I am continuing with the series about how to become a better YOU. This time, I am touching upon critical thinking.

Thinking critically is a matter of attention. It is a way to be able to utilize your mental awareness and realize that a thinking process is in progress.

Begin by practicing awareness every time you choose to think about a particular topic.

Realizing that your mind is thinking is the first step.

Basic critical thinking is composed of these six basic skills:

1. Interpretation: “Do you know what I mean?” asked Ruben, one of the participants who attended the Leadership through Safety Awareness Workshop I presented at my company last week. As I was looking into his eyes, I could see he was still confused about his new role.After talking for a few minutes, we were able to dissipate his concerns and doubts. I realized that the information I presented triggered some self-doubts in him that distracted him and made him too uncomfortable to communicate the true meaning of the information he had learned to others.We worked together for about five minutes and at the end, he was able to tune into his interpretation skills beyond self-judgment and focus only on mental awareness.To think critically means to directly analyze and or evaluate information beyond any sense of self-judgment. It enables you to have the ability to think outside the box and to drop any sense of judgment towards oneself. Always try to be present when you are thinking.
2. Analysis: This refers to the ability to “read between the lines.” It is to possess the capacity to connect the pieces of information given and determine their true meaning.
3. Inference: The ability to understand and recognize the elements needed to determine an accurate conclusion. Interpretation and inference work hand in hand, and you can use this simple skill to become more precise in your interaction with others.
4. Evaluation: Ask yourself this question: How credible are my expressions of my experience? How factual are my opinions? Do I exaggerate to make my inputs more impressive?Evaluate your interactions with others with impartiality. You are not looking for deficiencies to bring yourself down; it is quite the opposite, you are looking for clues for where to make corrections that will help you become a more interesting person, the type of person whose sense of self-evaluation is based on growth and well-being.
5. Explanation: It is important to know that not everyone has or needs the level of information you have. To become a better communicator requires attention. It requires patience and self-awareness.On our journey to become the very best version of ourselves, we want to have the courage to face ourselves and ask: Do I communicate well? Am I correctly and frequently saying what I mean?Learn through practice to identify your level of communication with others. Ultimately, remember that one of the best tools to communicate is to become a better listener.
6. Self-Regulation: Thinking critically is a matter of attention and self-regulation is an ally. Self-regulation is the skill that allows you to have an awareness of your thinking process.It is the skill that helps you develop greater abilities to connect the proper elements of information to obtain the desired results. Sometimes we allow our self-interest to play a factor in what we decide to understand.It is very dangerous because it can make our progress more difficult. Critical thinking is an extension of communication and to self-regulate our personal biases is crucial for a successful interaction with others.

Getting unstuck is a life process, therefore make life simple again. Allow for the opportunity to free yourself from self-limiting beliefs through the practice of critical thinking when it comes to interaction with yourself and others.

What can we do to make life simple again? Think about it.