Every day we’re presented with what seem like impossible challenges. Issues that you can’t crack, even after weeks, months, or years of trying.

How do you approach these challenges? Do you have a strategy that you follow, or do you just hope for the best? There’s a better way to solve impossible problems — improve the quality of your thinking.

Better thinking, problem-solving, and reasoning are skills. They can be developed through learning new frameworks and expanding our mental models.

To solve impossible problems, improve the quality of your thinking.

Lucky for us, brilliant thinkers, creators, entrepreneurs, and philosophers have…

What Are Cognitive Biases?

A cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking. It also works as a mental shortcut to making decisions or judgements. Everyone is susceptible to cognitive bias, no matter their age, gender, or cultural background.

Why do cognitive biases exist? Our brains need to take in an incredible amount of information but it also wants to save as much thinking energy as possible. So, it relies on generalities or rules of thumb (also called heuristics) to help it make hard decisions fast.

You can think of a cognitive bias as an information filter, through which objective information flows and is…

“People spend money where and when they feel good.” — Walt Disney

Whether you’re designing a single touchpoint or trying to shape an entire customer journey, you want to create experiences that are seamless, functional, and inspire action. But there’s something else, an “X factor,” that the best customer experiences share. What is it? Meaning, driven by emotion.

According to the Havas Meaningful Brands study, people wouldn’t care if 77% of brands disappeared tomorrow. There’s clearly a disconnect between the utility of an experience and the meaning of an experience for many customers. It’s important that your experience is functional…

Did you know, that if you want someone to do you a favor often the best way to get it is by doing something for them first? Once they’ve seen you give them a gift or perform an act of kindness toward them, they’re more likely to do you one in return.

Having ulterior motives for doing favors isn’t exactly ethical, but it does work. Why is that? It’s down to a psychological persuasion principle known as reciprocity.

What is Reciprocity?

Reciprocity is the social norm of responding to a positive action with another positive action. …

No matter your field of expertise, every day you’re presented with seemingly impossible challenges. Issues that you or your company can’t seem to crack, even after weeks, months, or years of trying.

How do you approach these impossible challenges? Do you have a strategy that you follow, or do you just hold a brainstorming session and hope for the best? Do you tell yourself, “Think harder!” and pray inspiration will strike?

There’s a better way to solve problems like these — improve the quality of your thinking. Better thinking, problem-solving, and reasoning are skills. …

Have you ever heard of the Envelope Budgeting Method? It’s a financial management system built on putting cash into separate envelopes for different parts of their budget. For example, I might put $200 in an envelope marked “groceries” or $50 into an envelope marked “water bill.” This budgeting method can be useful for those who feel their money seems to “slip away” on small purchases.

There are a few reasons why using cash might make it easier for people to stick to a budget. One is a behavioral science principle called the Cashless Effect.

What is the Cashless Effect?

The Cashless Effect states that the…

“People spend money where and when they feel good.”

— Walt Disney

Whether you’re designing a single touchpoint or trying to shape an entire customer journey, you want to create an experience that persuades, influences, and inspires action.

But there’s something else, an “X factor,” that the best customer experiences share. What is it? Emotion.

Emotion is the X factor of great customer experiences.

Have you ever walked into a mall or a big-box store — like a Walmart, Target, or IKEA — and found yourself shopping for hours instead of minutes?

For example, if you’ve visited an IKEA warehouse, you might’ve noticed that there are no (working) clocks or windows once you’re inside the store. Most malls have limited skylights and few windows. This exclusion of daylight is an old trick borrowed from casino design. Many casinos don’t have clocks or windows, in the hope that gamblers will lose track of how long they’ve been at the table.

Why? It’s because casinos, malls…