PARADOXMental model
First principles thinking template
Strip a goal, problem or skill down to what must be true, then rebuild from those pieces only.
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What is the First Principles?
First principles thinking strips something back to what must be true, then rebuilds from those pieces only. Instead of copying how things are usually done, you question every assumption and keep only the parts that hold. PARADOX walks you through it for a goal, a problem or a skill, and ends with a first step you can take in the next 24 hours.
When to use it
- A goal feels too big to start
- You are stuck on a problem and keep trying the same fixes
- You want to learn a skill faster by finding what really matters
How the template works
State it
Write the goal in one sentence. Make it measurable.
Assumptions
What does everyone assume it takes? List it all.
Must be true
Cross out the assumptions. What is left that must be true?
Rebuild
Using only those truths, what is the simplest path?
First step
The smallest move you can make in the next 24 hours.
What you leave with
Your goal rebuilt from what must be true, with a first step you can take in the next 24 hours.
More mental models
Eisenhower Matrix
Sort everything by impact and urgency, then find the one thing that makes the rest easier.
SWOT analysis
Map what helps and hurts you, inside and out, then make the four boxes talk to each other.
OODA loop
See it, make sense of it, choose, act, and go round again before the situation changes.
Circle of competence
Map your edge, the edge of your competence, and what is not your thing. Then move one thing inward.
Debrief
Take a finished task, project or goal apart: what you meant, what happened, why, and one change.
Brain dump
Get everything out of your head onto one page, then map it into a chart or a model.