The Thinking Toolkit That Self-Made Billionaires, Accelerated Learners, Investors, Successful Entrepreneurs, Highly-Paid Consultants & Coaches, & Cultural Creatives Use To Dramatically Increase Their Success…
— CHARLIE MUNGER, WARREN BUFFETT'S PARTNER & SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE
Are these four horsemen of the information apocalypse holding you back?
On a fundamental level, these questions get at the 3 keys to become a mental powerhouse
Key 1
Learn Faster
Key 2
Think Better
Key 3
Smart Decisions
Hey, my name is
Michael Simmons
My favorite thing to do in the world is to learn, apply what I learn to get a result, and then teach others so they get the same result.
That's why, throughout my whole career, I've read thousands of books and started education companies that have generated millions of dollars in revenue and impacted millions of people. More specifically...
I'm recognized as a leading entrepreneur (White House, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year, Inc. 30 under 30, Businessweek 25 under 25, Bank Of America).
In addition to being an entrepreneur, I have written dozens of articles on learning for Forbes, HBR, Fortune, Time, Inc., World Economic Forum, and Entrepreneur.
I've built one of the biggest learning how to learn communities in the world (325,000+ people).
Learning How To Learn Community
325,000+ People
In a moment, I’ll explain my “thinking tools” that will help you unlock the next level of success in your business and career.
I’ll also invite you to join me in an exclusive group of nearly 1,500 professionals from around the world who are using these tools to learn faster, improve their lives and succeed in business.
Successful entrepreneurs are using these tools to start and grow businesses, get more customers, make more profit. Investors use them to get higher returns. Thought leaders, consultants, and coaches use them to create original ideas, innovations, and valuable knowledge.
— RAY DALIO, SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE
How I Discovered The Power Of Learning & Using Mental Models In Business & Life
“Will this article be read by anyone?”
That was the #1 question going through my mind as I pressed ‘Publish’ on my first Forbes article in April of 2013. As someone with no email list or journalism background, my insecurity felt overwhelming. I feared my words would just be buried in the Internet’s sea of content. In college, I had written hundreds of blog posts with the dream of becoming a writer, but things fizzled, and I feared the same thing would happen again. I knew what it felt like to be a mediocre writer. So, I made a crucial decision… Rather than just jumping in and making the same mistakes, I would take a step back and deliberately learn how to be a great writer. Around that time, I stumbled upon and read Poor Charlie's Almanack.
This turned out to be the one book that changed my life.
Written by a self-made billionaire and Warren Buffett's longtime business partner, this was the first book to introduce me to mental models, and I immediately saw their power. Mental models are descriptions of reality that apply across every area of our life, are always relevant, and provide immediate results by helping you make better decisions. They are like little miniature mental maps of how a particular area of life works.
And when you learn them, it changes everything.
Two quotes from Charlie Munger, in particular, inspired me to start learning the best mental models in the world:
Charlie Munger, self-made billionaire
More specifically, these quotes inspired me to search out the world’s most successful article writers, interview them with the goal of uncovering their top mental models, and apply them to my own writing.
BOOM! Suddenly, my entire reality changed.
From the first article, my writing took off. Each article I wrote had over 10,000 people—the equivalent of a small stadium—read it. As I “installed” more mental models in my brain, I became a better writer, and the audience increased from 10,000 per article to 50,000 to 100,000 to 200,000 today.
EUREKA! One night, I literally jumped on my couch like a little kid, elated that I was finally finding success and impact after so many years of struggle.
The feeling of figuring out a secret formula and seeing it work over and over was exhilarating. And the more I studied and wrote about mental models, the more I naturally started to use them in my life and business outside of writing, and the better results I got. This was a game-changer for me.
Here is one of the mental models that was particularly helpful…
Have You Heard Of The 80/20 Rule?
One of the most famous mental models is called the Pareto Principle. You probably know it as the 80/20 rule. This mental model says that most of your results are going to come from just a small percentage of your effort or work.
Vilfredo Pareto, the man who discovered this principle noticed that 80% of the land in his area was owned by 20% of the people. He looked in his garden, and saw that 80% of the peas were in 20% of the peapods.
Then he realized that this was something like an organizing principle of life.
It Only Takes One Investment
You’ve probably read that top venture capitalists make most of their big returns on just a few of their investments. It only takes one Google, Facebook or Uber investment to make you a billionaire investor.
Just A Few Big Hands
Top Poker players earn most of their money winning just a few big hands. The key for them is to know which hands to bet big on, and which to walk away from.
This Principle Seemed To Work Everywhere
As I studied the 80/20 Rule, and applied it to my own life, I started to see the places where I could put just a little bit of effort, and get much bigger results.
