Discipline of Thoughts
Maintaining a coherent train of thought is a skill that demands discipline, even when the pressure of time is absent. These words from Daniel Kahneman, a prominent psychologist and Nobel laureate, hold a valuable lesson about the intricate nature of our thinking processes.
It's not just time pressure that challenges your ability to think coherently; achieving a sustained state of awareness is a mental endeavor in itself. In his enlightening book "Thinking, Fast and Slow," Kahneman delves into this topic, revealing that individuals who find themselves cognitively occupied are more prone to making selfish decisions, using sexist language, and forming shallow judgments in social interactions.
However, cultivating awareness of your thoughts shouldn't be confused with a never-ending cycle of mantras or repetitive mental chatter. Simply memorizing and echoing words or phrases can produce effects akin to those of alcohol or a night spent without sleep – a sort of mental haze that doesn't contribute positively to your cognition.
Interestingly, the more you fixate on excelling at a specific task, the more you can inadvertently clutter your short-term memory with needless and anxiety-inducing thoughts. This excess mental baggage can cloud your ability to maintain a coherent train of thought and impede your capacity to focus and think clearly.
In the pursuit of mental clarity and mindfulness, it's important to recognize the relationship between awareness and the fluidity of thought. It's not about overloading yourself with stress over each thought or action, but rather about fostering a sense of calm presence that enables you to engage with all that’s surrounding you with more genuinely and thoughtfully.
As you explore the intricacies of your mind and work to cultivate a disciplined approach to thought, remember that coherence doesn't necessarily require an empty mind, but rather a mind that is open, aware, and capable of discerning what truly matters amid the endless stream of mental activity.
Self-rate each on a 1 (not at all) to 10 (completely) scale for further exploration.
I am able to maintain a coherent train of thought for 5-minutes of more.
I structure my day to practice awareness.
When I notice my thoughts I don’t judgement them.