I was recently in a meeting with a client and asked how often she has time to think. She laughed and looked at me curiously and claimed she was thinking all the time. I clarified my question by asking when she booked time to just think – no emails, no meetings, and no interruptions. She laughed even louder. What followed was a list of tasks and deadlines and deliverables like we all have on our plate. There was no time to just think – time is money and there are things to get done.
Cut the Waste
I like to challenge leaders to find 25% of their week they spend on tasks they don’t need to be doing such as; too many meetings, meetings without a clear agenda, meetings that go on too long, emails that can wait, time which could be used to just think and plan and clear their head.
This realization hits me daily as I discover time wasted on unnecessary items that seemed important at the time. They say time is our most valuable resource yet do we give it the priority it so rightly deserves?
A Challenge for You
Find one work day a month and don’t go to the office, don't book any meetings, tell your team you aren't available. Then get a pad of paper, your laptop, your tablet, or any other note taking device of your choice. Get in the car, treat yourself to a decadent beverage, find a spot by yourself, and just think, make notes, get clear, then focus on the core of what you need to get done. Then make time to visualize the things you want to accomplish for you.
Think of it as career or business meditation. You may have immediately dismissed the idea as lunacy because how could you possibly give up one entire day a month to just think? There are things to do, deadlines to meet, emails to send and receive, and... Wait, we’re doing it again. You may realize think time needs to be a part of your life.
Something to think about.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture Strategist, Writer, Speaker, Executive Coach engaging leaders to build successful talent and profitable business.
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