The document discusses the importance of pondering, which involves carefully thinking about something before making a decision. It notes that pondering takes more effort than just searching for information online or passively consuming social media. Specific tips for pondering effectively include asking basic questions, questioning assumptions, being aware of biases, trying different perspectives, evaluating existing evidence, and understanding that pondering is not needed for every decision. The goal of pondering is to gain personal insight and feel in control of decisions rather than being influenced by others.

1. The Art of
Pondering at Work

2. “The world as we have created it is a process of our
thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our
thinking.”
Albert Einstein

3. We live in a world that is literally drowning in
information and social communication. Our
idea of what it means to think about
something, to ponder something, consists of
typing it in Google and reading about what
other people think.

4. Or, we bump into it while scrolling
through our Facebook feed. Sadly, this is
not thinking, and it most certainly is not
pondering.

5. To ponder means: to
think about something
carefully, especially
before making a decision
or reaching a conclusion.
To ponder is to
contemplate, consider,
review, mull over, and
meditate on something.

6. Pondering is so much
more than thinking. It’s
reasoning. It’s
comparison. It’s logic.
It’s feelings and
emotions. But, most
importantly, pondering
is done by us.

7. And secondly,
pondering takes time.
Finally, pondering
culminates in personal
witness.
Pondering does not
end in a non-peaceful
resolution.

8. Why is pondering so
important?

9. We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking
we used when we created them.
Albert Einstein

10. If you don’t ponder, you are not in
control of your life, someone else is. If
you don’t ponder, then you will end up in
places, situations, health issues,
conversations, and even relationships
you don’t want to be in. All because you
didn’t ponder.

11. 1. Ask Basic Questions
Sometimes an explanation becomes so complex that the original
question get lost. To avoid this, continually go back to the basic
questions you asked when you set out to solve the problem.

12. 2. Question Basic Assumptions
Your thoughts can be a reality if you just question your
assumptions and critically evaluate your beliefs about what’s
prudent, appropriate, or possible.

13. “If I have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders
of Giants.”
Isaac Newton

14. 3. Be Aware of Your Mental Processes
All of us have biases in our thinking. Becoming aware of them is
what makes pondering possible.

15. 4. Try Reversing Things
A great way to get “unstuck” on a hard problem is to try
reversing things. It may seem obvious that X causes Y, but what
if Y caused X?

16. “The world is complicated. But does every problem
require a complicated solution?”
Stephen J. Dubner

17. 5. Evaluate the Existing Evidence
When you’re trying to solve a problem, it’s always helpful to
look at other work that has been done in the same area. There’s
no reason to start solving a problem from scratch when
someone has already laid the groundwork.

18. 7. Understand That No One Ponders 100% of
the Time
You can’t ponder all the time, and that’s okay. Pondering is a
tool that you should deploy when you need to make important
decisions or solve difficult problems, but you don’t need to
ponder about everything.

19. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--
you're right.”
Henry Ford

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