Identify Your Subject
Before learning or problem-solving, write down everything you know about the subject to map the boundaries of your current knowledge and identify gaps.
THE IDEA
Step 1: Identify Your Subject
Seems obvious, but you need to actually have some idea of what you’re trying to learn or the problem you’re trying to shine light on.
Start by putting down everything you know into words. Use a notebook and pen or a laptop and write down every detail—even if it seems insignificant. In fact, be quite literal and clear—the most interesting areas are where we assume we know something but don’t, or vice versa. Writing things down in black and white is so important because it can help you discern between the two!
What you’re doing is carving out the limits and boundaries of your current knowledge and giving it a shape. Depending on your topic, this can be quite an intuitive and dynamic process. Trust yourself but be open-minded and take nothing for granted. You are not merely remembering and putting down static facts—you are really trying to answer the question what do I know? It can help to consult your “twelve problems” journal if you have been keeping one.
When to use it
Learning a new academic subject
Preparing for a presentation or lecture
Solving a complex problem at work
Self-reflection and personal development
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Student preparing for an exam
A student writes down everything they know about a topic before studying to identify areas of strength and weakness.
Manager making a decision
A manager writes down all known facts and assumptions about a project before deciding, to avoid relying on unexamined beliefs.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
What is a subject you think you know well? Write down everything you know about it and see where you get stuck or find gaps.
How can writing down your knowledge help you distinguish between what you truly know and what you assume you know?
In what areas of your life could this clarification step be most useful?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Richard Feynmans Mental Models by Peter Hollins