VisCom2: "How to Think" Response

In Ed Boyden's article "How to Think", he runs over a basic 10 step plan for successful thinking.  On second thought, it's really more of guidelines and tips.  The structure of his time is very analytical and design based. Something I'm quite fond of.  For the sake of the response and my future reference, here are his 10 steps listed under his brief titles:

1. Synthesize new ideas constantly.
2. Learn how to learn (rapidly)
3. Work backward from your goal
4. Always have a long-term plan. 
5. Make contingency maps. 
6. Collaborate. 
7. Make your mistakes quickly.
8. As you develop skills, write up best-practices protocols.
9. Document everything obsessively. 
10. Keep it simple.  

The steps are fairly solid.  I'm a little confused as to how you work backward from your goals.  If one were to need a paper finished for their class tomorrow, then going to a party wouldn't get that paper finished.  I think he might be saying that people should take less enphasis in getting the goal accomplished, and letting it come to completion naturally with your interests in mind.  This might have grounds in particular goals, but when something needs to get done, like constructing a building, it doesn't get built through doing everything but building.  I think the way he worded that step might have just confused me as to his meaning. 
Step 7, was very informative to myself.  I have a hard time jumping off and doing something I'm uncomfortable with, but that usually becomes rewarded in the end as you end up with fantastic and unpredictable results.  I could use a bit more courage in trying new approaches to problems, and quickening the trial process of any new medium or method. 
Step 10 is the most important to me. Keeping things simple is ideal in making progress, as complicated systems usually yield problems.  Simplicity also helps to weed out the fluff to get to the purest form and function of an object. 

I'll be sure to put many of these steps into practice.