Where do you do your best thinking?
One of the things I often challenge my clients to do is to give themselves more thinking time, which sometime prompts the question of ‘where?’
There are the usual suspects:
in a quiet room
on my own
in the shower
on a walk/run
in the car
The glamorous:
On holiday
On the beach
In a cafe
At the art gallery
And the bizarre:
Sitting on the toilet
Standing up anywhere
While doing housework (really?! I’m not convinced…)
Where do you do your best thinking?
I don’t know about you, but my best thinking rarely happens at my desk and certainly not in front of a screen, but it’s easy to find myself there – my default place of work.
Get up, move around
The next time you need to do some creative, strategic or problem solving thinking, get up and move. Take yourself to a different location, or walk around to get your creative juices flowing.
Invite someone to join you
Sometimes I do my best thinking when I’m in conversation with others. Sometimes we need others to be part of that thinking. How about scheduling your next meeting on the move – like a walking meeting for example?
Two friends of mine found themselves completely uninspired with their business plan, so they left the office and went for a long woodland walk instead. As they walked, they talked, and by the end they had a brilliant business plan.
Go on, treat yourself
Got some thinking to do that you’re actively avoiding? A problem you’re dreading working on? Don’t make it a punishment by chaining yourself to the desk. Go somewhere you would normally go to procrastinate, and take your thinking with you. Or bring the treat to you – grab a drink, put on some music, have a slice of something indulgent to go with your thinking.
Over to you
What thinking do you need to do this week? Where will you take yourself? Drop me a line in the comments below and share your favourite thinking place.
