How do you think like a genius? Learn about Elon Musk's strategy and three principles for solving difficult problems!
Elon Musk, a man of his time who wove a new history in the business world from hard work and a bold dream. By the time he was 46, he had created three of the greatest companies in very different fields, from financial services to automobile manufacturing to space exploration. Thus, he secured his place with great figures such as: Euclid, Thomas Edison, Feynman, Nikola Tesla, and others.
But the question remains: What is the secret of creativity that takes geniuses to the heights of success?
It's not just the long hours they spend at work, but it's their way of thinking that breaks down barriers.
Read on with us to discover 3 principles that will help you solve problems quickly and cleverly.
The first principle: Define and define your current data
To be as creative as Elon Musk, you must first question the established ideas about whatever problem you face, the ideas that everyone considers to be unquestioningly true.
Musk encourages us to accept that these ideas may be wrong. Just as Albert Einstein did, who would think deeply about a problem itself before setting out to solve it, we must understand the taken-for-granted ideas that influence our perspective. Record these ideas and review them so that you can analyze them clearly.
Let's take some examples from practical, artistic and health life:
“In order to grow my business, I will need to invest a significant amount of money.”
“To become a famous artist, I have to sacrifice and suffer.”
“It is difficult to find enough time to exercise and achieve my weight loss goals.”
Next time you encounter a problem or challenge, take a moment to write down the hypothetical thoughts you have about it. You can take your time now to try this exercise.
The second principle: Dividing the problem into its basic principles
This move is the heart of Musk's thinking strategy.
It is based on breaking down the problem into its simplest components - the essential facts. In order to access these truths, you must ask deep questions that help you unlearn any beliefs you may have previously held. For example, instead of looking at the market price of a battery, think about the cost of the raw materials used to make it, such as metals. The goal is to get to the core points that constitute the core of the problem.
Principle Three: Create new solutions from scratch
Once the foundations are clear to you, you have the opportunity to create on a clean slate.
This stage is about innovation – using the fundamentals as a foundation for building innovative solutions.
This is where imagination and the ability to find new, unprecedented connections come into play. The goal is not only to improve what exists, but to rebuild from scratch. By combining the core elements in different ways, you can develop innovative solutions that challenge taken-for-granted beliefs.