Nearly 130 years ago, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, gave birth to perhaps the most iconic detective that mankind has ever known. That’s right, I’m talking about the one and only, Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is considered as the master author of crime thrillers and Sherlock Holmes is considered as his literary masterpiece. Each novel focuses on Sherlock and how he solves the most bizarre crimes known to mankind. His observational skills are second to none and his ability to handle immense pressure is exemplary. Various iterations of Sherlock Holmes has been brought to life with the latest one being a series named ‘SHERLOCK’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
The reason why Sherlock Holmes is such a fan favorite is because the character is someone who behaves in a way no ordinary man would. His mind works on an entirely different plane and he considered social customs and practices to be an entire waste of time. He is a self-centered automaton who loved getting praised and admired. He loved challenges and only took on the most daunting of cases. But despite his rash and somewhat abnormal behavior, he got the job done, and that too more efficiently than others.
We’re here to focus on the good aspects of Mr. Holmes and to see how we can apply that to our everyday life. Before beginning, I must mention two books, The Scientific Sherlock Holmes: Cracking the Case with Science and Forensics, by James F. O’Brien and Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, by Maria Konnikova. These two books have done a splendid job in describing how the mind of Sherlock Holmes worked.
The main idea which is expressed in these books is that Holmes spent most of his time in mindful interaction with his surroundings. Holmes was constantly observing everything around him rather than just seeing. Holmes had figured out a way to return his wandering attention back, so that he could focus on things that he needed to focus on. Being Sherlock Holmes is next to impossible. I’m well aware of that. But we can adopt several practices with which we can enlighten our minds
5 Strategies for thinking more like Sherlock Holmes:
- Observe everything with healthy dubiousness – Before arriving at any concrete conclusions, one should always stop for a second and question his/her own thoughts. Filtering our thoughts is an excellent way to avoid unnecessary mistakes and errors. Healthy skepticism can go a long in helping you see things from a different perspective.
- Be more comprehensive and versatile – Sherlock Holmes had a tendency to follow unorthodox methods to solve his cases. For example, whenever any evidence, such a note, was handed over to him, he not only read it, but he used to smell it as well. These out-of-the-box steps helped him get more additional input.
- Always have the aptitude to learn more – Holmes always took on challenging cases so that he may learn more. His own companion, Dr. Watson, often helped in stimulating his thoughts. He had a habit of reading books, not of just one genre, but books that helped him understand more of this world. So reading books and having the aptitude to learn more can help you enlighten your mind as well yourself.
- Maintain a diary – Have the practice of maintaining a diary. Write down all the important events as well as occurrences in that diary. Our brain has its limitations. So in case you forget any critical information, you can always come back to your diary and regain that information. Writing down everything can help you find patterns which in turn helps you to reach a better conclusion.
- Play board games – Board games such as chess and shogi can improve your decision making skills. These games also help you to maintain your cool and composure in the direst of situations.
Holmes was a man who devoted his entire existence to finding more challenges and learning more about this world. The working of his brain was something that the ordinary man couldn’t comprehend. To think like him, one would require extreme focus and determination. I’ve just highlighted a few ways to improve your concentration and focus. These strategies can help you tackle your everyday problems and can also help you excel in your life. But above all, you should believe in yourselves. Have faith in yourself and this will go a long way in helping you achieve your goal.
