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10X thinker is a person who thinks ten times better than the average person, and in return, produces ten times more results than the average person. In this article, we’ll talk about what that means and how you can become a 10x thinker yourself!
A 10x Thinker Thinks Deeply
A 10X thinker doesn’t limit themselves to shallow thinking and is able to dive deep into their thoughts in order to find a solution. When faced with a challenge, they take time to think about what might be causing it, diving deeper until they reach a solution. If you want to figure out how to solve problems more quickly, becoming more of a 10X thinker will help. Thinking deeply allows for better results over time. Whenever you face a problem, investigate your beliefs and consider other ways to approach it before coming up with a single solution. This will allow you to become flexible when presented with new challenges as well as give you options if your first plan fails.
These are great qualities for anyone interested in being innovative or finding an innovative solution. Being a 10X thinker requires consistent reflection on your approach and seeking other opinions or viewpoints so that eventually, you become successful at doing both of these things naturally. A 10x thinker always strives for simplicity: A 10X thinker doesn’t stop at one solution but instead continues to push himself to improve his solutions every time he faces a new challenge.
A 10X thinker never looks at a complicated problem as just a complicated problem; instead, he understands its complexity stems from unnecessary complexity and strives toward simplicity. One way of solving a challenging situation may not always work; however, many small changes can result in large overall gains towards success. Even if you aren’t sure you’ll succeed right away, it’s important to remember that making small improvements now will lead to big improvements later on. Don’t settle for complicating situations further by trying different approaches without learning anything from them; rather strive toward creating something simple yet impactful.
A 10x thinker sets very high goals and creates a vision for achieving them: Setting very high goals and believing in yourself go hand-in-hand. A 10X thinker doesn’t half-heartedly commit to improving because she knows she can do even better than her best—she constantly strives for greatness because she knows her ability is limited only by her own imagination. A person becomes a successful innovator when he starts asking why everything exists as it does today, looking around him with a questioning eye while pushing beyond limitations others put on him. In order to set ambitious targets and achieve them successfully, you must believe that you have everything necessary within yourself already in order to do so.
A 10x Think Talks Less, Listens More
If you’re a leader, your success will depend on your ability to think and listen more than it will on your ability to talk. If you are constantly interrupting others or speaking over them, people will tune you out; they’ll resent your expertise and ignore what you have to say.
The lesson: Shut up already. Your organization—and even just one other person—will be better off if you learn how to be a better listener. People want to tell their stories; don’t spend all day telling yours. And when someone else is talking, ask questions that help uncover their story instead of trying to tell yours. When you practice listening (as opposed to talking), everyone around you benefits from having a chance to speak freely without interruption. You benefit too because listening is an important skill that can strengthen relationships and provide valuable insight into issues that matter most. To get better at listening. Start small by being quiet during a meeting; then challenge yourself by asking a question after another team member has talked.
Listen to respond, not simply to reflect. Asking a follow-up question shows respect for another speaker while encouraging deeper thinking and dialogue within teams that may otherwise be dominated by extroverts who tend to dominate conversations…or introverts who contribute little but sit quietly in meetings staring at their phones… A 10X thinker doesn’t rest until progress has been made: Everyone needs breaks in order to perform well—but there’s something worse than working hard for long periods of time and not achieving much as a result: working hard for long periods of time without making any progress whatsoever. That’s why every new goal should build upon earlier goals. Before setting a new goal, make sure each previous goal was achieved first. In general, break down goals into smaller achievements; once a step is completed move on to tackle your next achievement.
A 10x thinker knows that beginning a journey requires planning ahead: Don’t rush into things with no plan or direction–you’ll regret it later on. Ask yourself several essential questions before starting a journey such as where do I need to start? Where do I need to end up? and How far along am I now? Establishing plans early makes life easier later in terms of knowing where you’re going, recognizing opportunities along the way, and coping with setbacks effectively. For example, one of the reasons small businesses fail is that their owners fail to take steps to protect themselves and their companies financially. Consider creating a business plan; although many professional investors consider business plans unnecessary and unrealistic, writing a business plan and tracking your progress toward achieving your company’s goals will save you from unexpected pitfalls.
A 10x thinker embraces hard work: Thinking that you’re going to succeed easily causes failure. Take everything seriously, especially the word work. Thinking you won’t work very hard will lead to even harder work later on. A 10x thinker understands that perfection isn’t possible: Perfectionists often waste a lot of time trying to achieve perfection—because they know it’s unattainable.
