WoW 151: On positive exceptions and first principles

Words of Wisdom

Idea

When you are struggling to grow or solve a specific problem it is often easy to see the difficulties and difficult to see your progress or the positives.

What you see depends on how you think and what questions you ask yourself. Seeing the difficulties in a situation can be vital, but it can also be stifling. It’s a skill to learn to see the positives in a situation. Therapists call this looking for positive exceptions. The exception to a struggle is asking what you did when something you are struggling with overcoming actually did work. This way of thinking is a skill that helps remove the blinders of negative all-or-nothing thinking.

Recognizing positive exceptions is quite valuable. It's an even greater skill to see opportunities and to think about fundamental truths when faced with difficulties and complexity.

It's one thing to remain optimistic when facing challenges. But if you are optimistically charging towards a cliff your optimism is foolish. Not focusing on formulas but on foundational principles is simple and truly exceptional. And it is surprisingly quite difficult to view see complex situation through the lens of fundamental principles.

We loose the signal with all the noise.

This is true in business and it is true in the transformational process that leads to wisdom and a flourishing life.

The way to improve your first principles thinking is to intentionally practice it.

Practice by asking yourself clarifying questions:

What. What do I think about X? Be specific.

How. How do I know this is true? What might happen if I thought differently? What are other options? What if I thought the complete opposite?

Impact. What is the impact of this thought? What are the downstream implications? What if I’m wrong?

Why. Why do I think this? Why do I think that about this? Simply asking why helps you go a level or two deeper, let alone 5 levels deeper. This can help you get to the a more fundamental principle to help you think more clearly.

What next. What action can I take based on this new understanding? What's the smallest step I could take to test these insights? What would success look like if I acted on this thinking? Who could help me implement these ideas?

Quote

"the single most powerful pattern I have noticed is that successful people find value in unexepcted places, and they do this by thinking about business from first principles instead of formulas."

Peter Thiel in Zero to One

Resources

Read or reread Zero to One by Peter Thiel to dig into a brilliant thinker, or learn how to create exceptionally valuable companies. It’s the best book I know about first principles thinking applied to startups.

Read and live out Alcoholics Anonymous, the 4th edition. One of the best books I know on first principles in experiencing deep life transformation. I'm committed to rereading it every year.

Questions

When was a time that this worked? What happened when it was working?

How can I break this down into it's fundamental elements?

What is a principle I can apply to this challenge?

Prayer

First, think about a particular challenge or problem you are facing. Name it. Then pray this prayer.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the wisdom to see both challenges and opportunities. Help me think from first principles about the problems I face. When I struggle to see progress, remind me of the positive exceptions - the times when things worked well. Grant me the clarity to distinguish between what I can and cannot control. Give me insight to break down complex situations into their fundamental truths. May I find creative solutions that not only serve me but create value for others. Guide me toward courageous action, whether that means bold steps forward or patient waiting. Through it all, I depend on You, my ultimate foundation. Amen.

Live wisely,

Josh