Improve Analytical Skills

Analytical skills describe our ability to understand and solve problems using the information we have available. These skills are extremely important for our professional, social, and intellectual lives. As a result, many people have good reason to want to improve their analytical skills. But while improving your analytical skills is not easy, there are a number of things you can do to both passively and actively improve your analytical skills. At the same time, you'll want to test yourself and challenge yourself constantly to keep up and sharpen your skills.

Steps

Using Active Approaches

1. Work out math problems. Solving math problems is one of the most common ways of improving analytical skills. Math is very logical and math problems are structured in a way that we are given information and are forced to use that information to solve a problem. As a result, math problems are one of the simplest ways of honing analytical ability.
   • Practice complicated math problems that include long division, algebra, calculus, and more. These problems will help you develop your logic and reasoning skills and as a result improve your analytical ability.
   • Identify math problems in everyday life, then take time to solve them.
   • Enroll in a college level math course. Many college level math courses will help you cultivate your analytical skills.
2. Play brain games. One of the best ways to improve your analytical skills is to engage them directly by playing “brain games.” Brain games are games that challenge you to think deeply and to develop your analytical skills. These games will get you used to thinking in a certain way and as a result, they will help improve your ability to think. Ultimately, brain games are a fun way to actively develop your analytical skills while having fun.
   • One example of a brain game are logic puzzles. Logic puzzles vary and include crossword, riddles, Sudoku, and more. Logic puzzles are available on the internet or at a book store near you.
   • Play board games. Many board games require you to use your analytical skills and to develop them further. Perhaps the best of these are games like scrabble, some strategy games, and games like chess or checkers.
   • Find video games that encourage the development of your analytical skills. A wide array of video games help to improve analytical skills. Some of the best, though, are strategy games and other games that challenge us to solve problems and achieve broad goals.
3. Join a debate or reading club. Another great way to improve analytical skills is to join a debate or reading club or group. Groups like these provide people with the opportunity to come together and discuss ideas, literature, and problems in a congenial setting. Ultimately, groups like these will provide you with the opportunity to hone your analytical skills and be able to articulate yourself better.
   • Book clubs will allow you to talk about what you’ve observed reading a specific piece of literature. You’ll also have the ability to discuss and interact with others who may have a different take on a given piece of literature.
   • Debate clubs are excellent ways to hone our analytical skills because our perspective and arguments will be constantly challenged by others who are working on their own debate ability.
   • Most any social group that encourages the free exchange of ideas and the pursuit of knowledge will help you to actively develop your analytical skills.

Using Passive Techniques

1. Build a large knowledge base. One of the most important things in developing your analytical skills is also creating a strong knowledge base for yourself. The more you learn, and the more you know about the world, the more tools and information you’ll have when it comes to understanding and solving problems. To enlarge your knowledge base, consider:
   • Reading extensively. Don’t just focus on one subject or genre.
   • Attending lectures and academic talks and conferences.
   • Going back to college or finding free educational classes in your community.
2. Take time to think about things. Take all the time you need to think and reflect about an array of things. In fact, make it a point to think about things instead of making quick and rash decisions. Thinking about things and considering a variety of factors will help hone your problem solving and analytical skills.
   • Use any opportunity you have to think things over and to examine different scenarios. For example, if you are going to take a pawn with your castle in Chess, instead of just quitting after thinking about the first (or most likely) response your opponent will take, think out all of the possible responses.
   • Consider multiple sides of a problem before picking a solution.
   • Avoid picking the easiest and simplest solution right away. However, don't rule out the easiest solution, as it might be worthwhile.
3. Expand your worldview. One of the best ways to improve your analytical skills is to expand your worldview. This is no quick fix though. Expanding your worldview takes time. Ultimately, it will help you better evaluate information and to analyze different ideas and outcomes.
   • Try to think about different ways of viewing the world. Do this by trying to step outside of your religious, political, and cultural suppositions about truth.
   • Try to understand and even work to defend positions and ideas you would normally dismiss. You can do this by taking important political positions and working to rationalize and defend the opposite viewpoint that you accept.
   • Meet with and surround yourself with people who are very different from yourself. Finding people who have different backgrounds and ideas than you will help you understand and accept ideas different than those you are familiar with.
4. Search for connections. Ultimately, many things in our daily lives are connected. Whether it be the migration of birds and other animals and the seasons, or car emissions and changing whether patterns, things are connected. By discovering connections, you'll help hone your analytical skills.
   • Think about things in terms of cause and effect. Consider the repercussions of a prolonged drought. What is the impact of the drought? Look beyond the obvious.
   • Think about the similarities between things. How are all living things the same? What similar things do both humans and spiders need to exist?
   • Think about connections in history. What cycles, patterns, or other common trends do we see? For instance, in American history, consider how periods of reform are often ended by conflict (the Progressive Era and World War One, the New Deal and World War Two, the Great Society and the Vietnam War).
5. Pay attention to detail. Attention to detail is extremely important in analytical skills. Without knowing the ins and the outs of a problem, or knowing the specifics, you'll be less likely to craft a successful and workable solution. Make sure to look at small things (as well as large things).
   • For example, when viewing a forest, try to view individual trees and the uniqueness and place each tree has in the forest.
   • When meeting new people make sure to memorize their names, what they’re wearing, and any features that set them apart from everyone else.
6. Ask yourself questions about why things are the way they are. Contemplating the natural order of things is an extremely helpful way to hone your observation and analytical skills. By thinking about why things are the way they are, you'll develop a better understanding of the world and you'll challenge yourself to think about complex issues.
   • Never take the easy answer. Always keep questioning.
   • If you see a dog, observe what it's doing. Ask yourself why it is doing that. Even if it is a simple action. If it is running to fetch a ball or stick, is it doing this for fun? What about hunting instincts? Is it showing loyalty to its owner by doing that? Is the dog looking motivated, or lazy? Why might it be motivated or lazy?

Putting Your Skills to Work

1. Take on new responsibilities. After you’ve spent a little time honing your analytical skills, put them to the test by taking on new responsibilities. Taking on new responsibilities in your academic, personal, or professional life will enable you to practice and to further hone the skills you’ve been working on.
   • Apply for a promotion or a better job. Moving into a more challenging position at work will enable you to further work on and show off your sharpened analytical skills.
   • Take on some volunteer positions. Certain volunteer positions like being a scout leader, little league coach, or a tutor for at risk kids will allow you to use your analytical skills and help others.
2. Challenge yourself with little things. Improving your analytical skills will do little good if you don’t work to challenge yourself on a daily basis. As a result, make a conscious effort to challenge yourself and to use your analytical skills on small things every day. Using your skills everyday will keep them sharp and make sure you are performing at your best in your private or professional life.
   • Try to solve complex problems without aid. Instead of using a calculator to compute a math problem, do it in your head or on paper.
   • Avoid the easiest solution or path. While it might seem like a no-brainer to always do the quickest, simplest, or easiest thing to solve a problem, do not. Instead, test yourself by picking the harder way to solve something.
3. Instruct others on analytical thinking. Now that you’re confident in your analytical skills, move on and help others improve their skills, too. Not only will you be able to help others hone their skills, but you’ll continue to work on you own skills.
   • Mentor others at work.
   • Consider starting a blog where you can share your experience with others.
   • Work with your children, friends, or family, who might be struggling with education or professional issues.

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