When Do You Do Your Best Thinking?
I do my best thinking while I’m lying in bed, just before I fall asleep. I finally get the necessary peace and quiet needed to ratchet through the swirling chaos in my skull. I often have to get up quickly to write down my ideas before I finally get some rest. (I used to do my best thinking on the toilet - come on, others can admit to this - but now my son is always opening the door and walking in…it’s just not the same…)
Most of the time while I’m lying there (in my bed, not on the toilet), drool starting to form around my mouth, I rerun through the day’s events, thinking about what was accomplished, what I didn’t do, and looking to connect that with past stuff and future to-dos.
How Buddha is that baby? (No, that’s not me!)
I think it’s important to give yourself “thinking time” every day. Our lives are crazy - work, more work, toss in a bit more work for good measure…oh wait, side project…side project…finish another side project…work, go home, feed family, clean up, sneak in a bit of work when the wife isn’t looking…
It’s to the point where many people just “try and survive” their days, without being able to step back and focus on anything but the fires they’re putting out and the immediate “must do” to-dos. But there’s more to business success and life than that.
So give yourself a few minutes each day and think. Brainstorm in your own head. Argue with yourself (Not to the point of pulling a Gollum…) Get creative!
WHEN do you do your best thinking? And WHERE?
Definitely the shower…just the water noise and a task that can be done without engaging my brain. The ideas seem to flow over me with the water - and sometimes a pesky problem is suddenly solved. I set my notepad on the counter, so can quickly jot down those freshly showered ideas!
I completely agree with you on where I do my best thinking. My buddy and I often joke that if you gave us a problem to work on while on the toilette, it would be solved by the time we started wiping. I also do my best thinking right before I go to sleep, but it feels like those thoughts are like barely remembered dreams that you have to grasp for if you try to write them down. I’ve tried, unsuccessfully. I need a thought dictator that can read my thoughts and put them to paper.
Denise — I think many people would agree with you, the shower is a great place to think. I’m usually too zonked out in the morning to get any real thinking done in the shower, but if I stayed in there a bit longer some inspiration might jolt me awake.
Adam — A bit graphical there with the wiping (*laugh*) but I’m glad you agree re: the toilet, and thanks for commenting! I know what you mean about thinking before sleeping … if you don’t write it down … it’ll be like a faded, half-remembered dream the next day; which is no good.
The toilet thing makes me think that companies should invest more in the quality of their washrooms…
As for a thought dictator — I’m sure someone somewhere is working on it!
On walks. Better if I’m walking after a meditation. I had no idea that walks were such a source of energy and ideas. They just totally clear my head.
Walks…absolutely! I actually find them meditative. Rather than think, think, think; I sort of absorb my surroundings and try to appreciate life and earth. Corny maybe, but nice. Thanks for sharing.
I can have a Eureka! moment anywhere, but usually it happens when I am doing something dull like the ironing or dishes.
I’m with Nneka and Denise. I get almost all of my ideas for articles, posts, and cartoons while out walking the dog. Sometimes it’s from something I see (like my post for today on rainbows and weekends) or other times it’s from the Zen-like quality of being out in nature and moving. I call it meditative action – mind at peace, body in motion.
And especially when it’s cool. I could generate tons of material on long walks during the fall.
There are two reasons why it is so easy to “think”
while sitting on the toilet.
1. It is the only place where “all of you” is relaxed. and
2. There’s not much else you CAN do once you “do”.;-)
I like the idea of going on walks. Sadly, I live in a place that’s already freezing cold which deters outdoor activities…but I can absolutely agree with that one…
Tony - I love the idea of “meditative action” … very cool.
Thank you to everyone that’s commented! So far we have walks, ironing, sitting on the toilet, showering…what else?!?!
For me great ideas some whilst I am swimming laps - the slow rhtymic pace, counting stokes and focusing on stroke technique must do something to open up the ideas. It can prove a little difficult to capture the thought in that moment though (the good ones will outlast the time in the pool and still be with me when I get back toy he office).
I also agree that walks are a good time for stirring ideas.
[...] This is particularly the case when going to bed. I do some of my best thinking just before going to sleep, but that also means I need a way of wrapping up and telling my brain “enough is enough.” I use a few techniques that have helped me reduce brain chatter. [...]
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