Frequently asked questions about thinking, epistemology, and cognitive tools. 6 answers
Pick one decision you're currently torn on. Write down both sides as separate statements — one per card or one per line. Read them back as if a colleague wrote them. Notice how the emotional charge drops when the thought is no longer inside you but in front of you.
Set a timer for 2 hours during normal work. Every time a thought feels worth keeping, capture it immediately — voice memo, phone note, napkin. At the end, count what you caught. Then try to remember what you lost. The gap between those numbers is your daily signal loss.
Take a decision you're currently stuck on. Write out every consideration, option, and fear — one per line. Don't organize. Just dump. Then read it back as if a colleague wrote it. Notice what you see that you couldn't see when it was all in your head. The gaps, contradictions, and missing pieces.
During your next meeting or conversation, try to catch one moment where you react automatically — defensiveness, excitement, dismissal. When you catch it, silently note: 'I'm noticing [reaction].' Don't try to change it. Just notice. The act of noticing IS the skill.
Do a full brain dump. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Write down every open loop, task, commitment, worry, idea, and half-formed plan. Don't organize — just dump. Count the items. Wait 24 hours and do it again. Compare the lists. Items that appear on one but not the other were always there — just not.
Choose one anchor moment from your existing routine — finishing your morning coffee, closing your laptop lid, stepping out of a meeting. Attach one capture behavior: 'After I [anchor], I will open my capture tool and write one thought.' Do this for five consecutive days. Do not organize what you.