When people talk about metacognition, they often call it “thinking about thinking.” That sounds fancy, but it’s just a literal breakdown of the word and doesn’t explain what metacognition really is.
Even though the term focuses on thoughts, a more useful way to think about metacognition is this: it’s a strategy-based approach to learning and solving problems. It’s practical, actionable, helps you make better decisions, learn faster, and improve results over time, and it’s something anyone can develop.
Metacognitively Adjacent
Most people are already metacognitively adjacent, meaning they are close to practicing metacognition, they just need clearer insight into how they learn and which strategies work best to truly practice it.
Think of a time you broke a project into smaller steps, took breaks when you were tired, or double-checked your work. You might think of these as simple productivity tricks, but when you ask yourself why these strategies help and when to use them, you transition from productive habits into metacognition.
If you were practicing metacognition, you wouldn’t just take a break because you were told to, or because you know you should, but you’d consciously consider why you need the break, when to take it, and how it supports your long-term performance.
Say you know people typically work better in shorter, focused intervals to avoid burnout. When you combine that knowledge with how you personally learn, you can plan a study session or work period that fits you best. You might study for one hour, rotate between two topics, and take a twenty-minute break in between.
If you notice that active breaks like walking help you retain more information or study longer, you can add that in. If adding a third topic makes learning harder, you can adjust back to two.
Metacognitive Awareness and Regulation
Metacognition has two main parts. The first, awareness, is noticing what is happening in your mind while you are learning or working and recognizing how it affects your ability to reach a goal.
For instance, you might be reading a complex chapter or detailed report and keep getting stuck on the same section. Without metacognition, you might push harder, give up, or assume the material is too difficult.
With metacognition, you would notice the frustration and recognize it as part of a pattern. Sometimes, when you work on something challenging, you shut down. Then you would focus on why you are getting stuck and how to move forward, which brings us to the second part: regulation.
Regulation is using awareness to make deliberate adjustments. You might realize the wording is unclear, the structure is confusing, or the section needs to be broken into smaller parts. Then you could look up an example, find additional context, or explain the concept out loud to test your understanding.
Learning and Productivity Strategies
Another important element of metacognition is knowing what strategies to use and when. Unfortunately, most people don’t get this guidance, and knowledge is scattered across business schools, MBA programs, corporate training, and academic research.
Since there isn’t a single resource that outlines learning and problem-solving strategies, a practical approach is to look up and try popular techniques to see what works best for you. Some examples include:
- SMART Goals —Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound goal-setting. (Set clear targets and track your progress.)
- Pomodoro Technique —25-minute focused work sessions with short breaks. (Use breaks strategically to maintain focus.)
- Spaced Repetition —Reviewing material at increasing intervals to improve retention. (Space study or practice sessions to make learning stick.)
- Active Recall —Testing yourself instead of re-reading. (Challenge yourself to recall information and strengthen memory.)
You can also do general searches on productivity techniques, and experiment to see what fits your style.
Learning From Others
Why reinvent the wheel when you can learn from others? Asking friends, colleagues, or teachers about how they approach tasks is itself a metacognitive strategy.
For instance, when I told a friend I have trouble remembering all of the things I accomplished in a quarter she told me she writes an email to herself every Friday listing her wins for the week. When her quarterly review comes around, she has a record for easy reference.
I loved the idea and edited it to fit my style. So while she stores her emails in a folder, but I took a slightly different approach and created a Gmail template with the subject “Friday Wins. You Go Glen Coco!”
Now I can easily search for the email and a bonus is that the subject also makes me, and sometimes my team if I’m screen sharing, laugh. The email also serves as a marker. If it’s only Tuesday and my CoCo email is already several scrolls down in my inbox, I know it’s already been a busy week…or I need to review the emails I’m copied on.
You’re Closer Than You Think
Even though metacognition can sound tricky, you’re already closer to practicing it than you realize. Even small habits, like breaking a project into steps or taking breaks, can become metacognitive when you pause to consider why you are doing them and how they affect your goals.
So the next time you’re learning or problem-solving, take a moment to notice what’s already working for you. Look for patterns in your approach, experiment with strategies that fit your style, and make deliberate adjustments where needed. Even small reflections and tweaks compound over time.
Remember, metacognition isn’t about being perfect. It’s awareness, reflection, and intentional action. And every time you stop to think about how you learn, solve problems, or approach challenges, you strengthen these skills.