Thinkist is a made up word that the founder of Life Thinkist came up with. The term thinkist was coined to describe a person with a certain set of philosophies about life.
In my mind, someone who is a thinkist is a person that is interested in improving their life, getting things done, setting goals, and learning to be happier. Without hearing the definition before, you might know if you are a thinkist or not, or maybe if you are starting to become one. Basically you are a thinker. And you use your thoughts to help you achieve what you want in your life.
Who Are Thinkists?
The word is also used for the website and to describe the people that might use the website or be interested in the type of tips, information, ideas, news, and apps that are talked about on the website. One idea was that people who use the website might even call themselves thinkists.
Improve your life, get things done, achieve what you want, and learn to be happier.
What Is The Definition?
When I thought of the word, a google search pretty much turned up only the quote "I'm the thinkist, you're the typist.", which of course is unrelated to our new definition. I was intrigued that the word hadn't really been used before, and was certainly not in the dictionary. I liked the word so much that I used it in naming the new Life Thinkist website. So then, what would be the actual definition for the word thinkist? What concept did I think was so important to both create a website about, and make a new word with a new definition? In May 2014 I defined a thinkist on the website as the following.
Thinkist - "A person who uses their thinking and thoughts to transform their life and the world around them for the better. Their thoughts propel them to ultimately take action towards making their vision come true." - Munro Stewart
The Philosophy Of A Thinkist
If you have found this website, you have probably started to become interested in learning about some of the same topics that I have been fascinated with. Things like life improvement, getting things done, happiness, goal setting, productivity, lifehacking, and simplicity. You may have already read some of the same books, articles, and information. You might have used some of the same software or apps to help you in your life. Or maybe this website is one of the first places you have come, and you can use it as a resource to become a thinkist and achieve what you want in your life. Being a thinkist is more of a philosophy on life and a term used to describe many of the things I have learned about life over the years. In coming up with the word, one possible goal is that it grows and becomes popular to mean something to people when they hear it. To kind of popularize a certain set of philosophies or principles about life and achieving what you want in the world.
“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve…Man may become the master of himself, and of his environment, because he has the power to influence his own subconscious mind” - Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich
The History Of Thinkists
I can't contribute the term thinkist to any one particular place. Really this idea comes from ideas and principles written about in so many books and by so many great people who have discovered truths about how you can be proactive and achieve what you want in this world. Some people have set out to learn about and teach about this stuff. People like Stephen Covey, David Allen, and Leo Babauta. While others naturally use these principles to gain great happiness or achieve great success, possibly without even knowing about the principles they've unintentionally used to do what they have done. People like Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, and Mahatma Ghandi have used the tools of a thinkist whether they know it or not. And maybe you have, or someone you know. If it were up to me, the term would evolve and not just be attributed to one person, book, or idea that I have read. With that said, I believe the author Napolean Hill is certainly one of the first well known people to write with such great clarity about a lot of the philosophies that I think of when I came up with the word thinkist. And for me, Think and Grow Rich would probably be one of the most important books I have read on the subject if I had to name just one.
Thinkists Keep Their Mind Open
However, the goal of being a thinkist or coming up with the word isn't to become a doctrine that is too rigid with a specific set of rules. Many people can be considered a thinkist, even if their idea of what it means to be a thinkist is slightly different.
All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns...Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own. - Bruce Lee - Tao of Jeet Kune Do
October 13th, 2014