Think About It.....

• Make time – Consciously stop what you are doing and allocate time for just thinking through an issue when it is needed. It doesn’t matter if it’s only five minutes – the simple act of saying to yourself “I need to think about this for the next x minutes” will put you in a better frame of mind. It will also help you to shut off other distractions (if only for a while!).
• Break time – Take a break, or even put your thinking aside for a while. How often have you come up with ideas or solved problems in the bath? Or mowing the lawn? Or when you’re about to fall asleep (always keep a notebook by your bed!)? We’re all the same – so if you’re struggling with a particular issue, or you’re feeling short of ideas, take a break! Go to the loo, have a coffee, take a walk, or just leave it until tomorrow. You’re far more likely to sort out the problem (and to get a fresher solution) that way than by simply putting your head down and grinding on remorselessly.
• Take time - Block out time in your diary specifically to think, even if you don’t know what you will think about. Bill Gates devotes two weeks each year just to thinking! He retreats to a lakeside cottage, and shuts himself off. He’ll take loads of papers, reports, ideas – anything that might stimulate his thought processes. Then he sits and reads and thinks about the world, the future… everything. When he comes back, he holds brainstorming sessions that lead to all sorts of initiatives and changes. Now, we may be unable to take two weeks off, but a day is possible. Don’t be afraid to block out time (you could pretend to be writing a report!) but don’t actually DO anything – maybe read, but primarily think.