Tag Archive for: time to think

My Best Thinking

Frequently our minds are at warp speed, with a jumbled clutter of thoughts that seem more disorganised than inspiring.
In those moments it can be difficult to do any thinking at all!
My “best thinking” however, seems to occur when my mind is somewhat relaxed and quiet.
Time seems to slow a little and I can sit quietly and just think.
A quiet spot, with no interruptions is the best place for me.
It’s my place, where I find peace and quiet time to think.

Three Places

I have three favourite places where I do my best thinking.
Firstly, sat in the living room, on the couch, pondering, reflecting, and studying.
Secondly, often I am awakened in the middle of the night when it is dark and quiet. One or two words come to mind, followed by a flow of inspiration. I arise from bed and capture the thoughts that follow in my journal or on a notepad.
Thirdly, in the shower. The warm water seems to increase the flow of dopamine to my brain and physically relaxes my body, which allows my inner thoughts to really shine. There has been a lot of research done on this and it is actually known as the “shower effect”.

Timing

Interestingly, all of my best thinking also happens in the early hours of the morning.
Its in those wee small hours, when I’m not focused on an issue that I’m concerned about, that answers usually always come.
It is the time when my most meaningful ideas arise.
“In the hustle of the marketplace there is money to be made but under the cherry tree there is rest” – Ruskin Bond.
Wherever you go and whenever you take time to think, perhaps the most important thing is to actually slow down and make some time just for thinking.
It is my experience that ideas don’t just happen in certain places, they happen at certain times, too.
When and where do you do your best thinking?

Asking Questions

“What questions do you have for me?”
I asked that question several times yesterday in numerous interview sessions, phrasing it in such a way that I expect to receive some questions. And on nearly every occasion I did.
Have you asked any good questions lately?
Questions can be extremely powerful. They help us to think, feel, see and do things differently.
We all need to learn how to ask great questions….
Some professionals like doctors, lawyers and journalists are taught how to ask great questions as part of their training.
In my own professional career through sales, leadership and coaching, and now as a Mission Leader, I have found it equally important to be able to formulate and ask the right questions.
Questions aid performance, develop relationships, help provide inspiration and direction, they even help to build trust and rapport.
“Management teams aren’t good at asking questions. In business school, we train them to be good at giving answers.” – Clayton Christensen.
It’s time to be a little more curious. Asking questions is an important part of life and learning.
I am constantly asking questions to help others move forward.
“What do you want?”
“What do you need most right now?”
“So what?”
“Why now?”
“How can you be truer to yourself?”
“Can you tell me more?”
What question can you use today to unlock your potential and help you or others to move forward?