect us. To predict danger. To conserve energy and find belonging.

That means we often default to speed over accuracy. Emotion over reason. Certainty over ambiguity.

And once we’ve made a snap judgment, we tend to defend it — even if it’s wrong.

I’ve noticed this in myself constantly. I have the urge to reach a conclusion quickly to avoid the discomfort of not knowing. I want to arrive at certainty, to know what the answer is and to move on.

So over time, I’ve built a system that helps me to think more clearly.

A way to slow down and shift perspective — before diving into action.

Here’s a simple analogy I like to use:

I think of my mind like a camera.

And the way I think depends on the lens I’m using, the frame I set, and the tools I bring into focus.

Start with the Lens: How Am I Seeing This?

When I’m stuck or overthinking something, the first question I ask is:

What lens am I looking through right now?

Sometimes the lens is too zoomed in.

I’m obsessing over details. A single comment. A metric. The short term result. I can’t see the bigger picture — and it distorts everything.

Other times the lens is too zoomed out.

I’m floating in abstraction, disconnected from the actual decision I need to make. It feels “deep,” but nothing moves forward.

And often, the lens is too personal.

I’m filtering everything through “what it means about me” — my worth, my identity, my status. Which makes it hard to be objective at all.

Shifting the lens doesn’t mean ignoring emotion or avoiding detail — it just means asking:

“Is this the right zoom level for this decision?”

Sometimes zooming out gives you clarity. Other times, you need to come back to ground level.

And when things feel personal, one of the best moves is to shift from “what does this say about me?” to “what’s actually happening here?”

Then Comes the Frame: How Am I Thinking About This?

Once I’ve adjusted the lens, I move to framing.

This is where meta-models come in — the deeper thinking patterns that shape how I see the problem.

Framing is powerful because it helps you see hidden structure. Instead of asking “what should I do?”, I ask a better question — one that opens up useful angles.

Some of the frames I come back to often:

• First Principles → What’s really true here, beneath all the assumptions?

  Helpful when I feel trapped by how things should be done.

• Systems Thinking → How does this interact with the bigger picture?

  Useful when small changes ripple out, or when one decision impacts future decisions

• Second-Order Thinking → What happens after that?

  Great when a decision feels tempting in the short-term but risky long-term.

• Probabilistic Thinking → What’s most likely? And what’s the upside/downside if I’m wrong?

  Helps when emotion makes me overconfident or overly cautious.

Each of these reframes the problem. They don’t give me an answer — they help me ask better questions.

Now I Can Reach for Tools: What Will Help Me Solve This?

Only after lens and frame are set do I think about mental models — the tools in the toolbox.

This is where most people start.

But without the right perspective, even the best tool can mislead you.

I’ve found it helpful to think of mental models in layers:

• Cognitive tools: like Inversion (“what would guarantee failure?”) or Opportunity Cost (“what am I giving up?”).

  These sharpen my thinking, especially when I feel stuck between options.

• Behavioural tools: like HALT (am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired?) or reducing friction.

  These help when I’m trying to change habits or understand why I’m avoiding something.

• Strategic tools: like Game Theory or Circle of Competence.

  Useful when I’m navigating competition, collaboration, or big life changes.

I don’t try to memorise 100 models.

I just try to use a few well — and practice noticing when they apply.

Like using Inversion to plan a the launch of my new Youtube channel “How could this completely flop?”

Or Systems Thinking to reflect on how a small routine change affected my sleep, mood, and creativity.

Or Probabilistic Thinking when evaluating whether to take on a new project or investment.

Thinking Is a Practice

Clear thinking doesn’t mean being right all the time.

It means being deliberate.

Seeing your defaults. Slowing down the loop. Choosing your lens, setting your frame, selecting your tool — then acting.

And if it doesn’t work?

You reflect. Adjust. Try again.

This becomes a feedback loop that helps your decisions get better over time.

That’s what makes clear thinking a skill .

It's not something you’re born with.

It's something you train.

And we could all benefit from becoming clearer thinkers.

Adam