I’m normally a do-do-do kind of person. I execute and implement all day long.
But I’m reading Cal Newport’s Deep Work, and he mentions how some highly accomplished people take “Thinking Weeks,” where they unplug, read and think for an entire week.
Intrigued, but unable to take a full week to do that (weirdly, the people Newport mentions are all men just sayin’), I found myself with a free afternoon yesterday.
I’m in Colorado, so I biked down to the river with a notebook and a pen and just sat there for two hours.
As I watched water rushing over rocks and had all noise drowned out by the river (btw, pretty sure being by a river is the most meditative thing you can do), I got a lot of clarity about where I want to take my business in a way that both simplifies the business and allows it to grow in a way that works for me and the time freedom I want.
It was pretty incredible and super energizing.
So, my takeaway:
While I’m a big implementor/executor/do-do-do kind of person and I like that about myself, carving out thinking time, even for just a couple hours, is completely worth it.
And while I know journaling every day works for some people, I think for me, I need it to be more rare and special. Something I’ll protect and really invest in.
So, I’m curious – do you carve out time to think about what you want out of your life/career/family?
How often do you do it? Where do you do it?
Since I’m new at this, I’d love all your insights. And as I learn more, I’ll share with you, too.
