It is absolutely amazing how little time most people spend thinking. Real, true, focused thinking!
Meetings, meetings and more meetings… most of which, from the perspective of a few weeks or months later… are wasted time, wasted energy, wasted money and wasted opportunities to think deeply and create true, meaningful, lasting value.
Billions of cell phone calls and conversations… billions of emails… billions of text messages… billions of Internet searches… billions of social network contacts and sharing of information… billions of each and every one of these… each and every day! Virtually every credible study concludes that somewhere between 95 to 99 percent of all of these phone calls, emails, text messages, Internet searches and social networking contacts are superficial at best. Most are done while multitasking… meaning the people involved are not truly focused or truly thinking about what is going on and what is being said or shared. Most, in fact virtually all of these billions and billions of contacts and “communications” create no lasting value and very little short-term value.
There are many reasons, some of which are very good reasons to wisely use the latest communications tools and capabilities. However, I am convinced more than ever that one of the not-so-good reasons these tools and capabilities are so widely used… I would argue ‘abused’… is to avoid having to think! To shut the door, turn off the gadgets, turn off the radio, turn off the TV, eliminate other distractions and THINK!
In fact, it is so bad that many people claim they cannot “think” without all the distractions! This is yet another avoidance tactic for true, deep, concentrated, consistent, effective thinking. Many people are literally afraid to think… my goodness… they may be held accountable!
It is the unique and priceless capacity and opportunity to think deeply, to think creatively, to think strategically, to think tactically, to envision a vision, to think through and carefully craft a meaningful personal and professional mission that sets us apart from the rest of the species on this earth. Yet most of the time, most people repeatedly do almost anything to avoid deep, highly focused thinking.
If you believe I have overstated or exaggerated how little time most people think, take your own survey. Make a concentrated effort over the next few months to closely observe people, including yourself, in a many different environments and situations. You will rarely observe or find anyone spending time truly thinking. The little thinking you will find is almost always done in conjunction with other distracting activities such as showering, driving, waiting in line, waiting for a call, waiting for a plane, waiting to get off a plane, etc. It is not bad to spend these tidbits of time thinking, it’s just that deep, solid, highly focused and effective thinking is best done in significant chunks of time, as opposed to constantly interrupted tidbits.
I will never forget walking into the office of a senior executive at 3M (a company known for its creative thinking) a few years ago. There was an oversized sign on the credenza behind the executive’s chair and desk. The sign had one word in capital letters. That word wasTHINK. The sign was strategically placed so that it was impossible for the executive to enter his office and/or sit in his chair without being reminded… and yes, even confronted with the fact that his most important responsibility was to THINK.
How very rare this man was and is!
One of the many reasons I love spending quality time in my Inspirational Vehicle (you would call it a recreational vehicle) all across America the Beautiful is because it provides a fantastic environment and opportunity to think. Strategically place the IV on a mountain top over looking Great Smoky Mountains National Park… and just think. Strategically place the IV on a cliff over looking Malibu and the Pacific Ocean… and just think. Sit in the IV on the south rim of Grand Canyon during a beautiful sunrise… and just think. Watch a beautiful sunset while parked on the beach in Naples, Florida… and just think.
Because of thinking (creating, planning and preparing) I have enjoyed literally thousands of priceless, million dollar views all across America the Beautiful… along with the opportunity to think. An added bonus… I am now blessed with over 100,000 high grade digital pictures that I have personally taken all over America the Beautiful. I use some of those pictures in my presentations. (Click for more info!)
Wonderful, wonderful things happen if you consistently take time to think!
Donald Keough, the highly successful former president of The Coca-Cola Company writes the following in his book entitled The Commandments of Business Failure:
“Time to think is not a luxury. It is a necessity. As Goethe noted: ‘Action is easy; thought is hard.’
“If you want to fail, don’t take time to think. If you want to succeed, take lots of time to think. Thinking is the best investment you’ll ever make in your company, in your career, in your life.”
I would add that if you truly would like to distinguish yourself from 95 percent plus of your competition in virtually any area of your life… simply start thinking! Think often and think a lot. Regardless of the millions of distractions, make time… take time to think. Thinking time is time very well spent!
