Have you ever taken a cruise? If so, you recognize that feeling of a BIG ocean with a small ocean liner on it. Yes, that cruise ship sounded large when you booked your trip. But now that you’re on the open seas you recognize the immense space you’re a part of.
That same feeling of space applies to your time. Using the illustration of a cruise again, you may have had the sense that you had hours of free time. No appointments. No email. No phone calls. No deadlines.
It’s this sense of space, particularly of time space, that you need to cultivate in your business. Without it, your days are packed full of activities, leaving you with no time to do the long-term thinking you need to grow your business.
So how do you get this space in your schedule? Here are two methods that work.
1. Schedule it. Actually block out days on your calendar to “do nothing.” While this might initially seem counter-productive, you will find the insight you gain with that space is worth every penny of lost productivity.
You may find that you do best with taking a week at a time, every six to twelve months. Or you may do better with taking every Friday off. It depends on your preference.
2. Add it in. When traveling to a conference, build in an extra day before the conference to clear your mind of day-to-day concerns. You’ll get more out of attending the event.
In addition, add an extra day or two onto the end of your trip. You will have time to process your notes, revise your action plan based on the new information you just received, and generally have some time to think.
3. Repurpose your current time. Much has been said about the value of listening to audios as you commute or exercise. But what if you used that time to listen to your internal thoughts instead? You might be surprised at the results when you allow yourself that quiet, as you drive or walk.
Naturally you don’t need to do it every day. But try not listening to audio programs or the radio as you drive to work on Mondays. You will be surprised at the result!
Now that you have the time, how do you use it?
There are two major approaches that seem to work for most people. Try each and see what works best for you. For the first method, you can just “be”, letting the thoughts flow through your head randomly. If you are a creative thinker who grabs unrelated ideas out of thin air and combines them into new thoughts, this may be your best bet.
On the other hand, you may prefer “planned thinking.” With this method, you list the specific things you want to put your thoughts to, then focus on each item in turn. Some people find it helpful to write the thoughts down as they are coming to you – essentially creating an internal dialogue.
Regardless of the methods you choose or the time you take to do your thinking, it is invaluable to create that time space you need to let your mind wander – and your business grow.
If you’re ready to capture those ideas with your new “time space”, then you need to use the Idea Organization System at OrganizeYourIdeas.com
Since I don’t “drive to work on Mondays” (or any other day , for that matter), I have made it a habit to get up much earlier than necessary to “walk across the hallway” to work. I make coffee…grab something inspirational to read and go outside on one of the porches and enjoy the quiet time…I feed my birds…and I just sit and think. When the sun is fully up, it’s time to go to work. Even if it’s cold or rainy, I just bundle up, and go outside anyway. Late every afternoon, I take a little nap, fix dinner, spend time with Leon, and then usually go back to the office to chat for a bit with my overseas workers. I’ve learned to really appreciate this schedule, which may seem odd to others…especially the nap. It works for me.
BTW…I was really hoping to see you last weekend in Atlanta, but now I know you were cruising. We’ve got to reconnect sometime this year. I miss you!
Jeanne
Finding the right environment is important too. I need to be away from my house, office, and car – in a quiet space with no distractions. What works best for me is going to a park, taking a walk in the woods or something else that gets me away from the noise and stress of everyday life. A cruise ship sounds great too 🙂
Steve
I love cruising, Jeanette, especially poker cruises. It really helps to make that disconnect from your daily routine that you need at the poker table.
Was also hoping to see you in Atlanta this last weekend at the business conference. I did have the pleasure of meeting Jeanne Kolenda and some other folks I have seen online but had not yet met in person. It was so odd walking into that room and seeing so many familiar faces, but knowing that I had not met them in person.
Also, I agree with book-ending a day before and after a conference to get your mindset aligned. This time I was called back to Florida because of a family matter, and I was not able to take that day after. I can really feel the difference today… sort of a disconnect.
Donna Blevins
Poker MindSet Coach
I try to use my running time to listen to my internal thoughts – such as my 50 mile run this past Saturday- but I run into that “memory issue” – I have so many ideas and thoughts but nothing to record them on/with -I’ve tried to carry a portable recorder before and my mp3 player has one in it so sometimes that helps but not always. Any ideas, boss?
Terrie
Thank you Jeanette, for permission to do nothing. I love driving in my car without listening to anything. I do some of my best thinking that way. It’s kind of like being in the shower – another great place for thoughts. Maybe it’s because those are 2 places when you can truly be uninterrupted & hear yourself think – especially if your cell phone is off while driving.
Last time I went to a conference was the first time I gave myself an extra day – only I did it after the conference not before, and I really enjoyed it.
I gave up watching secular television at night for lent and guess what I’m doing instead – a couple of hours of nothing, and maybe one hour of work, but that’s only if I didn’t put in my usual time at work already. And sometimes just getting some extra sleep. Sure makes it easier to get up in the morning.:)
Joanne Musa
The Tax Lien Lady