Have you ever been lost in the woods? I mean really lost? That terrifying, “oh s _ _ t! I’ve really gotten myself into a tight spot this time” kind of lost. Lost to the point where you worry about having to spend the night or perhaps several nights alone? What was the first thing that you did after the panic subsided and you stopped wandering around aimlessly? You probably sat down and thought to yourself “wait a minute, settle down, take a breath, THINK for a minute.” And it was during that moment of clarity that you started really thinking about your situation differently. You were able to figure it out and find your way out of the woods.
There’s a lesson here that can be carried over to your business. How often do you find yourself so deep in the woods that you can’t see the trees? What do you do? Do you take a minute by yourself to settle down, take a breath and THINK? To see things clearly it’s important to make some “think time” for yourself.
To clarify, “think time” is not recreation, playing hooky or goofing off. It’s quiet time that’s dedicated to thinking about your business and your life. We call this a “Clarity Break”. Here’s how it works. Schedule a time that works for you to leave your office and think. I mean really think! This can be the library, a favorite coffee shop, going for a hike or whatever it takes for your mind to break free from all the stuff that’s worrying you or holding you back.
I have a friend that discovered bicycling a few years ago. He schedules time during the week to get out alone and ride for an hour or so. No interruptions, no phone calls, no distractions. He tells me that he does some of his best thinking during these breaks from the office. This is actually part of his work routine! “What do you think about on your rides?” I asked him. “I think about how I can add value in my role as the owner of my business. I think about nagging issues that need resolution and how I might approach those issues differently. I think about how lucky I am to have a business worth worrying about. I think about how I can help others. I always seem to return to the office in a much better frame of mind. I take out a pad of paper and write down the things that I was thinking about. It really helps me put things in perspective.”
Let’s face it, thinking is hard work. As Henry Ford once lamented, it’s probably the reason why so few people do it. Try my friend’s routine for a few months. Schedule the time to THINK and see if it helps you approach things differently. You’ll learn to appreciate the trees again and that walk in the woods!
There’s a lesson here that can be carried over to your business. How often do you find yourself so deep in the woods that you can’t see the trees? What do you do? Do you take a minute by yourself to settle down, take a breath and THINK? To see things clearly it’s important to make some “think time” for yourself.
To clarify, “think time” is not recreation, playing hooky or goofing off. It’s quiet time that’s dedicated to thinking about your business and your life. We call this a “Clarity Break”. Here’s how it works. Schedule a time that works for you to leave your office and think. I mean really think! This can be the library, a favorite coffee shop, going for a hike or whatever it takes for your mind to break free from all the stuff that’s worrying you or holding you back.
I have a friend that discovered bicycling a few years ago. He schedules time during the week to get out alone and ride for an hour or so. No interruptions, no phone calls, no distractions. He tells me that he does some of his best thinking during these breaks from the office. This is actually part of his work routine! “What do you think about on your rides?” I asked him. “I think about how I can add value in my role as the owner of my business. I think about nagging issues that need resolution and how I might approach those issues differently. I think about how lucky I am to have a business worth worrying about. I think about how I can help others. I always seem to return to the office in a much better frame of mind. I take out a pad of paper and write down the things that I was thinking about. It really helps me put things in perspective.”
Let’s face it, thinking is hard work. As Henry Ford once lamented, it’s probably the reason why so few people do it. Try my friend’s routine for a few months. Schedule the time to THINK and see if it helps you approach things differently. You’ll learn to appreciate the trees again and that walk in the woods!
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