In our lives, we may all encounter some problems. While solving these problems indeed requires ability and experience, what is often overlooked is that our mindset and way of thinking might actually be more important.

A less - favorable way of thinking will add unnecessary pressure and create numerous obstacles and challenges for us. On the contrary, a good way of thinking can enable us to achieve twice the result with half the effort and endow us with continuous motivation to take action.

Therefore, in today's post, I'd like to share five simple yet highly effective ways of thinking.

They can help you view things from a more comprehensive perspective, free yourself from the shackles of meaningless pressure, and more effectively set about solving problems.

1. What can I do to help my future self?

This question is aimed at procrastination.

There are various reasons for procrastination, and its mechanism is quite complex. However, in most cases, they share a common feature: what causes us pain is not the result of procrastination, but the very awareness that "I'm procrastinating".

There are often contradictions between our thoughts and actions, and these contradictions can lead to cognitive dissonance in the brain, bringing about a great sense of discomfort.

What really makes us suffer from procrastination is this kind of cognitive dissonance: rationally, I know I shouldn't procrastinate, but emotionally, I just don't want to do it.

Therefore, the only way to completely solve the pain caused by procrastination is, of course, to "do it right away". But if it were that easy, there wouldn't be any procrastinators in the world.

Everyone has their own reasons for procrastination. It could be the fear of failure, the reluctance to face difficulties, the feeling of not being ready, or simply the love for the adrenaline rush near the deadline...

So, a simpler and more effective method is to develop the habit of asking yourself this question in your free time:

What can I do to help my future self better handle various things and challenges?

The essence of this approach is to break down future tasks, decompose them, and arrange to do them in advance. It can provide us with a sense of security: I'm not really procrastinating, but making preparations for the future.

The key lies not in what you actually do, but in whether you make good use of the time when you seem to be doing nothing.

For example, I post an article every Thursday. Although I usually start writing on Thursday, I never delay thinking about it until then. I might start considering the topic on the weekend, outline it on Monday, and look up information on Tuesday...

In this way, when I start writing on Thursday, I'll have a clear idea and won't have to start from scratch.

I also do these preparatory tasks in my spare time, doing a little whenever I'm free. By gathering these "easy tasks", I can gain sufficient security and support.

Similarly, if you have a task to do but haven't started yet, or you've been putting off some important things, or you're just used to acting near the deadline... you might as well try this method.

In your daily work and life, use fragmented time to break down tasks into smaller parts, which will make you more confident.

It doesn't matter how much of the task you complete in advance. The point is to offset your regret and repulsion towards "procrastination" through this way, so as to adjust your mindset and face and solve problems with a more calm and composed attitude.

2. What is the result I'm most worried about, and what's the probability of it happening?

We always tend to worry about the future and fret over things that haven't happened yet.

For instance, before starting a task, we can't help but think: "Will this task be very difficult and take up a lot of my time and energy?"

Once we start working on it, we'll be hesitant: "Will I make any mistakes that need to be remedied or for which I have to take responsibility?"

After finally finishing it, we're still not satisfied with the result: "Will it leave any hidden dangers and have unexpected impacts on me?"

Although these mental activities seem a bit "silly", many people are actually easily trapped in such meaningless daydreams. If you're a highly sensitive person, you'll definitely resonate more deeply.

This phenomenon is called "catastrophic imagination". It means that for a long period, the brain will continuously flash various "unhappened" things and think the worst of them, constantly putting pressure on oneself.

What are the characteristics of catastrophic imagination? Its most prominent feature is the slippery - slope fallacy.

For example, if a person says something inappropriate to a client, they might think: Oh no, did I upset the client? Will they complain to the boss? Will the boss punish me? Thus, they'll fall into worry and anxiety, feeling uneasy all the time.

However, is this one thing? No, it's three things. The client may not be upset; even if they are, they may not complain; even if they do complain, the boss may not punish. These three things are related, but the former doesn't necessarily lead to the latter.

However, people who like to think with "catastrophic imagination" tend to regard these three things as one, directly jumping from the first point to the third, imagining the worst - case scenario and putting unnecessary pressure on themselves.

So, what's a better way of thinking? Whenever you fall into anxiety about the future, ask yourself this question:

What is the result I'm most worried about, and what's the probability of it happening?

In the previous example, assume the probability that the client gets angry, complains, and the boss punishes you is all 50%. Then what's the probability that all three things happen? It's just 50% x 50% x 50% = 12.5%.

Many things are like this: the worst - case scenario actually depends on a series of previous worst - case situations. Therefore, the probability of it happening is probably much lower than our worries, and it can even be ignored.

The reason why the things we worry about rarely really happen is that as long as it's not 100%, each link will reduce the probability of the "worst - case scenario".

Try to analyze problems with this kind of thinking, and you may find that the probability of many things coming true is only one percent, one - thousandth, or even lower. So, is it necessary to worry about such low - probability events? Absolutely not.

This is an excellent way to help you get rid of irrational anxiety.

3. What would so - and - so say if they saw me like this?

This is a method I highly recommend: the role - model alignment method. It's very useful when dealing with emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety, and annoyance.

Everyone has some favorite figures to some extent. They must possess some qualities you desire, and they are your inspiration and the direction you strive for, your role models.

