How do you set aside time to think, free of distraction?
How do you set aside time to think, free of distraction?
Stuart Browne asked this question yesterday β
As a result I decided to answer with with my process, before posting the usual Sunday prompt, which you'll find at the bottom β
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This is what I do β¦
1/ I keep a list of questions to spend quality time thinking about.
2/ I clear the decks for an hour of uninterrupted time in a comfortable space.
β³ Technology out of sight.
β³ Set a timer for 45 minutes
(That way you won't get distracted or need to keep checking the time.
3/ I choose a question for the session.
β³ Write it down on a blank page.
β³ Write by hand, no technology.
β³ Keep a separate book for these sessions.
(Sometimes I have a'chain of questions' with a common theme, that works too.)
4/ I adopt a thinking physiology.
β³ Looking up stimulates day-dreaming mode and is ideal for idea generation.
β³ Looking down, and left, stimulates internal-dialogue which is good for working things out.
(Auguste Rodin understood that the mind follows the body's prompts. )
5/ I start by asking myself the question.
β³ Then write down my stream of consciousness.
β³ No judgement, just capturing what comes into my mind.
β³ When I drift off topic I refocus by asking the question again.
β³ One thought triggers another.
β³ I write everything down.
β³ Structure isn't important at this stage.
Keep going after the initial thoughts, there are usually the top of mind and obvious.
Expect to start running out of ideas ... then to have a surge.
6/ When the timer goes off it's time to structure things.
β³ 15 minutes looking for insights.
β³ Sorting my thoughts into groups, sequences and lists.
This is the harvesting stage, where I connect the dots.
7/ That's my process. You may find it useful, or not.
β³ I move actionable ideas onto a projects list.
β³ I schedule more time to think for others.
This was adapted from a process used by Keith J. Cunningham.
He writes about it in his entertaining business book, The Road Less Stupid.
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Every Sunday I take 15-minutes, with a cup of tea and my journal, to reflect ... on a challenging question.
This week's prompt to help me think different:
"If you had to pay for every assumption you made in your business, which one would bankrupt you the fastest?"
Useful?