6 Mental Models That Will Make You Unstoppable
I want you to imagine you were living in the 80’s.
No computers.
No phones.
If you wanted to hang out with a friend you’d just go to their house and knock on their door.
If you wanted to watch a film you’d have to walk to the store and buy the VHS.
If you wanted to hear a song you had to wait for it to come on the radio.
Life was simpler then.
Today, we live in a world where constant change and disruption is the norm.
Everything in our lives is integrated and so complicated.
Just think about how much information we deal with day to day.
News updates, social media, messages from friends, data from work.
All of which we need to process and act upon.
The environment is so dynamic and because of this, we need to make good decisions.
The trouble is, we’re conditioned to rush from one task to the next, never really having the chance to stop and think about the decisions we’re making, or why we make them.
Adding another layer of complexity is our human nature.
We’re emotional beings.
We get angry, stressed, unhappy, and our thoughts tend to guide our decision-making.
So how can we slow down our minds and think as clearly as possible?
This is where mental models come into play.
They can help us to understand the world better and navigate life with more clarity and precision.
They help us simplify complex realities and make better decisions.
And they can help you to understand life.
Life was not something I really understood at the start of my 20’s.
A combination of poor judgement and lack of decision-making skills lead to far from ideal outcomes.
I’ll give you an example.
In the UK, if you’re a student at university, you’re usually able to borrow money in the form of a student loan which covers your tuition fees and a maintenance loan, which helps cover some of your living costs.
I remember seeing the money arrive in my bank account and I was shocked.
I’d never seen money like that in my account before.
It would arrive in chunks every few months.
And in stead of building an emergency fund, seeking financial advice or investing, I literately just spent it on whatever I wanted.
If I wanted to eat, I’d go to the restaurant around the corner rather than cook.
If I wanted new clothes I’d go to oxford circus and check out the shops there.
If I wanted to hang out with friends, we’d go out to nice bars and clubs and spend money there.
And over weeks and months the balance would gradually get lower and lower, leaving me financially vulnerable.
But I knew that in a few weeks time I’d get the next bit of money and it would be fine.
Honestly looking back, what was I doing?
But if you think about it, there’s a bigger problem.
In school we’re taught to memorise facts, solve standard problems and regurgitate information for exams.
And yeah some skills you learn at school are important but they don’t equip you with the tools needed to navigate the real world.
You’re never really taught how to make good decisions.
And because of this, you’ll often find yourself making decisions based on emotion and what feels right at that time.
That short-sightedness I had meant that I missed out on early financial planning and compound interest.
It taught me a lot about the importance of strategic thinking and long-term planning.
And that’s where mental models come into play.
They help you to understand the world better and so today, we’re going to talk about 6 models I use to help me think clearer and with more intent.
1. Circle of Competence.
The idea behind this model is quite simple.
The "circle of competence" emphasises the importance of understanding your strengths and limitations, focusing on areas where you have deep knowledge and skills.
As a doctor, my job is people-facing.
Interacting with patients, understanding their needs, and providing care are all within my circle of competence.
This people-centric skill set has been honed through years of medical training and life experience.
Whether I’m explaining to a patient what their blood test means or I’m offering emotional support after breaking some bad news, my expertise lies in dealing with people effectively.
It’s quite a simple approach but it can help people and businesses make better decisions by staying within their areas of expertise, while gradually expanding their knowledge base.
You need to figure out where your edge is and play within that circle of competence.
You have to work to expand that circle and broaden your knowledge over time.
And to apply the model, you need to first Identify Your Skills:
Figure out what the areas where you have good knowledge and expertise.
For me, it’s my ability to connect with people, build relationships and provide solutions.
For you it could be the same or maybe you’re a really creative person and you’re good at music or design.
Or maybe you’ve got really good hands on skills like carpentry, plumbing or DIY projects.
Once you’ve found your unique skill set, focus on making decisions and taking actions within your competence zone, and over time, broaden your circle by learning and gaining experience in new areas.
A really good way to expand is to leverage expertise.
Collaborate or hire experts outside your circle of competence to make better decisions.
2. Second order thinking.
It’s a model that encourages thinking beyond the immediate outcomes of actions and decisions. You essentially anticipate the longer-term consequences of your decisions, and the ripple effects those actions may cause.
This type of thinking helps to avoid unintended consequences and leads to more informed, strategic decision-making.
Pretty much everyone can anticipate the immediate result of their actions.
Let’s say you’re hungry and decide to grab McDonald’s for dinner.
You know what the outcome will be.
It’s quick, easy, and satisfies your hunger.
However, second order thinkers take a more deliberate approach.
They ask themselves, “and then what?”.
Yes, McDonald’s might quickly solve your hunger problem, but then you’re consuming an unhealthy, processed, and calorie-dense meal.
The essence of this model is to go beyond the first consequence of your decision and examine the subsequent effects.
It encourages holistic thinking by making you consider the consequences of those initial consequences.
This deeper level of analysis can change your decision-making process.
Second order thinking requires discipline and foresight, but it’s crucial for making well-rounded decisions in various aspects of life and business.
It’s about taking that extra step in your thought process, which can lead to more thoughtful and effective outcomes.
So, next time you make a decision, remember to ask yourself, “and then what?”
