Sharpen Your Critical Thinking Skills for 2026: Part 1
Use it (critical thinking) or lose it (be at the mercy of those who do think).
We’re currently dealing with an administration that doesn’t want you to think critically. Because if you did, you might start to wonder why government actions look an awful lot like fascism.
There are plenty of large corporations who don’t want you thinking critically either. Because then you might start wondering why the wellness snake oil isn’t working. I’m not just talking about Big Pharma either: Big Ag and Big Supplement are complicit as well.
And the tech industry really does not want you thinking critically about any technology, especially AI. Especially LLMs (large language models), because a whoooooooole lotta companies are going to be out major moolah once people stop investing in vibes.
How thinking critically helps you improve productivity
Quick reminder that the definition of productivity that I use is not about squeezing work into every minute until they scream for mercy.
It’s about working on the important tasks and activities that move your business forward so that you don’t have to spend all your time at work. Productivity frees up time for the good things in life: loved ones, activities that bring you joy outside work, body movement, etc.
… Which means you have to know what the important tasks and activities are and prioritize them. That requires thinking about your purpose (or mission, however you conceptualize it) and what serves it and what doesn’t.
What really needs to be done?
You could always write another “social” media post. You could always change the fonts on your website. You could always find another post to engage with. Are those going to move your business forward? Instead of doing low-value activities at work, you could spend time recharging your brain and doing other things you love instead.
You will require systems, and perhaps staff, to help you implement your vision. Do you have the systems you need? Do you have the right people in the right seats, in the event you need a team? Are they trained? Are you properly delegating and growing your staff’s skills?
It doesn’t matter what “productivity” software you buy or “how good your AI prompts are” (OMFG I can’t believe I typed that phrase with my own two hands) if you don’t have all the above locked in.
Why you so often feel drained and unaccomplished after a long workday
You lose time and efficiency (and end up spending way too long in the office, when):
You fall down internet rabbit holes, especially when you have notifications on
You answer emails as soon as they come in, rather than creating an autoresponder that assures senders that you have received their message and will attend to it when your time is right
You don’t prioritize tasks
You don’t think about who should handle certain tasks
You do all the tasks in front of you without pausing to think if they’re necessary
You don’t ask for help from staff, colleagues, or your family (for home/outside work activities)
You don’t consider the consequences of actions, much less second-order ones (this is key in critical thinking)
You take everyone’s word for it, whether or not they can reasonably be considered experts in their field
There’s a reason my book, The Rebel’s Guide to Getting $hit Done: Peak Productivity for Business Owners is so well-sourced. Because I’m talking about the brain, and you shouldn’t just assume I know all about it (although I do know quite a bit.)
My dad always used to say, Consider the source. And he was right.
Recap (tl;dr):
Thinking critically can help you be more productive, especially since you’ll be able to discern who’s telling you something you can rely on.
Ready to make 2026 more productive, so you can free up time for important things in life liked loved ones? You can start with the book on productivity, The Rebel’s Guide to Getting $hit Done: Peak Productivity for Business Owners.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash.