When Do You Think?

A few years ago I was having a conversation with my manager.  He asked for my ideas on an upcoming project.  It was important enough for him to be asking about, but wasn't an immediate priority so it kept being pushed to the bottom of the list.  I responded, "I need to find time to think about that."  His response back was truly life shifting for me.  He said, "You'll never find the time, you have to schedule it."  He was suggesting that I literally block time off on my calendar to 'think'.  At first, the idea seemed odd and somehow indulgent.  I was wondering, "How will taking even more precious time out of a busy schedule help?"  Skeptical, I decided to give it a try.  It felt weird to enter "Think" into my calendar as an appointment.  However, when I implemented this practice into my life, the benefits were immediate.  I used the time to organize the rest of the day or week, make lists, reflect on something that had happened, think through a project/event, daydream about an upcoming vacation, replay a conversation that didn't go as I intended, and sometimes just breathe and clear my mind.  Regardless of what I used the time for, I came away feeling less stressed and more in control.  Taking time to think helped me use the rest of my time efficiently and get even more done.


Want to give it a try, but you don't know where to steal the time from?  I recommend making a list of the major things you spend time on; work, school, carpool, sports, sleep, whatever it is for you.  Then, do the math and chart it into a pie graph. Yes, okay, this sounds painful, but just sketch it on a napkin so you have a visual.  I would bet you will be surprised in at least one area.  For me, I realized I was spending an inordinate amount of time waiting in the car (picking up and dropping off kids).  So, I decided those were the times I would use initially.  Sometimes 15 minutes a day, sometimes an hour.  This exercise helped me identify opportunities for 'thinks', but even more importantly, it was an excellent way to make sure I was spending my most valuable resource (time) in a way that matches my priorities.


It's simple, right?  Don't over engineer this, just get started!