2013-10-30 12:00:26-04 

Where is the Auto-Update for our Mental Operating System?

Windows has it, MAC OS has it, as do most software programs and apps.  The ubiquitous Auto-Update that regularly enhances our various software programs with new features, bug fixes, and speed enhancement.

But what about the most powerful Operating System there is – our Brain / Mind? 

There is no auto-update, it’s all manual.  

We need to take the initiative in order to increase our ability to more efficiently process the complex world we live in. Otherwise we bog down. Our performance starts resembling a Windows 95 machine trying to run 2013 software programs.  Our ability to make sense of complex situations and process ever more increasing amounts of data requires that our engine – the brain and mind – are updated and working in peak condition.  And, it is this capability to process, analyze, and make sense of a multidimensional world that will set apart those that succeed in this century and those who don’t.

Specifically, I believe there are ten core competencies we need to develop to succeed in the 21st century given the rapid changes in technology and the pace of globalization that we currently face.  These ten items are represented in the Think Smarter pyramid below.

 From the types of information we ingest, to our use of Systems Thinking to analyze the 24/7 real time data flow we face, there are specific steps tools we can start using immediately to upgrade the capability of our mental OS.  One consistently overlooked capability is the mastery of Internet Search techniques.  The world’s collective knowledge is now at our fingertips, but if we can’t effectively find the most valuable and relevant information quickly, then we don’t fully take advantage of this enormous resource.  In other words, Google is a tool and like any other tool – our ability to use it effectively drives the benefit we gain from it.

The Synthesis of Left and Right Brain Techniques Turbocharges Results

But its just not left brain thinking tools that we need to be concerned with – we cannot ignore the creative and intuitive right side of our brain.  That would like updating only half of our computer’s Operating System – some things would work better and some not.  The right side upgrades include things like Mindfulness, Meditation, and Emotional Intelligence.

The good news is that there is a large selection of tools to enable our Mental OS upgrade.  The bad news is that it is easy to get overwhelmed by the massive amount of apps, websites, blogs, podcasts, videos, and more.  Drinking out of the proverbial data firehose causes all sorts of “Digital ADD”.  We therefore need strategies to manage this Information Abundance and move away from our reactive state of being to our more natural proactive mode of interacting with our world.  Some of the strategies are decidedly low-tech (think changing our perspective by asking different questions), while others are the combination of using applications to harness the powerful stream of data along with process steps to optimize how and when we interact with information we are interested in.

In any given technology shift, people have had to change the way they do things in order to effectively adapt to the new environment.  However, in our current time, the pace and magnitude of change certainly seems larger and more dramatic.  The speed at which industries and technologies are being replaced (and people being dis-placed), is staggering.

The only solution however, is to be Mindful of the changes and Adapt.

The best and brightest in every cycle of change do just that.  In our current shift, the good news is that though we currently face massive inequality and challenges in our economies and political systems, the forces of technological change and globalization that are tearing down established frameworks are the same ones that will provide the opportunity to construct a new more even playing field.  But it will be up to each of us, to take the initiative, to embrace change, and take action.

My upcoming book, Think Smarter in a Digitally Enabled World, will be available on November 15th.  The book addresses these challenges and provides in-depth explanations of the ten principles in the Think Smarter Pyramid and how each of us can implement them in our busy lives.  In the mean time, please visit www.ThinkSmarterWorld.com and download the free e-book – The Art of Thinking Smarter -  to get an overview of the ten principles.  Please feel free to leave a comment at the end of this post or you can reach me directly at [email protected]

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