To use metacognition effectively, you have to make observations of yourself (Chick 2013). Think of it as a scientific experiment. In the scientific method, you use observations and collect information to analyze and solve the problem at hand. The "problem" in this case is figuring out what works best for your brain and thought process. 

Believe it or not, many of us have used metacognition in the classroom in the form of a KWL chart. A KWL chart is a form of reflection to see what you Know, what you Want to know, and what you have Learned. This simplifies metacognition greatly, while still being very effective. It causes students to dig deep into what they already know and have learned in the past, generate questions about what is to come in the future and draw up a conclusion about what they learned.