Where do you do your best thinking? And why do you think that is where you do your best thinking?
I posed this question to my LinkedIn colleagues a few weeks ago, and as I read through the dozens of responses, I quickly noticed some patterns. While this was not a professionally conducted study or poll by any means, I believe the responses to my question do give us pretty good insight into how, when, and where many people do their best thinking!
First let me share the top 6 repeated responses I received from the 60 or so people who answered my question:
- In early morning quiet
- While exercising
- While driving / during commute
- While in bed at end of day / late at night
- In the shower
- Outside / in nature
As you can see, not all of these “best places to do your best thinking” are actually places, but activities or times of day that could be spent in a variety of spots. Also, many of the responses overlapped, combining two or three of the above, such as Tasha Villalta’s response: “Out hiking or in nature; enjoying an early morning walk brings mental clarity for me.”
Other people mentioned specific spots or activities special to them, like Brent C Jackson’s backyard, where, “I have a beautiful view and it puts me in the mood to think deeply.” Or Krista Whiting’s morning routine: “My best thinking is when I walk my dogs in the morning before I go to work. I reflect on the previous day, enjoy that my dogs are happy, and use this as quiet time. This is my happy place.”
As for the why — “why do you think that is where you do your best thinking?” — those answers of course varied as well, but most mentioned solitude, freedom from distractions, or a peaceful and quiet atmosphere.
How about you? Does your “best place to do your best thinking” appear on this list? What would you add to the list, and why?
