💰 How do I make more money?
👨🎓 How do I get promoted?
😃 What is the key to happiness?
Until I heard of this mental hack, I would typically try to solve these complex questions head-on.
Do you want to get promoted? Well then, put a development plan in place, work hard, network, shine in your projects and eventually you will move up.
But what if there was a more effective way to tackle these challenges?
🧠 Enter inversion, a powerful mental model championed by Charlie Munger, the former vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.
Instead of focusing solely on how to achieve your goals, inversion involves flipping the problem and considering how to avoid failure. Essentially, how to avoid stupidity.
“People need to realize our brains are inherently bad at making good decisions, hence the best approach to making good decisions is to avoid stupid decisions, this approach indirectly leads to good decision making” — Charlie Munger
Inversion : The Power of Thinking Backwards
“Invert, always invert.”
Inversion is about working backward from the outcome you want.
Rather than asking, "What should I do to succeed?"
🙋ask instead,
"What could I do to make things (much) worse?" and then avoid these!
“Great thinkers, icons, and innovators think forward and backward.
Occasionally, they drive their brain in reverse.” - James Clear
Applying Inversion to Common Problems
❇️ Making More Money: Rather than just pursuing new opportunities, consider what financial mistakes people often make (e.g. accumulating debt). Avoiding these errors can lead to financial health.
❇️ Getting Promoted: Instead of only focusing on direct actions for career advancement, think about what behaviours or attitudes typically hinder promotion. Addressing these negative factors can improve your chances of moving up.
❇️ Achieving Happiness: Rather than directly chasing happiness, explore what habits, actions, or mindsets contribute to unhappiness. By avoiding these negative influences, you can create a more fulfilling life (and it’s often easier to do!).
“All I want to know is where I’m going to die, so I’ll never go there.”
- Charlie Munger
Take-home message :
Inversion is personally my favourite mental model.
By adopting the inversion method, you shift your focus from merely achieving goals to actively avoiding common failures.
This approach not only clarifies your path but also enhances your decision-making process, making it easier to navigate complex challenges and achieve lasting success.
(I know an easy decision you that won’t need to think backwards about… subscribing below 😇)
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About the Author:
Nick is passionate about enabling people and businesses to reach their full potential. He taps into over 25+ years of truly diverse leadership experience, challenging the status quo - to ultimately define a clear strategic path forward and propel success.
Thought Leader | Board member | Founder of Aktina Group Consulting | Proud Father
This is a great idea!!! It does however, go against 'positive mental attitude' and a kind of Gary Veynerchuck philosophy of visualising your goal and projecting your achievement in an 'if you can see it you can be it' kind of way. But I like it! It has a very practical, common sense approach about it and avoids seeing the world through a false pair of rosy spectacles