No. 141 · Work · General Thinking
Top of Your Mind
Whatever you think about in idle moments gets hours of free work.
In the Almanac
“Wiles and Fermat”, 1986–1994 · “3M and the Post-it Note”, 1974–1980
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Top of Your Mind?
Top of Your Mind is the idea that most of us have one problem our thoughts return to when nothing else demands attention. Whatever sits there gets hours of free background thinking.
How do you use Top of Your Mind?
Choose that idea deliberately. Write down the problem you want to chew on, glance at it before a walk, and evict grudges or petty worries that try to steal the spot. Just don't let a healthy focus turn into an obsession.
When does Top of Your Mind matter?
Top of Your Mind is one of the 43 mental models for work, the situations where you ask: How do I get the right things done? Within that, it belongs to “Focus and priorities”, alongside Bikeshedding, Law of Diminishing Returns and Leverage.
What is an example of Top of Your Mind?
Two stories show it at work: Wiles and Fermat (1986–1994) and 3M and the Post-it Note (1974–1980). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Top of Your Mind?
Manager’s Schedule vs Maker’s Schedule, Envy and Jealousy Tendency and Lateral Thinking. Top of Your Mind itself comes from general thinking.