Weekly Snapshot: Deep Thinking

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Life is a web of complex decisions. We make decisions after thinking - how much is what I want to focus on. I’ve been observing that people have forgotten the art of deep thinking.

Back in the days before social media, people sat and spent time in deep consideration. It was a time without any distractions, and one could sit under a lamp for a long time, indulging in their thoughts. There was something magical about it. The result of deep thinking brought marvels, breakthroughs, and humanity-defining theories without many technological resources.

Imagine Aristotle’s complex and deep philosophies about life.
Imagine Leo Tolstoy writing War & Peace in a cold Russian winter. 
Imagine Karl Marx springing up the Communist Manifesto. 
Imagine Einstein building complicated thought experiments.
Imagine Jim Simmons thinking about a complicated mathematical equation that would later print him billions. 
Imagine Warren Buffet spending hours and hours reading annual reports and thinking about the frameworks for finding the best businesses.
Remember Bill Gates' Think Week? 

In today’s world, filled with distractions, the idea of a complexity thinker has disappeared. Even when we are alone, instead of entertaining our thoughts, we stare at the mobile phone screen - losing time and watching life pass by. It is an easier escape. I do not believe we can handle where our mind takes us - dark places, I suspect.

Here is a question that I would like to ask the reader:

When was the last time you sat down alone - just you and your thoughts? How many life decisions did you make after spending hours thinking in solitary? Am I wrong to believe that when you’re alone with your thoughts, time does not pass, and, instead, anxiety spurs up? A sad affair of our minds.

I believe in the power of deep thinking. It is what differentiates the apex from the nadir. To become more thoughtful in decisions - personal or work-related - I have implemented think sessions - 30-minute thinking sessions daily - free of distractions. It is a period I cut off from the world and consciously indulge my thoughts.  

It is not an easy process. It is taxing, but as time passes, you learn to explore the depths of your thoughts. Get rid of distractions and learn to think deeply about aspects of your life. It is a rewarding road. 

💪 Wins of the week

  1. Got a new paid user for Virtuans’ closed beta!
  2. Made critical investments which will yield high dividends in the next 10 -15 years.
  3. Built and tested the self-service onboarding flow for Mia.

🧐 Challenges & Learnings

  1. I’m having difficulties implementing a no social media and netflix rule after 10 pm. It’s a challenge that I aim to win.
  2. I’m learning the art of B2B customer acquisition but the pace has been slow. I’d like to accelerate so if the reader has any advice for me, please do share!

🎯 Goals for Next Week

  1. Acquire 20 test users on the Virtuans AI platform
  2. Pitch my lithium-ion cells to at least 5 potential customers in Lahore!
  3. Enjoy my week off from work and realign my priorities!

📖 My Readings

I’m reading The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Art of Disruption is a wonderful book. It truly takes you on a journey of how Silicon Valley came about - especially, it’s entrepreneurial culture. I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how VCs actually think!

🎬 My YouTube Video

No YouTube video in June! Next one is coming in July. Stay tuned.

✍️ Quote of the Week

The day a blind man sees, the first he throws away is the stick that has helped him all his life - unknown.