Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results
Shane Parrish
Portfolio/Penguin (October 2023)

Here’s “the missing link between behavioral science and real-world results”

Shane Parrish asserts that high-impact results depend on two initiatives: “We must first create the space to reason  in our thoughts, feelings, and actions, and second, we must deliberately use that space to think clearly. Once you have mastered this skill, you will find you have an unstoppable advantage.” That is the WHAT.

He wrote this book to explain the HOW. The first half of the book is about creating space for clear thinking. The second half is about putting clear thinking into practice. “Together we’ll uncover the missing link between behavioral science and real-world results and turn ordinary moments into extraordinary results.”

These are among the subjects discussed by Parrish that are of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the scope of his coverage:

o The power of biological instincts
o Four defaults that can reduce (if not negate) clear thinking
o Defaults viewed as algorithms, for better or worse
o Key strengths that facilitate and protect clear thinking
o Irrelevance of excuses

o Increase knowledge of what is most important
o Eliminate your unknown unknowns
o The wrong side of right
o The power of asking, “Is this your [or my] best work?”
o Establishing safeguards (e.g. guardrails)

o How to handle mistakes
o Decision-making conducted as a process (Part 4)
o Helpful Principles (e.s. ALAP, As Late As Possible)
o “Dickens’s Hidden Lesson”
o Managing regrets

Shane Parrish’s mind resembles a Swiss Army knife. With exquisite skill, he coordinates the core concepts of several disciplines, notably Lean Thinking and Design Thinking, while explaining HOW to use “ordinary moments” as opportunities, as links to better decisions made within a context (a “position”) in which clear thinking is most likely to thrive.   I wholly agree with him; “A good position allows you txo think clearly rather than be forced by circumstances into a decision. One reason the best in the world make consistently good decisions is they rarely find themselves forced into a decision by circumstances…What a lot of people miss is that ordinary moments determine your position, and your position determines your options.”

Here are two suggestions to keep in mind while reading Clear Thinking: Highlight key passages, and, record your comments, questions, action steps (preferably with deadlines), and page references as well as your responses to questions posed in exercises and to lessons you have learned. (Pay close attention to the key reminders in introductory head notes and end-of-chapter reminders.) These two simple tactics will facilitate, indeed expedite frequent reviews of key material later.