#28 When did you last took time to think?

If you’re used to shipping or bill hours for work, taking time to think feels unproductive. It isn’t. Here’s why.

There is this stereotype of a busy person. They have a packed schedule, they do a lot of stuff, it’s hard to get a meeting with them. They’re busy. They must be getting a lot of stuff done, or mustn’t they?

A while back there was an interview with Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Mr. Buffet showed his calendar. In contrary to what you’d think, he had an odd appointment here or there. The majority of his time was unoccupied.

None of us is Warren Buffet and some of the things we have to do are dictated for us. The problem is, that many of us misunderstand what doing the work means. We bill by the hour spent, get paid by the hour we code so to earn more we need to work more, right?

If you do this, you will end up working more, not smarter. You will never be able to scale your work beyond the hours you spend. You’ll keep doing what you’re doing and stop growing. You’ll hit your ceiling.

So instead, take time to think. Plan an appointment with yourself. Put your phone away, close your computer, stare out of the window, go for a walk, do whatever works for you, and think. No input, no chatter, no social media, no podcasts. Just you and your thoughts.

What have you been thinking about?

Photo by Qijin Xu on Unsplash