Happy New Month!
My resolution this month is to think more.
Recently at work, I’d found myself in a sort of “reactionary trap” where all I was doing was putting out fires and performing project maintenance tasks that had crept up around me due to the somewhat unpredictable nature of this year’s events. But my biggest value-add is clear, strategic thought, and so one of my fantastic co-workers really helped me audit myself and restructure my workload to allow for more “intentional thinking.” We’re only at the early stages of digging out of my reactionary hole, but even the small improvement that’s happened so far has been excellent.
That, in turn, made me look around my own life and realize that I’ve been pretty reactionary lately as well. I’m very active, very scheduled, very busy – and so I haven’t really had time lately to just think. To spend time in deliberate thought about my future, my philosophy, better ways I could be living my values or supporting my family. My mind is constantly busy, but I’m usually aiming my thoughts at some immediate problem or task. I want to give myself space to just be creative, open, and without agenda. No fires to put out, just the fire within to feed.
My grand over-ambition wants me to commit to finding a full day to do this. It’s a romantic idea – no electronics, just a notebook and a quiet place. It’s a pipe dream – I haven’t had a full free day in years. But I also know that this is the sort of task where I can’t squeeze it in, trying for 20-minute sessions in between other tasks.
No, I both have to make it a big rock, but simultaneously respect what actually needs to get done in my life. So that itself is going to be my resolution. I’m going to find a time to think – any amount of time will do – and see how much I can really get into the right state of mind in the time I have. Then I’ll record it, and however long it was, I’ll try to break it. My aim here is to test, and find the minimum amount of time that’s viable for me really to get into a state where I can deliberately turn the machinery of my mind to the task of seeing into the future. Once I know that, I can make that amount of time a priority – ideally once a week, but even once a month will be an improvement.
Wish me luck, share any advice you have, and may all your endeavors teach you something!
The Opportunity Machine 