Most people like to think they think clearly. It’s possibly the thing we do most in life. Before we speak, the words run through our minds. Before we act, we plan what is going to happen. As we perform an action, our thoughts review the progress for errors, faults, and ommissions. In hindsight we look for things we could have done better. Sometimes we think about butterflies while thinking about blogging while thinking about what’s for dinner. Thinking happens like breathing.
But thinking about that thing you want to think about at the moment you want to think about it is not always easy. Writer’s call it writer’s block. Some call it brain freeze or brain fart or drawing a blank. It’s the reason some struggle to speak in front of crowds (their brain freezes from the input processing). Managing and controlling thoughts in specific situations is not always simple.
But we can practice thinking. The more often you put yourself into these situations, the easier it is to quickly get back into a comfort zone. Athletes experience this through the sensation of “the game slowing down.” It’s effectively their thoughts able to keep up with the action around them. They are able to cope with the many various inputs and still make quick and accurate decisions about their course of action.
Some of the practice comes from developing a process for organizing your thoughts in these situations. Do you need a process for how to think things through (step 1 frame the problem, step 2 outline causes, step 3 add detail, etc)? Do you perform best solo or with others to bounce ideas off of? Are you better at starting from scratch or responding to ideas already out there? Knowing your style will allow you to be quicker and better prepared when you walk in.