How to think intentionally #5

Nothing limits achievement like small thinking; nothing expands possibilities like unleashed thinking – William Arthur Ward

The power or capacity to think!  I believe this is one of God’s greatest gifts to us, human beings.  Thinking takes you to the sphere where all things are possible, where there are no limitations. Thinking helps you find solutions to the myriad of problems, expands our possibilities which catapults us to any where we desire to be.

If thinking is such a powerful thing, why then do most of us not spend time thinking? I believe the reason for not taking the time to think is that; we get too busy taking care of our daily responsibilities that this important activity gets neglected.  You know it’s an important activity but you do not do it.  This is one of the activities, Steven Covey, in his book – The seven habits of highly effectively people referred to as important but not urgent.

I recently became an intentional thinker, after I engaged a personal coach last year.  This decision literally propelled me to the next level.  If you are in the same position as I was last year, you can become a great thinker. These are what have helped me develop the habit of intentional thinking –

• Block out time to think – Yes, I really mean that. This is an activity similar to having your breakfast, if not more important. I schedule blocks of time to think. I usually spend about 30 minutes before I get out of bed to think.  Additionally, I occasionally block out more time to think through some problems I want to solve.
• Write down all the ideas that come to you – I carry a journal with me at all times. I also have a journal next to my bed, and so before I get up, I have my journal and pen ready to write down my thoughts and ideas.  Ideas are fleeting and if you do not write them down immediately you receive it, you forget them almost immediately you get the ideas.  I am sure you have experienced this.
• Think when you are calm – I guess that is why I spend time to think early in the morning, when I am not under pressure. Some people think well when they are having an unhurried shower.
• Think in a constructive manner – It’s very easy to spend your time thinking and imagining all the horrible things that may happen if you stand up and face the obstacles and troubles in life. As I result, I intentionally think about how to achieve some of my goals, how to solve an issue I may be facing. It is amazing how many ideas I always get from this process.

While the concept of deliberate thinking is so powerful, there is the danger of over thinking and taking no action. This is why I block out a limited amount of time to think.  There is then the time to get back to the present and be ready to take action.

Question – What do you do to achieve some thinking time?