So, the next time you're troubled by emotions, try to think: If it were them, what would they think and do? What would they say to you if they saw you like this?

An interesting study shows that even for 5 - year - old children, when they are consciously asked to think about "what would Batman do in this situation", they generally show better executive and control abilities.

A small suggestion is that it's better not to choose your role model from real life, but from fictional works, such as characters in novels, anime, or games.

Why? It's simple: real - life people are often complex and multi - faceted. We usually only see one side of them, so we're prone to creating excessive auras and filters for them, thus having a cognitive bias about their real situation.

On the other hand, we generally know more and more comprehensively about virtual characters, and it's easier to imagine "what they would say and do in this situation".

If you don't have such a role model for now, you can also try this: What would a wiser, more intelligent, and more knowledgeable future you do in this situation?

This is like letting your wiser future self "travel back" to help you now. You'll truly feel that you're not isolated and static. Your past and future are all parts of you. It's by solving present problems that you'll become the wiser and more intelligent future you.

Then, what can defeat you?

This can wake you up and help you face current problems with a calmer mindset, and more calmly get rid of emotional disturbances.

4. What actions can I take to increase the probability of things getting better?

A very useful way of thinking for me is that everything is about probability.

Any event is influenced by many factors, and each factor affects the probability of this event occurring. Some of these factors are positive, that is, with a positive probability; some are negative, that is, with a negative probability. Summing up all the probabilities gives the probability of this event happening.

However, among these factors, many are beyond our control. They may depend on others or the general environment... and some are completely random (that is, so - called luck). There may not be many factors that we can control and intervene in.

For example, an event may be affected by 100 factors, and perhaps only 10 of them are within our control, and they may only account for 20% of the probability in total. That is to say, even if we do our best, we can only determine 20% of the probability. The remaining 80% may be determined by other factors and luck.

Of course, the above numbers are just for illustration. In reality, in many cases, what we can control may not be much. We have the illusion of a "single - thread" thinking just because we can't see those uncontrollable factors.

Therefore, a better way of thinking is to replace the idea of "If I do A, I will definitely get B" with "If I do A, I can increase the probability of B happening".

I exercise regularly, pay attention to my diet and schedule, but it doesn't guarantee that I won't get sick. It just reduces the probability of my getting sick. If I stop staying up late, the probability of getting sick may decrease by 2%; if I stop drinking sugary drinks, it may decrease by 1%; if I exercise every day, it may decrease by 4%...

Furthermore, it also means one thing: if you want to achieve a certain result, first, you have to put yourself in the probability game.

What does this mean? Some people may have this kind of trouble: I'm very capable and excellent, but I always don't get enough opportunities. Why is it so unfair?

The problem is that opportunities won't fall from the sky. You have to find ways to show yourself so that you may be noticed by others and have a chance to be favored by opportunities.

Many times, does an excellent person or a person regarded as "successful" by others necessarily know more and have a deeper understanding than others? Not necessarily. It's probably just that at every juncture where others choose "forget it", "next time", or "wait and see", they choose "let me give it a try".

If you want to seek change, no matter how busy you are, how little time you have, or how unprepared you feel... what you should always consider is: How can I squeeze out time to take some actions to increase the probability of "good things happening"?

If you don't do anything, the probability is 0%. If you take action, it may be 5%, 10%... Although it may be very small, it can be accumulated. Over time, things will tilt in the direction you want.

This is the same principle as lottery - drawing. If you want to win a prize, first, you have to put yourself in the lottery pool. Even if the winning probability is low, you can keep trying, 10 times, 100 times, 1000 times...

As long as you accumulate enough attempts, the probability of "never succeeding" will become extremely small.

5. Will it still seem scary if I look at it from a long - term perspective?

Most of the time, the reason why we feel anxious is that under the combined effect of attention and threat sensitivity, we magnify the risk factors of things again and again, making them seem very close to us and insurmountable.

Just like when you look at a tiger through a close - up lens. But if you pull the lens back, you may find that the tiger is actually miles away from you and can't really hurt you. It's just that you were trapped by the lens before and couldn't see the great distance between you.

Therefore, a simple and effective suggestion is that if you're anxious about the current situation, take a step back, look at the problem from a more long - term and broader perspective, and stretch the time to half a year, a year, five years, or even your whole life.

Is this problem serious on a one - year scale? How about five years? Ten years? Twenty years? A lifetime?

This simple technique is called "psychological distance". The closer your psychological distance to an event, the more easily you'll be affected by it. Conversely, the farther your psychological distance, the easier it is for you to handle it calmly and objectively and get rid of emotional interference.

Many times, what really hinders us from solving problems is not how difficult the problems themselves are, but our fear of them. But once you increase the "psychological distance", you'll find that this fear doesn't exist at all; it's just an illusion.

It's just an insignificant wave in our long and fulfilling lives, and it may not even count as a "twist".

Once you start to feel that your life is dull and filled with endless problems, take a step back, calm down, and "pull the lens back" in your mind. Ask yourself:

Are these problems really worth being afraid of? Will they still seem so serious if I look at them from a long - term perspective?

This can help you regain your courage and confidence in facing difficulties.