A 10x Thinker Does The Work, Not Talks About It
This may seem like a silly idea, but you would be surprised at how many people are just talkers. They’re experts at talking about what they’re going to do, but when it comes to actually doing it, they find excuses why they can’t. While some of those excuses might be legitimate, I would argue that if you are struggling with procrastination, you should look for ways to increase your productivity so that it becomes easier for you to get things done. Of course, not all tasks take as much time as others—but no matter how long a task takes if it needs to get done, one must put in time and effort until it is complete. If there are obstacles standing in your way, you have to work around them rather than give up on your goals altogether. In order to succeed, a 10X thinker has to be more productive than their peers—they have to think bigger thoughts and take bigger action steps than anyone else around them. The best part is?
You don’t have to be born a 10X thinker…you can learn how to become one. That starts by making yourself accountable every single day: first thing when you wake up (or late at night before bed) write down exactly what you plan on accomplishing during the day so that you will face any obstacles head-on instead of ignoring them because they were unexpected. Make lists of all your daily responsibilities, and ensure that you follow through with them.
Whether you’re doing a simple chore or completing a difficult project, always make sure you finish what you start – or even better – finish it ahead of schedule! As a self-disciplined person who knows how to meet deadlines (and always overachieves), people who aren’t used to working with 10X thinkers often underestimate their abilities. Don’t let anyone fool themselves into thinking they know everything; pay attention to even small details and remember everything so that if someone asks later whether something was done properly or not, then respond confidently saying yes without hesitation while having clear answers. Having thorough knowledge on a subject allows you to make well-thought-out decisions and reach reasonable conclusions based on factually correct information.
A true 10X thinker does not leave anything to chance; a great leader knows where he/she is going and how he/she will get there. Thus, he/she sets his/her mind toward that goal relentlessly – knowing full well that success requires hard work, dedication, perseverance, and determination. Decisions, consequences, and sacrifices. Whenever you make a decision, be aware of its consequence and sacrifice. 10X thinkers always consider these factors first.
Often times we have to decide between multiple choices and sometimes they’re conflicting. For example, choosing an apartment close to the school that costs twice as much per month versus saving money by living farther away from campus. By being able to weigh your options carefully, you can make an informed decision that helps your long-term plan fit with your short-term obligations. Not only will you learn how to balance different demands on your time and resources, but you’ll also gain an appreciation for how complicated life can be once a series of choices turn into cause-and-effect scenarios that eventually lead to consequences.
A 10X Thinker Forgives But Does Not Forget
While it’s important to learn from your mistakes, it’s equally as important to let go and move on. As a 10X thinker, when things go wrong, you don’t let them linger; instead, you figure out what went wrong (or didn’t), then you move on with life. Of course, that doesn’t mean things won’t sometimes get you down or hurt your feelings – that happens to everyone – but when something bad does happen, don’t be afraid to take some time for yourself and address issues in healthy ways that help you learn rather than hinder your progress. After all: there will always be other opportunities!
A 10X THINKER IS NOT AFRAID TO CONFESS S/HE DOESN’T KNOW SOMETHING: Know-it-alls are annoying – so why act like one? Instead of pretending to know everything (and becoming annoyed if someone dares disagree), a 10X thinker is open to questions and admitting they do not know certain information. This shows others a bit of humility – something any successful person must have plenty of!
A 10X THINKER IS SUPPORTIVE AND CARING: Human beings are social creatures who want to feel valued within their community, so reach out and show people that you care about them as individuals. A simple question like How was your day? can make a big difference in making connections and building relationships at work and at home. And, believe it or not, a caring attitude works wonders both professionally and personally; research has shown that being nice goes much further than being competitive, aggressive, or cold.
A 10X THINKER HAS NO FEAR OF RISK: With no fear of risk comes confidence; with confidence comes success. Whether you’re taking a risk by starting a new project at work or going into business for yourself, even though most professional ventures fail (think Apple’s App Store), if you have no fear of failure, you’ll always find success… eventually.
A 10X THINKER KEEPS AN OPEN MIND WHEN IT COMES TO NEW IDEAS AND CRITICISM: So many great ideas fail simply because those involved weren’t willing to consider a different point of view or try something new. The good news is a willingness to listen and adapt can be learned over time. Keep an open mind, consider criticism constructively, and remember that not every idea you come up with is gold.
