You can think about a lot of different things all the time. Think about too many things and this becomes a serious problem, especially for those who have ADD. If you have a problem focusing on which idea to pursue, it is easy to experience the feeling of being lost. Life is happening, ideas come and go, but there is nothing for you to bring to show and tell.
I am not an expert in this field of study, but I do pay attention to what constitutes a “great thinker”. Or maybe a better term for the people I am thinking about is “sustainable thinker”.
Patience
A sustainable thinker is one who has, above everything else, patience. An idea will come and go, and it will not phase them. Instead, they take note of it. Often times a physical note, in a place that they frequently take their notes. There is organization to the way they take in information. Over time, these observations grow and connections are formed between new observations and older observations. Higher level concepts are synthesized. It becomes effortless to understand an entire domain of information. But it doesn’t stop there. To them this actually might be the beginning of what they consider “having an idea”. They take their hypothesis wherever they go. To the best of their ability, they will try to find data to suggest what they believe isn’t true.
Reading
A sustainable thinker reads. Often times long form text like books or insightful blogs. There is a purpose to how and what they read. But a very important point here is that these people are not machines that solely exist to consume well thought out content day in/day out. No, these are still humans who enjoy memes and bingeing mindless TV. See, a patient thinker understands the bigger picture. They are human on a planet of humans. Not everyone is like them, and so everyone has something to share. Being able to interact with actual humans through colloquial phrases and honest emotional communication is vital. Honoring the give and take of time and energy that comes with existing is paramount to a sustainable thinker.
Align with Sustainable Thinkers
I try to align myself with the patient thinkers I am fortunate enough to interact with. I find it an immense privilege to be able to ask questions of these people. It makes me feel rewarded to be able to provide well researched insight of my own to my peers.
I probably still have too many threads of thought I pull at every day, but I think I am on to something. I kind of have this master plan for what I am working on, but I also realize it will take time. I need to be patient and continue to be present and honest with myself. Through this practice, I have felt immensely rewarded even for doing the smallest of things, like writing a single note for a given day.
Regardless if you are or strive to be a sustainable thinker, I wish you all the best on your journey through your own mind 🙏