Analysing your IQ
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Starting requires more energy than continuing. The hardest part is beginning.
Activation Energy isn't just theory—it's a practical framework for better decisions. This page explains how it works and how to apply it.
Lower the barrier to start. Once in motion, momentum carries you.
This model works because it strips away irrelevant detail and exposes the core structure of a problem. Most people reason by analogy ("what do others do?"); this framework forces you to think from first principles.
Commit to "just 5 minutes" of exercise—once started, you often continue.
Use Activation Energy when facing complex decisions with multiple variables. It's especially powerful when conventional wisdom seems wrong or when you're operating in unfamiliar territory.
Over-applying: Not every problem benefits from this model. Match the tool to the situation.
Under-applying: People learn the model but don't practice it. Application takes repetition.
Misunderstanding the principle: Surface-level understanding leads to poor execution. Study the examples.
Ignoring context: The same model works differently in different domains. Adapt accordingly.
Identify a current decision you're facing. Write down the assumptions you're making. Challenge each one.
Look at a past failure. Apply Activation Energy retroactively—would it have changed the outcome?
Teach the model to someone else. If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Set a reminder to apply this model once per week for the next month. Track the results.
The best thinkers have internalized multiple mental models and apply them fluidly based on context.
Mental models require specific cognitive traits to execute. Do you have the Discipline for this?
Starting requires more energy than continuing. The hardest part is beginning.
Lower the barrier to start. Once in motion, momentum carries you.
Commit to "just 5 minutes" of exercise—once started, you often continue.
Use Activation Energy when facing complex decisions in the productivity domain, when conventional approaches aren't working, or when you need a structured framework for analysis.
Activation Energy is used by strategic thinkers, business leaders, and anyone who needs to make high-stakes decisions under uncertainty. It's particularly popular in investing, startups, and engineering.
Yes. Mental models are learnable skills, not innate talents. The key is deliberate practice—actively applying the model to real decisions, not just reading about it.