80/20 Rule on Relationships
One big example was how it changed my approach to relationships. Before, I had been going to lots of conferences and networking events, and basically trying to “meet everyone” in the world. I always felt a bit behind, and like I was constantly trying to fit in.
After I understood the 80/20 Rule, it gave me permission to focus on the few people in my life that really mattered. I focused on a handful of people I resonated with the most, and I concentrated on building deeper, more meaningful relationships. This really changed the game for me. By focusing, I not only learned more and got a lot more happiness, I also was able to develop deeper ties to some very influential and successful people. And again, it took me a lot less time!
80/20 Rule on Learning
When I applied the 80/20 principle to learning, this created a real paradigm shift for me. Nowadays, when I decide to study a new skill or area, I’ll buy maybe 10 or so books on the topic. But my mindset is to look for the ONE book that is the best “explainer” - and then to focus most of my effort on that one book. This gives me mental permission to “abandon” the books that aren’t as good, and dedicate my precious attention to only the higher-quality knowledge.
And again, this brings me much better results, in a fraction of the time. The 80/20 Rule provides way more leverage than simply working harder. We are all limited by the number of hours in a day and how much our bodies can handle, but when it comes to applying the 80/20 Rule, there are opportunities for 1,000 times the leverage!
80/20 Rule on Writing
In my work as a writer, the 80/20 Rule installed the mindset to focus on only those few key things that really mattered. In the past, I put all of my effort into writing books and articles. After learning about the 80/20 Rule, I started asking other writers what the 80/20 was for them. Very quickly, I saw that everyone mentioned that titles were a key to success. Previously, I viewed the titles as just an afterthought.
So now I have a system where our team dedicates 5 hours per article creating new innovative words and terms, and also testing the titles of the articles before publishing them. What a big difference this has made!
I wrote one article recently, using my mental models as the framework, and I basically created something that was “designed to win.” The result? A million people read it.
A Powerful Secret Mental Weapon
The more that I learned and used mental models in my thinking, decision making, writing, business… and personal life… the more I realized that I had discovered a secret mental weapon.
I was using thinking tools that most other people hadn’t discovered, and I was getting much better results in life. From bringing in new clients, to generating investment capital, to having a happy family, these new mindsets and mental tools were giving me a huge advantage… and amazing results.
I now had a systematic way to approach business and life. And it worked. The results I was getting weren’t just a little better. This wasn’t a little 5 or 10% change. It wasn’t even a 100% improvement. This was 10x, and in some cases 100x. It was a big deal.
Then I Put It To The Real Test
After discovering and using mental models in my own life, I started teaching them to friends and clients. I also started using them when doing projects for other companies.
These models were working everywhere I tried them.
Because of my success with articles, I also had people hire me for six-figure consulting contracts. I began charging $250-$500 per hour as a coach and consultant. I even got a five-figure speaking gig from an article.
And today, when I write articles myself, they are read hundreds of thousands of times on average, and they almost always go viral. It’s a system. I have a set of mental models that I use, and they work.
Once I really understood mental models, and how powerful they were, I made a commitment to learning them for the long-term. I knew that I had discovered THE shortcut to getting better at anything in life quickly.
Of course, once I realized this, I wanted to learn everything I could about mental models. So I went online and started researching mental models, reading books about them, and finding experts who understood them.
What I Found Actually Surprised Me...
There were almost no good books about mental models! Charlie Munger’s book got me interested in mental models, but it was a unique gem. Almost no one else was writing about them.
And when I searched online, I found a handful of people who were interested in models. They typically had a big list of mental models that were important to learn - but they didn’t explain the models, how to use them, and how to apply them. I couldn’t believe it, but there just wasn’t a systematic way to learn the most important mental models for success in business and life.
Because mental models were so important, I realized that I was going to need to roll up my sleeves, and figure this out for myself.
So I began reaching out to experts who understood mental models, making friends with people who used them, and generally trying to hack into this domain. I even co-hosted a mastermind with a bunch of PhDs and other experts from different domains who were all experts with mental models. As I did this, I made lists of hundreds of different mental models from different domains. I wanted to identify the most important mental models, learn them, and then start using them in my life. (And because I knew the 80/20 Rule, I already knew that it was going to be a small number of models that really made the difference - which turned out to be correct.)
Over the past few years, I have now identified what I consider to be the most valuable and useful mental models in business and life.
I’ve started teaching them to a serious group of thought leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and other professionals.
Introducing The Mental Model Club
If you’re starting to understand the power of mental models, and you’re ready to go to the next level and learn the most important mental models to create success in your life, then I’d like to invite you to join our Mental Model Club.
Inside, you’ll learn the most important mental models that successful people use, then apply them to your career, business and life.
