It is so easy to get sucked into the daily grind that instead of focusing on ourselves, we merely react to a never-ending to-do list of requests and demands from others. If that sounds like you, then when do you go on the offensive and carve out space to unleash your mind and prime it for exciting discoveries? When do you do the necessary long-term planning to prepare for a rapidly changing world?
Every leader should always aim to leave a portion of their time unscheduled. That slot in the calendar reserved for you allows you to reflect on current undertakings, learn from experiences, and take actions to recover from inevitable mistakes. It is about iterating on what you already do so you can do something different and even more innovative in the future. Managers often overlook this recommendation and instead push back with talks of being too busy, however, when you do not take this necessary time, you can’t develop a competitive edge and likely will waste even more time in the future struggling to keep up with changes rather than leading them.
Here are some ways to build in think time:
1. Schedule time in your daily calendar. It can be as short as 3-4 minutes in the morning where you set your intentions in how you want to experience the day, you can set mini reminders along the way to stick to your plans, or simply have that reflection time at the end of the day where you evaluate how your actions from the previous several hours have gotten you closer to your big-picture goals/vision? Esteemed Management Consultant Peter Drucker insisted, “Managers need to take one hour to think every day.”
2. Schedule time in your weekly calendar. Looking at your week ahead, build in 1-3 time bocks for a thinking activity where you are generating new ideas, working on innovation, developing new systems, or trying to solve long-term problems. Successful people know the value of cultivating both insight and outsight. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner schedules two hours a week for thinking time. By doing this, he gets to be in charge of his day by choosing where he wants his mind to be, instead of being in reactive mode and being controlled by whatever tasks that are set upon him.
3. Schedule time in your monthly or yearly calendar. Take one longer block once every month or every two months for a 2-hour thinking/reflection session. To jolt your creativity, you can schedule lectures or classes so you are keeping updated with the information in your field, you can reflect on your readings and think about how you want to apply the insights, you can have coffee dates with friends in your industry and in other fields and see how they are solving problems. The goal is to have dedicated time for philosophical discussions and inquiries and find the patterns in all the activities you are engaged in. Twice a year, Bill Gates takes a week off to seclude himself so he can think and read. Taking this amount of time can seem unrealistic for Type A personalities who are addicted to achievement and filling their schedules, but it is only when we can pause and break the cycle of short-term thinking, can we reset and prime ourselves for future possibilities. Usually, in those rest spaces, can we separate the essential from the trial and know how to make the necessary adjustments to be more proactive about how we want to live our lives and how we want to lead.
Your mind contains infinite ideas so the very act of thinking and planning sorts through the clutter, unlocks your mental powers, and triggers your creativity. Taking action without thinking can be a prime source of problems. As Voltaire noted, “No problem can withstand sustained thinking.”
History has kept a long record of great people who have engaged in activities designed for thinking and breakthroughs. Einstein turned to his violin whenever he was stuck. Woody Allen changed rooms and took multiple showers. Beethoven took hour-long strolls. And for me, the everyday person, it’s when I run that I feel that my mind ignites interesting ideas. All in all, these sacred acts remove you from everyday life and primes you for a more receptive state. When you let your mind be and think, great ideas come to you.
Quote of the day: “Plan your work and work your plan.” -Napoleon Hill
Q: How much time do you have in your schedule dedicated to “think time”? Where do you do your best thinking? Comment and share with us below.
As a Leadership Development & Executive Coach, I work with leaders to prioritize their time so they can live a more meaningful life, contact me to learn more.
How often do you dedicate time to yourself to think, be, and wonder?