How an early-morning rugby dilemma became a workout in everyday critical thinking
Last night, while planning my weekend, I faced a very ordinary problem: how to watch an early-morning Test match live on Sky. The game kicks off at 4 a.m. — about as early as I ever get up. That’s the point where the day could go either way: if I wake any earlier, I’ll probably end up wanting to make a coffee and head to the loo before the match even starts. My first thought was, no problem — I’ll just pause it while I’m away. But then I remembered: I don’t have the full Sky box, just a streaming connection. That means no recording, no live-pause buffer. My “solution” was gone.
From there, I did what I now realise was a mini-workout in what I call the thinking gymnasium — a quiet discipline of reasoning things through instead of reacting. I started listing my options.
- Get up an hour early — but I might not need to, and then I’d sit around waiting.
- Watch the replay at 7 a.m. — but that would mean adverts and spoilers on the news.
- Try pausing the stream anyway — but I know the buffer won’t last up to 45 minutes .
- Watch it live on my iPad in the bathroom — awkward, yes, but at least I wouldn’t miss a try!
Each option had trade-offs, but by walking myself through them calmly and critically, I arrived at the best practical answer: take the iPad and watch live. It’s hardly a grand philosophical dilemma, but it is a perfect example of how everyday reasoning can be sharpened by deliberate reflection.
A model for everyday critical thinking
When I looked back on it later, I realised I had instinctively followed a five-step process — the same framework we’ve been using in our Digital Inclusion Whanganui workshops:
- Define the problem clearly. What am I actually trying to solve?
- Identify the constraints. Time, equipment, habits, human realities.
- Generate options. No judging, just list them all.
- Evaluate logically. What works best within those limits?
- Act — and learn. Choose, test, reflect, refine next time.
That’s critical thinking in its purest, most useful form. It’s not about abstract logic puzzles or academic debate; it’s about learning to see our own thought patterns and improve them through practice.
From the lounge to the classroom
This morning I dropped in to the 65-plus group’s monthly meetup at Hakeke Street Library and Community Centre. The room was buzzing with quiet conversation and good humour. Over a cup of tea, a few of us started talking about AI — how it’s turning up in everyday life, what it can and can’t do, and how it might help make things simpler rather than more complicated.
What struck me most was the openness of the discussion. People weren’t dismissive or afraid; they were curious. They wanted to understand how these tools could fit meaningfully into their lives. Moments like that remind me how important it is to build trust first — because genuine learning only happens when people feel safe to explore new ideas together.
It struck me that these sessions are, in essence, shared workouts in the thinking gymnasium. We’re not just learning about technology; we’re strengthening the habit of reasoning — asking better questions, examining assumptions, and building confidence in our own judgment.
For me, the AI conversation is the mirror in that gym. It reflects my thoughts back at me, helps me see where I’m jumping too fast, or missing a simpler route. The more we practise, the fitter our minds become.
Why it matters
Critical thinking isn’t reserved for boardrooms or universities. It’s the daily discipline that helps us make better choices — whether that’s how to teach a class, prepare a Stone Soup session, or simply decide how to enjoy an early-morning rugby match.
And, like any exercise routine, it’s never “perfect”. If everything worked perfectly first time, something would be wrong — because the learning happens in the adjustments. That’s why I’m happy to call myself a regular at the thinking gymnasium.
See you there — maybe over a cup of coffee, long before the referee blows the first whistle.
This blog post is a collaborative creation by Alistair Fraser, with the innovative assistance of OpenAI’s ChatGPT 5 highlighting the synergy of human creativity and advanced AI technology.