Many have been here, myself included.
Immersed in an idea.
Fixated on the possibilities.
Obsessed with growth.
I’ve been there dozens of times with different ideas and different teams.
It’s a great state of flow and focus.
And then I find myself in the middle of a conversation with someone, sharing, and then they share something that completely blindsides me.
Why didn’t I see this? Why didn’t I think of that opportunity? Why didn’t I consider this disastrous possibility?
The answer is simple: when you are close to the paintbrush, it’s hard to see the full picture.
When you're close to an idea, it can be difficult to be objective about it.
The question then becomes, how do you see the full picture?
What daily or weekly practice will allow you to see reality more clearly?
Well, you can't see the full picture if you’re the paintbrush.
That is, you can’t see the full picture if you’re constantly in reactive execution mode.
What’s the answer? Become the painter.
As an entrepreneur, imagine you are the paintbrush.
You’re close to what you’re doing. Arguably, the closest person.
To become the painter, you must intentionally change perspective.
You must be mindful of how you use the paintbrush.
The painter asks, “Do I want to use the color red, or do I want to use black, instead?”
The painter asks, “Do I want to undo that and paint with a new color, instead?”
The painter asks, “Do I want to paint this way or that way?”
The painter stops to visualize what they want the full painting of the picture to look like.
This is where metacognition comes in.
Cognition is thinking.
Metacognition is thinking about thinking.
Metacognition is asking questions of yourself.
If you ask yourself questions like the painter, you are practicing metacognition.
Cognition happens in your mind while you are engaged in learning. Metacognition is about monitoring and managing your learning. Metacognition elevates you to a higher mastery of learning.
Here’s another way of saying it...
The paintbrush is about attachment to the present moment.
Being the painter is about detachment.
Part of being an entrepreneur is about attaching to an idea or vision and bringing it to life.
On the flip side, part of helping you to see more clearly is about detachment so you can zoom out to see the full picture.
If you’re focused with a magnifying glass, you’re not going to see the full picture.
Conversely, if you’re too focused with binoculars on the future, you’ll never see what’s in front of you.
This is yet another paradox of being an entrepreneur.
Metacognition is about awareness of self.
A master of metacognition has the self-discipline to alter their state.
Harvard said it, too.
In 2014, Harvard said that the best thinkers have 7 thinking dispositions.
A disposition is a person’s inherent qualities of mind and character. It’s a habit, or a tendency to act in a specific way.
Guess what the 7th thinking disposition is? You named it, metacognition.
The Yahoo article says metacognition is the “tendency to be aware of and monitor the flow of one's own thinking; alertness to complex thinking situations; the ability to exercise control of mental processes and to be reflective.”
I see this as the power of self-awareness.
An example of metacognition
I am fixated on finding and fixing a programming bug with our developer, Chris.
I find myself being very assertive and direct in our communication because I’m so focused, or so attached, to the moment that all I care about is moving past this bug.
However, in the midst of that, I swiftly alter perspectives (detach) and find myself reflecting on my habits and I conclude that I am not being mindful of how abrasive I am acting with Chris. I don’t want to be abrasive because I don’t want that to be part of my legacy. I don’t want that to be a part of my team’s culture (it can provoke fear and cripple creativity). Fortunately, I believe my team understands my intent and intent trumps all.
This above story highlights a metacognitive act.
Metacognition is about observing the observer. I am engaging in a practice that allows me to observe myself. I have trained my brain to recognize what it is doing.
Here are some more examples of metacognitive acts...
A metacognitive act is the realization that you could be wrong (eg. ability to detach and see another side).
A metacognitive act is accepting that there might be a different way of doing what you are doing (eg. ability to detach and accept an alternative reality).
A metacognitive act happens when a mentor or teacher assists a child in learning.
A metacognitive act is when you ask yourself questions.
A metacognitive act is when you realize you’re having difficulty learning a certain way versus another.
A metacognitive act is when you realize you should double check a fact before accepting it.
Metacognition, like most things, is a muscle.
I have stories of how I’ve practiced metacognition since I was 9 years old and recently I’ve codified my behavior. I’ve refined and honed my ability to see and now I am sharing it with you.
“Cogito ergo sum” is Latin for "I think, therefore I am" or "I am thinking, therefore I exist” (thanks Descartes).
HA.
Let’s rewrite it: “I think about thinking, therefore I am greater.”
Without getting too existential, I am referring to greater, in the sense of, you exist greater because you recognize your potential in the human experience (HX). To some extent, this realm I speak of allows you to enter a new dimension.
Metacognition is a necessity for the progression of our species.
This is about seeing beyond the paradigm because you can see the paradigm.
When you understand how to alter the paradigm, your understanding of concepts dictate your reality. Perception is reality.
Understanding how fear limits metacognition
In “Humans of New York,” a photo was posted with a family experiencing war. Normally, the photographer, Brandon, asks questions that elicit a wide range of responses. Questions that uncover someone’s happiest moment, saddest moment, or similar.
However, in this photo of a family that has experienced war, they couldn’t answer anything. He said that they couldn’t think about anything beyond their immediate situation.
Lack of physical safety prevents detachment.
Fear returns us to our instinctual animal-like state and focuses us on the present moment. I don’t want to say this is black and white, but fear prevents clarity.
How you can practice metacognition
1. Implement triggers
Triggers are visual cues and reminders that remind you to detach. I like to go on a nightly walk around the block and reflect on my day. Or in the shower, I’m mindful of my emotional state and energy. Maybe a red light while driving can be your cue to think about how you are thinking about your day. Find out where your mind is and whether or not that’s serving you the way you want.
2. Journal
Journaling is a trigger that deserves it’s own category. Don't journal for the sake of the past, journal to strengthen metacognition. Do it for self-awareness. Every night, I have journaled 8 things:
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A few notes on my day
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What I could have done better
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What I did well
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What I’m grateful for
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What I am learning
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What I want
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What I trust in
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What I accept
Intentionally doing this every day helps me find clarity and understand myself more. It strengthens my self-awareness and helps re-center on where I want to be. Thinking in this way allows me to detach and reflect on my day as an outsider.
3. Ask yourself questions
This is a very straight-forward metacognitive act. Ask yourself questions.
What do you think about what you just experienced?
What did you learn?
Can you be wrong?
Are there alternative ways to accomplish a task?
Are you operating efficiently and effectively?
Build the muscle.
4. Trust
Trust in your ability to figure out challenges.
Trust your team to do what needs to get done.
Trust that you have enough time.
Without trusting, you limit your metacognitive potential.
5. Be vulnerable and open
Brené Brown defines vulnerability as uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. She would say that vulnerability is the foundation of creativity, innovation, and change.
The context of a business requires vulnerability for growth.
To be vulnerable and open to possibilities is a metacognitive act because it allows you to learn differently and think better.
If you’re closed-minded, you won’t be able to see alternatives when suggested, or determine if you’re wrong, or learn effectively.
Find friends who question you and further allow you to learn and evolve.
And well, that’s that.
This isn’t scientifically proven and I am not interested in statistical evidence.
Most research out there is all theory-based.
Metacognition, yes, is a fancy word for common behavior that you likely already do.
And I want to help you do more of it.
The more you hone this muscle, the greater sense of clarity you will find.
It is the art of attachment and detachment.
When your instincts are refined, you’ll be able to immediately know what questions to ask to solve challenges.
Imagine being able to see all of the possibilities from every perspective and from different points in time (and still being open to more possibilities).
Exercise your metacognitive muscle for clarity's sake.
