Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life

by Jim Kwik

THINKING Why is it important to think from a variety of perspectives? What are the various ways people use their intelligence? What kinds of superpowers can you harness by thinking differently?

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

MENTAL MODELS

Mental models are constructs for thinking that help us make sense of the world around us. Think of them as shortcuts.

Decision-Making: The 40/70 Rule

Productivity: Create a Not-to-Do List

KWIK START Do this right now. Take a moment to create your not-to-do list for today. What are the things you need to avoid today to focus and achieve your goals? Be specific and check off that list by not doing it.

Problem-Solving: Study Your Errors

Strategy: Second-Order Thinking

First-order thinking is easy, but it’s second-order thinking that allows us to go deeper through time and consequences. Best of all, it allows us to see what others can’t see.

consider these four steps the next time you contemplate a problem or task in need of a solution:

Step 1: Get to the Underlying Problem

Step 2: Posit a New Approach

One of the keys to exponential thinking is filling your thoughts with what-if statements.

Step 3: Read about It

Step 4: Extrapolate

10-DAY KWIK START PLAN

DAY 1: LEARN FASTER Put this acronym (FASTER) into action on day one:

Forget: The key to laser focus is to remove or forget that which distracts you. There are three things you want to forget (at least temporarily). What you already know What’s not urgent Your limitations Act: Traditional education has trained many people to think that learning is a passive experience. But learning is not a spectator sport. The human brain does not learn as much by consumption as it does by creation. Knowing that, I want you to ask yourself how you can become more active in your learning. Take notes. Do the exercises in this book. State: Your state of being is a current snapshot of your emotions. It is highly influenced by your thoughts (psychology) and the physical condition of your body (physiology). Change your posture or the depth of your breathing. Consciously choose states of joy, fascination, and curiosity. Teach: If you want to cut your learning curve dramatically, learn with the intention of teaching the information to someone else. Enter: If it’s not on your calendar, there’s a good chance it’s not getting done. Take out your calendar and enter blocks of time to invest in yourself, even if that’s only 10 or 15 minutes a day. Review: You are better able to retain information by reviewing multiple spread-out sessions. Get in the habit of reflecting on your day and do a daily review of what you’ve learned. For more on this, reread the section in Chapter 4. DAY 2: KILL YOUR ANTS Identify the voices in your head that are focusing on what you can’t do—th...