[austin-cheney]

Engineering, regardless of practice, is two things: process and measurement.

If you want to think like an engineer there are only facts and assumptions. Your assumptions will generally be wrong, often by multiple orders of magnitude. Just accept that.

In everything you do follow established processes step by step and measure absolutely everything with numbers. If you are capable of doing that you are thinking like an engineer.

Engineers, outside of software, are also subject to audits and liabilities. Evidence is your friend.