It’s a subject that’s been on my mind recently, because there’s a lot to think about.
Years ago, when trying to figure out a challenging problem I had been asked about a couple of days previously, I replied, “I’ve been thinking about it”. The response I got was, “Have you really, though?”. The reply was blunt, but not unfriendly. It was a sufficiently fair challenge that I remember it clearly almost a decade later.
I think best in groups, through engaging and generous conversations. I “think by saying”, but to do that freely requires trust, patience, generosity, and connection from the group. Often, there’s a whiteboard and some dry-wipe markers involved. Sadly, the opportunity to do this kind of thinking is rare for me these days. Remote calls are serviceable but not the same.
My backup is a journal. I started “thinking by writing” around the same time I was challenged about my thinking, on the advice and example of a friend and colleague. Many people I’ve worked with, people whose thinking habits have stood out to me, seem to carry paper notebooks. Not all by any means, but enough to notice.
In a time when creative thinking is essential for driving businesses forward, a journal might seem quaint. Having spent my life immersed in technology and utilising various software tools through to the current standardised iteration — Miro, Confluence, Draw.io and countless shared document applications — I’m particularly excited about how AI integration is transforming these platforms and the way I use them. I often carry a laptop or tablet with me. Yet I still rely on my journal, as most of my initial thoughts come to life while pushing ink across satisfyingly thick paper.
So, that’s how I think: conversations, whiteboards, and journals. Software for thinking is brilliant but, for me, it’s secondary. It’s the next step, not Step One.
I’d love to hear how others think. You know, really think.
