How do I think?….
This is something that I like to say I have a good understanding of and that I am in tune with the methods that work for me. My brain works best when I am able to see or visualize what I am thinking about. I find that I have both an eye for detail and for the big picture idea. I am a type of person who needs to have a clean and organized workspace before I can really get into thinking. I feel that I am in tune with the two distinct sides of my thinking, Critical and Creative, and regularly use a mixed version of the two. That being said, I am still trying to learn more about both my true divergent and convergent thinking methods.
To begin with my convergent thinking, the top things that I value and find important to me is clarity, fairness and thoroughness. I love to have a procedure and routine and find that I perform at my best when I’m able to think in logically in steps. I am very strong willed person and believe that fairness is key and that has a prominent stop in my thinking strategy. Clarity and Thoroughness have major roles in my thinking strategies as well, as I need every little bit of information I can get prior to feeling comfortable in making a decision. I studying things very carefully and when faced with a problem, my approach on the convergent side is very operational in theory. I find myself laying out all the information I currently have in a point-form style then I proceed to gather as much other information that I can. Usually done by asking questions after questions to anyone willing to share information.
I find that divergent thinking is another major portion of all the thinking that goes on in my mind. I’m a very creative person and find myself constantly doodling and noticing things around me in a very artistic way. I find myself to be very focused on visuals, human-centered activities and love group collaboration.
When I’m faced with different environments I find my strategy stays somewhat similar and that the tools I use are listing making, task and related time scheduling, brainstorming, asking questions to gather even more information and making a visual connections to my ideas. I find that I perform at my best when the step-by-step convergent thinking strategy happens in conjunction with divergent thinking. I’m very much so a “people-person” and find that I’m working at my best when in a collaborative setting. I thrive in the presence of other people’s ideas and energy, which really kick-starts my thinking.
The two things in life that I love to do on a daily basis that has shaped my way of thinking are makings lists and drawing pictures. I LOVE lists, I love making a list of lists I have to make. I write lists for everything I have to do and love revising them over and over. Also, I LOVE to draw, paint and decorate. I have found that these two things that I’m passion about have helped shape my strategy of thinking and has helped widen my perspective on the things that happen in my life.
