One of the most invaluable assets you can possess today are great analytical skills, because you can easily apply them to create solutions for a wide spectrum of problems. Honing and improving these skills will help you become better at all-round thinking, communicating, and innovating. But just how do you hone your analytical thinking skills? Read on to find out more.
- Active Reading
You must be really thinking if it can be this simple. But the answer is yes, it is. Active reading can have almost magical effects on your analytical thinking, as you read on and question what you read. All of this questioning will force your brain to engage in higher thinking. Apart from just questions, another useful tactic is to compare your perspective of the content with that of the creator’s. You can note down the thoughts and ideas that come to you as you read, and then compare it with what the author intended to portray. This will stimulate your brain well and force it to think in new ways.
- Play Brain Games
Playing games where you have to make strategic moves is fantastic way to bolster analytical thinking. There are games such as Chess, Bridge, and Backgammon that you can play either on boards or online. You can also add puzzles, treasure quests, and card games like rummy to this list. Play rummy card game online or with your family and friends in your living room, however you choose. You will easily find several online rummy sites to have fun. The best part about these games is that you will need no extra motivation to spend time playing them, since they are so much fun. And when you play them with your family, it will serve as a great family-bonding activity.
- Learn One New Thing Every Day
A majority of us become passive about learning new things after we’re done with formal education. We read, learn, and take on new skills only when our occupation absolutely requires us to. And seeking out mental and cognitive stimulation is even rarer. You must make it a habit to learn something new every day, or at least every other day. Visit a topic that reignites your passion for something you had to give up due to lack of time or resources. Read up on the Internet about a topic that has always caught your fancy; talk to professionals from fields you’re curious to learn about. Be more knowledgeable than you were the day before.
- Take up New Projects
Sometimes, you will need to push yourselves just a little bit more if you want to bring about a change; not always the situations will be favorable and place everything in your lap. The best way to add new analytical skills to your arsenal is to volunteer for new projects that put you out of your comfort zone. So you’ve zeroed in on that one analytical skill that is absolutely necessary at this point of time. Given the time constraints due to your daily workload, the best way to nurture it is to get yourself into a project that involves extensive usage of that skill.
- Take an Online Course
We assume that you must already have a few analytical skills and an idea of where you lack. The idea is to go after the weakest skills, because it is the only way to build a strong repertoire of analytical skills. You may want to improve your research skills, or data analysis and reporting; whatever it is that you choose, you will need to be proactive and go after multiple learning mediums if required. There are several distance education courses available from reputed universities for learning whichever skills you want. You can even choose to learn in-person if the course is available locally.
