Thoughtwrestling is taking ideas, sometimes difficult and unruly, and turning them into reality.
We believe that human beings are naturally creative individuals that enjoy being mentally and physically active. We bring form to formlessness and order to chaos. We take satisfaction in creating things and in solving problems. This is thoughtwrestling in action.
The thoughtwrestling skills defined
You need the right skills in order to be a successful thoughtwrestler. We are not born with these skills intact and fully formed: they are gained through education and practice. The good news is that any of us can get better at these skills by practicing them.
We believe that these are the key skills needed to practice thoughtwrestling:
- Clear seeing – the ability to see things as they really are. This allows you to analyze a situation to be able to understand what is really happening. For example, any good business analyst or consultant needs to be able to analyse a situation and focus on the facts. EDIT: Author Seth Godin refers to this as prajna in his book Linchpin.
- Open, creative thinking – the ability to see things as they could be, to reject the status quo when necessary and find better ways of doing things. A little bit of Leonardo da Vinci, Edward de Bono, and Roger von Oech goes a long way here. We need excellent idea generation techniques.
- Problem solving – the ability to generate, evaluate, test, and implement solutions. There are usually barriers to getting things done because there’s never enough time, money, or people to do everything. Problem solving helps you find ways to overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities.
- Communication and persuasion – the ability to explain what you want to do, how it will be done, and what the end result will be. At the same time, you need to be able to persuade people to help you when you need help. And it’s very important to tell the world about the great things you are doing!
- Focus and determination (including the emotional and psychological aspects of doing great work) – the ability to select and focus on specific pieces of work and to do to that work until it is satisfactorily complete. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies when it comes to sabotaging ourselves and we squander time, energy, and resources when we could be getting close to accomplishing our goals.
This is what we think. How about you? What do you think it would take to become proficient at thoughtwrestling? Do you believe that we’ve missed anything important? Have we included anything here that’s non-essential?
Please share your thoughts, including any good examples from your own experience!
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Images by laffy4k and jose c silva
Related posts:
I think each one of these skills could have tons of posts and comments devoted to them. For instance, the first is clear seeing. Once identified as an important skill the question becomes, how? How do you about seeing something as it really is? Where do you go? There is probably a different answer for everyone. In which case we can ask, do those answers have anything (or things) in common?
Every question has an answer and every answer leads to another question.
@Bill – exactly. My belief is that we will have tons of posts and contests devoted to all of this stuff. This post was intended to kick off all of these discussions.
This is great, Mark. So clearly focused, succinctly put and practical. Looking forward to more.
Thanks Monica!
Good stuff, Mark. I’m reminded of the quote about the primacy of persistence in a world full of unrealized talent and potential. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Thanks Kat! Persistence is a key attribute and it’s part of focus and determination that I noted in the article.
“Clear seeing” is key not just for my business but for my life. Now, if only I would remember that
You can do it!
I’ve realized I’m concerned about the name “Thoughtwrestling,” because it infers two things:
* We’re in perpetual opposition with our thoughts, and
* There can only be one winner.
If we defeat our thoughts… who wins?
Or is this “wrestling” in the WWE sense, where good thoughts can eventually turn bad, and vice versa, until one of them dies from steroid misuse?
I’d think of it this way, Justin: for those times when our thoughts and ideas run ’round our brains and we can’t pin them down, or if we are creatively stuck, thoughtwrestling is what you would do to get them in order. Our brains aren’t always like that, but sometimes they are. Maybe “thoughttaming” might be another way of looking at it.
A great start, Mark! Can’t wait to see what’s coming up in the next week.
Here’s hoping we can “pin down” a good schedule and “muscle” our way into people’s readers. Haaa… Sorry.
Emotional brains and intellectual brawn, Ian! Thanks.
What appeals to me so strongly here is the connection between “creating things and solving problems”: Science meets Art, logic meets intuition, chaotic overwhelm is thoughtwrestled into creative productivity… a little bit of Leonardo, indeed!
Love it, Rebecca. I plan to make problem solving a big, big part of Thoughtwrestling. I don’t think people really learn enough about how to solve problems and I think we can help them.
Your key points definitely fit with the metaphor and your intent. I agree with Justin that there are limitations to the metaphor, but that just makes the blog stronger. Other blogs will have other points of view.
I sure felt like I was wrestling with my ideas when I eventually pinned my own blog, which has a very similar goal, down to starting from the metaphor of the blind men and the elephant. I’m more interested in the role of different perspectives and underlying connections in bringing something new into being, but I’ve definitely experienced the other side of it.
Thanks for the feedback, Beth. Inventing Elephants is an excellent blog!
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