A 10X THINKER IS PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS OR HER PROFESSION: If you love what you do for a living, it makes doing your job incredibly easy! If you’re not passionate about your profession, it might be worth considering a career change. Then again, you may just need to tap into your inner passion and follow your passions through a hobby.
A 10X THINKER IS GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THEIR LIFE: Think of something that happened today – a traffic jam, for example. Would you appreciate it more or less if you knew it was God’s way of telling you to leave early for a meeting? Yes, extreme examples aren’t usually accurate representations of reality; however, in terms of productivity and happiness – gratitude really does count!
A 10X Thinker Makes The World Better By Being Better
When someone is a 10X thinker, they approach problems in a way that allows them to think of solutions at scale. In other words, when someone is a 10X thinker, they are thinking about everything that can go right—not everything that can go wrong. In an age where everyone worries more than they should and most people think more about how something can fail than succeed, being a 10X thinker shows initiative and creativity while also developing resilience within yourself. And it’s hard to be productive without those traits.
A 10X THINKER CAN SEE THE FUTURE: 10X thinkers aren’t focused on getting a promotion or a raise; they’re focused on future-proofing their position. This means that if your area of expertise is mobile app development, for example, you want to spend less time on apps for smartphones and more time trying to get your company into augmented reality or whatever technology happens next.
A 10X THINKER MAKES BIG IMPACTS: People who live life as a series of successes don’t typically change industries. They don’t typically create new systems from scratch (think platforms instead of products). They typically play by existing rules rather than try something new and innovative—something exciting enough to make a difference not just for themselves but for others as well. A 10X THINKER ISN’T AFRAID TO STAND OUT: You can look around a conference room and know immediately which people have been there for years, which ones have been around for decades, and which ones will eventually become a Fortune 500 CEO. One secret? Those that stand out will eventually rise to leadership positions based simply on their willingness to break free from conformity and choose their own path despite what others think or say.
A 10X THINKER FINDS WAYS TO MOVE FROM GOOD TO GREAT AND GREAT TO AWESOME: Here’s a saying attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. The truth is, anyone can replicate another person’s success or copy another person’s ideas. But only 10X thinkers find ways to move a good idea forward so that it becomes great and even greater still.
A 10X THINKER KNOWS THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS: Anyone can talk a big game. Anyone can tell you what they’ll do to make things better. Everyone wants your vote and attention, but here’s a dirty little secret: no one cares about what you have to say until you start doing things differently from everyone else . . . maybe even better than everyone else.
A 10X THINKER LEARNS FROM THEIR MISTAKES: Good leaders learn from their mistakes because they know that setbacks along a path of progress are actually opportunities for improvement. Great leaders embrace failure because, without it, progress would never happen. Awesome leaders realize failure exists only when trying too hard to succeed, not failing to try at all because nothing ventured is nothing gained.
Final Thoughts on What Is A 10X Thinker?
A 10X thinker is a person who thinks outside of the box and uses their 10X brain to solve problems. They are often leaders in their field, individuals who hold great respect amongst those they work with and know. If you aspire to be a 10X thinker, you need to first identify your strengths and weaknesses as an individual—only then can you begin working on your weak areas so that one day, you too can be considered a thought leader in your industry.
Ultimately, [t]he goal isn’t to feel like a 10X innovator or entrepreneur. It’s to act like one (Muller). In order to achieve success as a 10X innovator or entrepreneur, do not let your limitations stop you from dreaming big; it takes time and effort to achieve greatness but everyone has what it takes within them—you just have to find it within yourself! Jumping into any business venture headfirst will always increase your chances of failure.
The key to being successful at creating something innovative or starting a new business lies in planning ahead before investing too much money and energy into making it happen. Fortunately, there are tools available today that assist aspiring entrepreneurs at each step along their journey. There are even sites available where startups sell ideas to larger corporations; these allow inventors/businesspeople to obtain investment capital without taking on huge debt for expensive startup costs… Not every idea makes money, however: there is no shortage of individuals looking for investments.
Do you want to learn more about what is a 10X thinker or Grant Cardone? Check out these Best Books on Grant Cardone.
Meet Maurice, a staff editor at Bigger Investing. He’s an accomplished entrepreneur who owns multiple successful websites and a thriving merch shop. When he’s not busy with work, Maurice indulges in his passion for kayaking, climbing, and his family. As a savvy investor, Maurice loves putting his money to work and seeking out new opportunities. With his expertise and passion for finance, he’s dedicated to helping readers achieve their financial goals through Bigger Investing.