The Mental Model Club is an online library, community, and membership that teaches you the most valuable and useful mental models. We have almost 1,500 members from around the world, and we’re growing fast.
Inside the Mental Model Club, you’ll...
Learn Key Mental Models
Learn key mental models that are most critical for professional success (without feeling overwhelmed by all of the distracting information out there)
Apply Mental Models Automatically
Automatically apply mental models in your professional and personal life, without having to remember what you learned
Use The Right Mental Model
Use the right mental model in the right situation every time, so that you can think faster, smarter, make better decisions, get the results you want
Avoid 99% of The Mistakes
Avoid painful thinking and decision-making mistakes that set us back (most people aren’t even aware of these, because they are so hidden inside their minds)
Here's What You Get
With Each Mental Model
Your Mastery Manual
You receive the mental models online — in the form of high-quality, comprehensive guides (we call these Mastery Manuals). A Mastery Manual is the most condensed, in-depth explanation of any mental model that exists in the entire world. We take the best of what’s ever been said about the mental model, cut out all of the fluff, and organize it in a way that is easy and fast to learn.
In each Mastery Manual, you learn...
Your Masterclass
To help you learn your mental model knowledge faster, you also get a high quality, pre-recorded masterclass of the mental model. The masterclass is deliberately designed as a standalone resource, so that you can get value right away.
Here’s what you get in each pre-recorded masterclass
Private Online Community
This is where you can meet other Mental Model Club members to learn from each other. Mental Model Club students are typically successful entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 executives, coaches, consultants, and other “cultural creatives.”
It’s super valuable to be able to ask questions and get help anytime you need it.
Here’s an example of how our community responds to questions and discussions that I just pulled for you to see:
Beyond
The Mental Models
Bonus #1 Learning Accelerator Masterclass
I have a series of articles that have been read millions of times. This series introduces the 5-Hour Rule, which is how billionaires investors learn faster and better. In this online masterclass, I explain why this is the #1 mental model for learning, and I explain how you can use it in your own life to become an ultra learner.
This masterclass is part of our flagship learning program, the Learning Ritual Course, and it’s the most important lesson. When you join the Mental Model Club, I’m going to give this to you for free.
Value: $299
Bonus #2 Elon Musk Billionaire Mind Report
Whatever the media says about Elon Musk, here’s the truth:
He went from being an immigrant kid with no money, no resources… a kid who was abused by his dad, beaten up by his classmates… to building four multi-billion dollar companies in tough industries (software, energy, transportation, aerospace). Not one, but FOUR.
As if these feats weren’t enough… He currently has three other startups (OpenAI, Neuralink, and The Boring Company), which are on track to be multi-billion dollar companies...
All of these accomplishments point to one thing—Elon Musk’s success is not a result of luck. But skill. Specifically, it’s how he thinks.
Because I just wasn’t satisfied by popular Musk interviews and presentations — most people have heard about those before anyway — I spent over one hundred hours digging through every single interview he did, as well as every single book that mentioned him… And I discovered 10 rare and valuable mental models he has, which have helped him to learn faster, make better decisions, and build billion-dollar businesses.
I share these mental models in the Elon Musk Billionaire Mind Report, and a lot more.
Here’s a sneak peek of this exclusive online report…
Each mental model will come with exercises, so that you can start thinking like Elon Musk.
Value: $99
Bonus #3 Jeff Bezos Billionaire Mind Report
How did he go from being raised by a broke teenage mom and a Cuban refugee step-father, to running a company that’s worth $1 trillion dollars?
Why was he willing to lose money for decades? Why has he invested tens of millions of dollars into a 10,000-year clock? And more recently… Why does he think Amazon isn’t his most important work?
To get a deeper understanding of Jeff Bezos’ mental models beyond cliche sound bites, I read every shareholder letter that Bezos has written multiple times, every annual report from Amazon.com, and nearly every interview that Bezos has done over the last 25 years.
As I spent more time studying Bezos, I noticed that there is a deeper level to Bezos’ thinking beyond what is reported in the media.
More specifically, he has ONE unique mental model he returns to over and over, which allows him to make bold, complex decisions very rapidly... Without any complicated analysis.
By learning this one mental model, all of his other ones suddenly make sense.
By the end of this exclusive online report, you will have a toolkit to make dramatically better decisions across every area of your life, so that you can start thinking like Jeff Bezos. Here’s what included:
And much more...
Value: $99
Bonus #4 Mental Model Mini-Course
Mental models are an abstract concept that can be difficult to grasp at first. So, I created an online Mental Model 101 mini-course to help you “get” mental models at an intuitive level.
You'll learn about the history of mental models, multiple definitions of models, the academic research on mental models, types of mental models, how to use mental models to make better decisions, and much more.
