Thinking Time
I am writing this post on a rush hour train. I am in Sydney, Australia at the moment doing some work for a client, and am taking a 30 minutes commute.
As I engage in one of my favourite past times (people watching), I notice how different passengers handle the compression of their personal space. The ubiquitous iPod is everywhere as people use a wall of sound to block out their fellow travelers; but some are engaged in quiet conversation and others in deep reflection.
I had forgotten how trance inducing, train journeys are. It is easy to drift away into your own thoughts and gain new perspectives on life. I have had several conversations this week with people about how they gain clarity and sort through complex issues whilst bombarded with constant interruptions.
My host in Sydney has built himself a small sauna at his house. Being Finnish by birth, he considers sitting in a heated pine box and throwing water on hot coals to not only be sensible but necessary to his sanity. Yari, his name, says that he gets his greatest ideas in the Sauna and regularly uses his time there to solve problems.
One of the participants in the training course I am conducting shared that she does Pilates at home each morning and uses this time to clear out the mental clutter and focus on the key issues she must solve for the day.
Research has repeatedly shown that managers have little time to step back from urgent tasks and think critically; the constant interruptions from e-mail and co-workers makes it almost impossible to think creatively and consider alternatives to knee jerk reactions.
As an executive coach, I have often facilitated my clients to find a ‘special’ place and time where they can think without interruptions; that they should take a blank notepad and a pen and jot down or mind map their thoughts. Those that have followed through on this action have often reported that they were surprised how much more time they have gained because they became more efficient.
Of course you can continue to do your thinking in the car, the train, the shower or build your own Sauna at the office!
Oops this is my stop – blog later.