This simple question can help you think more strategically and make better choices in the long run.
3. Inversion.
This is probably one of the models I use the most.
Instead of tackling a problem head-on, you reverse the problem and work backward.
And by identifying what not to do, you can avoid pitfalls and focus on actions that lead to success.
For example, if you're struggling with productivity, instead of asking, "How can I be more productive?" ask, "How can I be as unproductive as possible?"
Lets explore this further.
So if I was going to have a really unproductive day, I’d wake up late, eat a really big sugary breakfast, I’d have my phone on my desk with the notifications on, I’d have the TV on in the background, I’d make sure my desk was cluttered as well.
When you’re having difficulty solving a problem, try solving the opposite problem first.
Let’s use another example.
Let’s say that you want to get serious and improve your physique.
Rather than asking, “how can I get a good physique?”
Ask, “how can I get a really bad physique?”
To achieve a poor physique I’d eat takeaways and junk food all the time.
I’d sit around all day.
I wouldn’t exercise or go to the gym.
I wouldn’t follow a training programme and I wouldn’t track my weight or calories.
By making an extensive list of what not to do, you can avoid those things.
This model helps you to understand the problem and can be a powerful motivator.
Instead of starting at the beginning, start at the end because by thinking about what not to do, you can more clearly see what you should do to achieve your goals.
It forces a different perspective which can be incredibly powerful.
Inversion encourages you to consider the opposite side of a problem, providing clarity and direction in your decision-making process.
By avoiding negative actions, you naturally steer yourself toward positive ones.
This shift in perspective can be transformative and it can help you achieve your goals more effectively.
4. Opportunity cost.
We live in a world of trade offs, and doing one thing means not being able to do another.
There is always a choice to make.
Let’s say you’re deciding on further education and you think a career in medicine might be worthwhile.
You need to consider the time it takes to become a consultant.
At a minimum it’s 10 years but usually, it’s more than 15 years, including medical school and post-graduate training.
You also need to consider the cost of training, which will probably leave you in 6 figures worth of debt if you factor in student loans.
You have to factor in other things like the earning potential, job satisfaction, stability and competition.
The opportunity cost is foregone income from not working during the years of medical training.
For instance you could have done a shorter degree in finance for example and advanced in that field.
Another cost to consider is personal time and lifestyle sacrifices due to the demanding nature of medical training and practice.
A reason why this model is it’s useful for strategic thinking is that it helps evaluate the true cost of decisions by considering what is sacrificed.
It also ensures that your resources - so time, money and effort are directed towards the most valuable and impactful things.
And by thoroughly evaluating the trade-offs, you can make informed decisions that align with your long-term goals because at the end of the day we want to maximise your potential.
For small decisions it’s not really worth applying this model, but as you become more successful and your time becomes more valuable, ideally you want to be spending your time doing the things that generate the most leverage.
The next model is one you’ve probably heard of:
5. The Pareto Principle.
The simplest way to define this principle is that the majority of outcomes in all aspects of life are unevenly distributed.
Pareto was an Italian economist and he discovered that 20% of Italy’s population owned 80% of the country’s land.
This principle of uneven distribution applies to many areas of life and work.
Essentially, it suggests that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.
Applying this principle helps with prioritisation by identifying the most impactful activities that yield the majority of results.
Imagine you have a list of 10 tasks for the day.
By analysing their impact, you figure out that completing two major tasks will yield the highest return overall.
Focusing on these tasks first ensures you achieve the most significant results.
So how can you apply this principle in life?
The Pareto Principle is pretty versatile.
It allows you to concentrate on the smallest percentage of inputs that generate the majority of results.
It helps you identify and prioritise tasks that offer the highest leverage.
And its a powerful tool for maximising efficiency and productivity.
By focusing on the vital few rather than the trivial many, you can achieve more with less effort.
It’s about working smarter, not harder.
6. Via Negativa.
“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day.” — Lao Tzu
This mental model focuses on subtracting the things that negatively impact your life rather than adding something positive.
I've discussed this at length in a video (below):
Instead of asking, "What can I add?" ask yourself, "What can I subtract?"
In other words, it’s often easier to improve your life by removing negative influences rather than adding positive ones.
You can dramatically improve your life simply by removing things.
Take the news, for example.
You can significantly boost your happiness levels by not watching or reading any news.
Improving your diet is another example.
Rather than only adding healthy foods, you can simply eat fewer unhealthy ones.
This approach helps you focus on eliminating the negative, making space for the positive.
This model is powerful because it simplifies decision-making and emphasises reducing harm over increasing benefit.
It’s about clearing away the clutter and noise that hinder your progress.
By removing the things that weigh you down, you can elevate your overall well-being and productivity.
Applying Via Negativa encourages a more straightforward path to improvement, stripping away the unnecessary to reveal what truly matters.
It’s a minimalist approach that can lead to more profound and lasting changes in your life.
So, next time you want to improve something, ask yourself what you can remove rather than what you can add.
So, life is complicated.
We navigate through a world of constant change and intricate challenges.
But by observing reality through the lenses of these mental models and running scenarios through their frameworks, we can distill complex problems and ideas into manageable chunks.
A quote from a great
Go forth,
Z
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