From time to time I will be posting mind power techniques and practices here. Today I want to start with a look at the basic practice of identifying and applying and re-applying principles.

We often use things without much thought about the principles that make them work. If we can identify those principles, though, and see where they really work and where they don’t, we can apply them in better ways. This is a great technique for innovation, but it is also just a good way to get a mental workout and develop better habits of thought.

For an example I’ll use something I know something about: sleeping bag pads. They are considered a necessity by most backpackers, because of the comfort and warmth they provide. Since I am an “ultralight backpacker,” I look for the lightest way to get that insulating comfort. Now let’s look at some of the principles involved:

1. Insulating value comes from dead air space.

2. Insulation value is reduced when sleeping bag filler is compressed at pressure points.

3. The ground sucks away one’s body heat if there is not sufficient insulation.

4. Foam sleeping bag pads provide a less-compressible insulation to help maintain body heat.

5. Sleeping pads also provide cushioning for comfort.

Once we understand these principles, we can notice that the last two functions are only accomplished at the points of contact, like hips, shoulders and knees. These amount to less than 20% of surface area. In other words, there’s a lot of extra pad, and therefore extra weight. Weight reduction is a goal desired by most backpackers.

With this new perspective we can look for a better way to apply the principles and achieve the goal of weight reduction. One invention which might work for this is small pads that attach to your clothing at the hips, shoulders, knees, etc. They would only need to be a few inches wide, and velcro might work for attaching, as long as the total weight of the system was under the 12 ounces or so that closed-cell foam pads normally weigh. The spaces between–where you normally don’t contact a regular pad with any real pressure, would be insulated, because the sleeping bag would fill the space and not be as compressed there. I have actually designed and made a number of improved sleeping bag pads for my own use (including cutting a hundred holes in a pad, since the empty space created still was insulating air-space).

Here is a summary of this innovation routine: You note any principles involved in a thing or process, see where they are relevant and where they may not be, and then look for a better way to apply them towards relevant goals or whatever purpose the item or process serves.

Now, in order for mind power techniques like this to be useful, you have to actually use them. With that in mind, here are a couple questions to get you started:

What principles are at work in anything near you now? (Choose an object.)

What better ways can you think of to apply those principles to the assumed purpose or goal the object serves?

If you practice this “extract and apply principles” routine over time, it will become a mental habit. As mentioned, I will from time to time post more mind power techniques and tips here. If you have some of your own, feel free to comment below.