10 Reasons Moonshot Thinking Is The Way to a 10X’ed Life
“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
— President John F. Kennedy— President John F. Kennedy
Inspired by Google's X company and its CEO Astro Teller (https://x.company/moonshot/)
Moonshot thinking is about pursuing things that seem impossible or undoable but, if done, could redefine humanity.
Here are 10 reasons why moonshot thinking is key if you want to move from 1 or 10% improvement to a 10X jump.
Remember, “We are kept from our goal not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.” ― Robert Brault
1. Build your imagination muscle
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ― Albert Einstein.
By using moonshot thinking, we stretch the boundaries of our imagination beyond what we currently think is possible.
2. Build creativity muscle
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it..” ― Albert Einstein.
Having seemingly impossible goals pushes you to think differently, link new ideas together, and be creative.
3. Build courage or risk-taking muscles
Would you choose for a sure 1M$ in revenue per year opportunity or a 1B$/year opportunity with a 1/100 chance of success? The math says go for the 1B$ opportunity, but your boss will likely want you to go for the sure 1M$.
Pursing a moonshot thinking demands courage to take risks—the courage to and permission to break the rules.
4. Shift in perspective
“Perspective shifts will unlock more than smartness ever will.” ― Astro Teller
Our identity shapes what we believe we can or cannot do. If we identify with the sort of people who can make things happen and the impossible possible, then we will make the impossible possible. Remember Apple’s Think Different Ad!
5. Be in the Flow
Moonshot thinking creates the conditions to be in the Flow. An audacious or seemingly impossible goal, creativity, and courage are ingredients to get your brain in a state where it can easily get into the Flow. You are unstoppable once you taste the Flow and know how to tap into it.
6. Impact humanity
Moonshot thinking solves humanity’s biggest problems. It has applications in the real world.
7. Think deep about the problem
We get excited when we find a problem worth solving and rush to find solutions. But by its risky nature, moonshot thinking makes you think hard and deep about the problem to find optimal solutions.
8. Embrace chaos and uncertainty
Moonshot goals are, by definition uncertain. You need to test assumptions, learn and iterate faster.
"SpaceX's Starship SN10 rocket prototype explodes after a successful liftoff and soft landing at the company's South Texas launch site on March 3, 2021. This view was provided by SPadre.com." - Space.com
9. Build first-principle thinking muscles
Sometimes, we need to break complex things down to their simplest form to find an optimal solution.
Think Tesla or SpaceX. Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
10. Think in terms of Who not What
The bigger the dream, the more important the team.
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