Swimming upstream; going against the grain and thinking outside the box! Confronting issues by stepping outside my comfort zone has helped me find new solutions to the many problems I face. Problems often mask opportunities. But thinking differently has risks and we often are fearful of the unexpected outcomes.

But what if there was a way to learn how to think outside the box to help you succeed? Is it possible to take risks, think differently, be an individual and stand out from the crowd – even when faced with the same problems as others?

Jesus talked about standing out ….

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Matthew 10:16

This principle is fleshed out in great detail and excellent practical steps by the authors of bestselling Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Think Like a Freak helps people think outside the box to help them succeed.

Many of us face seemingly obvious decisions. But what if they aren’t. What if we have internal biases? What if we could learn to think like a freak and increase our odds of making better decisions? The authors offer up a few tips.
 

What it means to think like a Freak

The pair’s first two books sold millions based on two ideas.

1. Incentives are the cornerstone of modern life.

2. Knowing what to measure and how to measure it can make a complicated world less so.

Both were fascinating but not helpful in offering advice for minor life hacks and major global reforms. Think Like A Freak changes your perspective.

• Be willing to say, “I don’t know”.  Economists are an example used by the authors….need I say more?

• Ignore boundaries. Takeru Kobayashi entered an eating competition. His superior strategy helped him win. He didn’t ask how could I eat more dogs? He asked how could I make them easier to eat?

• Think Like A Child The authors unveil how children think differently than adults. Children don’t think big, they think small. In the process they break bigger problems down into smaller ones.

• Take a master class in incentives… because like it or not incentives rule our world. Many charities spend a lot of money acquiring potential donors. A man who wanted to give free cleft palate surgery to the worlds’ poorest children was an advertising executive. He knew many people shied away from giving because of continuous mailing appeals for funding. He initiated a “once and done” campaign. An incredible success!

• Learn to persuade people who don’t want to be persuaded. Master the art of storytelling. Stories are memorable. Principles are memorable when they have a story attached.

• Learn to appreciate the upside of quitting. Winston Churchill’s famous “never give in, never, never, never” has inspired people since World War 2. But sometimes quitting means you are free to change direction and succeed in a new opportunity. The author’s experiences of quitting resulting in their writing three best selling books with sales of millions and critical acclaim. Impossible if they hadn’t quit numerous other opportunities.

Imagine making better decisions inspired by out of the box thinking found in Think Like A Freak. Think of what’s at stake. If you change your thinking you’ll change your life. 5 years from now you’ll only be as different as the people you meet and the books you read. Look forward to having Think Like A Freak help you change your life.

Attitude:            What is your attitude to making better decisions?

Action:               Order Think Like A Freak to help you think outside the box and help you succeed.

Question:          What is your strategy to help you succeed?