1. The understanding of an important principle of mental functioning.
2. Using that understanding strategically to produce a mental change in ourselves.
Strategic thinking is the regularization of this practice. From understanding to strategy, and from strategy to self-improvement, is the pattern we are looking for.
I once heard that the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I can't tell you how many times I've done this. A strategic thinker has the ability to change an irrational thought into a rational one. Therefore a strategic thinker can stop, think about the irrational thoughts, and then modify his/her thoughts with more reasonable ones. This is not an easy task and requires a conscious effort from most people. Can you provide a specific example of a time when you used strategic thinking?