Value: $49
Bonus #5 Mental Model Encyclopedia
In addition to going deep on the most important models, it's also helpful to have a basic understanding of the full mental model landscape. So, we created a mental model "list of lists" that features hundreds of the most cited mental models by mental model experts.
Value: $29
Don't Take My Word For It What Mental Model Members Say
—TIJL KOENDERINK, ENTREPRENEUR
—DAVID PITA, PROJECT MANAGER, DIGITAL AGENCY
—JULIET MEE, TEACHER, TRAINER, ADMINISTRATOR, ENTREPRENEUR
—TOM SCHMIDT, ENTREPRENEUR
Nnamdi Ibekwe Business Analyst
I have been part of the Mental Model Club since its inception and to say that it has been life-changing is an understatement...There is a huge difference between my brain today and my brain before the Mental Model Club.
Emmanuel Moreau Head Of Support
I've spent the past few years investing a lot of my time in personal development through books, blogs, thinking time and stuff. But I've always wondered how to apply all this knowledge, how to sort it properly...And I think you've cracked the code :)
Niels de Vries Graphic Designer
Mental Model Club has given me some great tools and resources to apply in my daily life. I love how extensive the master manuals are, and I read all of them like 3 times. I told many friends of mine about the Club, hopefully some of them will join the club as well :)
Jim Wheeler IT Manager
Mental Model Club is truly phenomenal, rich in information and practical ways to apply the knowledge shared...I'm really pleased to have found this. Michael and Eben share deep principles and learning - no hype, just actionable information. It must have taken months to put this information together.
Brad Williamson Senior Copywriter
Michael. Wow. I'm beyond impressed. How in a single lifetime have you been able to learn, write, and produce all this material? It's astonishing what you've done here. Like for real. I can't even wrap my head around what you have here. Nice work, man. Very nice work.
Faisal Al-Khalidi Head of Growth
I’ve gotten so much value from the club that it’s hard to summarize in just a few sentences :) The biggest value was getting an in-depth 80/20 explanation of a mental model and how to apply it to your life. I also especially appreciate the book recommendations related to the model.
— STEPHEN ZERFAS, SOFTWARE ENGINEER AT LYFT
—SERGIO ESTEVEZ, ENTREPRENEUR
Mental Model Club Total Value Today
Chess grandmasters know what’s happening moves in advance... to the point that they can play multiple games blindfolded. Have you ever seen these people who can do this? It’s an incredible feat to behold. Although the player is blind-folded, they can literally see the board better in their head. They understand the underlying patterns of how the games unfold, so they can see many moves ahead.
Learning Mental Models gives you the same superpower in the business world
Ask yourself the following questions:
If this is what you want Mental Models Club is the solution for you.
Not only does it teach you the most important mental models in the world, it’s also the largest community of people dedicated to collecting and using mental models.
Now, if you want to learn about mental models, you have a couple of choices:
Choice #1 Do it yourself.
Read books, research online, try to figure it out all on your own. AND risk learning information that isn’t even useful.
or...
Choice #2 Let us do it for you.
Thousands of hours of deliberately learning mental models, passion, hundreds of hours of combined time from our team to produce each Mastery Manual. Condensed into a format for fast learning and application. It’s not easy to round up a big group of people who are interested in learning mental models, this is still new and emerging… but we’ve done it, and we save you all that time. You just plug and play.
How much is it worth to you to save a hundred hours of your time?
For most people reading this, we’re talking about thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
The Mental Model Club isn’t thousands, or tens of thousands.
It’s $19.95/month, or $119/year.
Which is less than $1/day for a year!
You will also get access to our private online community, as well as $575+ worth of other bonuses for free:
Try The Club Now
As you become more successful in life, you have to do different things to get to the next level.
You Can Keep Using Trial & Error
You build your knowledge on a potentially shaky foundation. Keep risking making mistakes in your career, business and life.
You Get It Right The First Time
You invest in the Mental Model Club today and start applying its power immediately to all the dimensions of your life
Give Mental Model Club a Try Now
When you register now, you'll start by learning what we consider to be the most powerful mental model. You get a Mastery Manual and implementation exercises:
In LESS than an hour: You’ll be making better decisions, understanding the world better, and making better predictions and estimates about what’s going to happen.
If at any point in the first 30 days you decide that it isn’t a good fit for you, then I will refund your purchase in full. I’ll even eat the payment processing fees. You can cancel your subscription anytime by emailing support@learningritual.com.
Free trial for 7 days, then
Monthly
$19.95/Month
automatically billed monthly
___________________________________
Features
Bonuses
Free trial for 7 days, then
Yearly (Super Saver)$240 $119.00/Year
automatically billed yearly
___________________________________
Features
Bonuses