How to think billionaires

• How to think billionaires

There is no single way to achieve success. But if you want to go the way of billionaire Charlie Munger, the use of this way of thinking as inversion, eventually, will lead you to the right mental set. And do not dwell on the glory.

Best - last

Charlie Munger - a business partner of Warren Baffitta and vice president of the US holding company Berkshire Hathaway. His fortune is estimated at close to $ 2 billion, and, although the money - not the only sign of success, yet this figure, hell, impressive. Many quote his words: "All I need to know - where I will die, and I will never go there." Such a statement may seem a bit gloomy, but he is trying to emphasize how important it is to avoid the worst outcome. This tactic is called "inversion".

Think for a minute about his dream, and then focus on its opposite. Concentrate on all the unwanted things for you, and in all the ways that can lead to failure. Then take steps to prevent such negative aspects. This process of reverse thinking, presentation, first of all, the worst case scenario came from the German mathematician Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi. He is known to have said: "Invert, always invert, many complex problems are best solved backwards."

Upstream

According to Jacobi, this little life hacking can be used not only to achieve great success in Manger style. You can not solve a complex problem? Work on it backwards, starting with the potential for failure. This method is also mentioned in the book of Joshua Kaufman "The first 20 hours," in which the author gives a wonderful example to help understand the method of reverse thinking:

"After studying the opposite of what you want to achieve, you get an opportunity to identify important elements, which at first does not seem obvious.

Take, for example, river rafting kayaking. What should I know to be able to kayaking on the big, fast, teeming rapids river?

Referring to inversion. What happens if things go wrong?

• I will move, find myself under the water and could not get out.
• The water gets into the kayak, and it will sink as a result of what I lose my vehicle.
• I will lose a paddle and lose my agility.
• I hit my head on a rock.
• I'm dropping out of the kayak, end up in the maelstrom and I can not swim.
• If I have managed to do it all at once in the midst of the turbulent river, most of all, to say goodbye to life - the worst possible scenario.

Such a grim line of thinking is useful because it indicates some elements of the alloy in canoes on the river, which can be vital:

• The ability to return the canoe overturned on a keel, not dropping out of it.
• The ability to not give kayaking drown if you need to leave.
• The ability to avoid the loss of the paddle in rough water.
• The ability to safely go around large rocks.
• The study of river bed before the alloy, in order to avoid dangerous areas.
• mental model determines the list of purchases: you need to spend money on a life jacket, helmet and other equipment that will provide security. "

It may sound pessimistic, but the analysis of all the options in which your plan may fail, may be the best way to ensure his success.