Are You a Yogi Bear Chess Master?

I've long believed that successful soloists are like the 1960's cartoon character, Yogi Bear -- "smarter than the average bear." When you're working on your own, you must call on a higher level of thinking, since there usually isn't anyone around on a regular basis to review and challenge your ideas.

This type of thinking is a skill that can be developed -- but it requires practice. Here are a few ways to do so:

1. Think about your thinking.
Metacognition, or thinking about your thinking, is becoming more widely discussed these days because of many advances in neuroscience. Functional MRI scans can now pinpoint specific areas of the brain that activate in response to thought, words, or images. We're also learning more about how thinking occurs. As a soloist, take time to think about how you think -- for example, how you make decisions, how you react to opportunity or adversity, or how you analyze aspects of your business. What patterns do you find? What can you teach yourself about how your brain works?

2. Think three moves out.
I often counsel soloists who are faced with making decisions to consider a set of several subsequent moves, as if it were a chess game. If "A" happens, then what is "B" and "C"? Or, if you make move #1, what are the likely next two moves? This approach can bring clarity to your thinking, because you are focusing on more than the immediate decision, and considering related consequences of your choice.

3. Do mental gymnastics.
Brains not used seem to become dull and sluggish. To build a strong business, you need to have mental fitness. Exercise your brain by intentionally seeking out mental gymnastics: puzzles, sketching, learning new vocabulary, math calculations without paper, memory exercises, and other activities that stretch your abilities. (As I was preparing this issue, Seth Godin posted a related notion on his blog about abstract conceptual thought. Check out his thoughts on why this is an important and incredibly valuable skill.)

Becoming a better thinker takes practice, just like any other skill. Remember the early days of learning to play a sport, or attempting a new hobby or creative endeavor such as playing a musical instrument? With practice, you become more facile and you can apply what you know to greater levels of self-challenge. It's the same with your mental abilities -- and a keen mind is something that will bring you a multitude of benefits when you're working solo.

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com.