Time to Think

Our calendars are so full of responsibilities and promises and appointments and commitments to other people that we sometimes we have been squeezed out of our own lives.

It is vitally important that we schedule appointments with ourselves--to set aside time to do those things that fill and nurture us.

One of the incredibly important--but often neglected activities--on my calendar is time to think. I am a creative person. I make my living helping others formulate, organize, and implement ideas. How on earth would I ever make good on my promise to help others be creative and forward thinking if I don't take time to practice?

No one is going to send me an invitation to a block of time to think. It isn't going to be on the agenda of the next meeting I attend. So, I have to set that time aside myself. And I do.


I regularly schedule appointments with myself. They are on my calendar just like client meetings and doctor appointments. I book an hour on Monday morning to get my head back into the game after the weekend spent with my family. I book office straightening time for the last 10 minutes of every working day. I book reading time to get through the piles of books and manuals and journals I want to absorb. And I book time to think.

My time to think is sacred. I try to find a peaceful spot where I won't be tempted to straighten or organize or respond to an email or answer the phone. I take a pen and paper--but nothing to read. Sometimes I have a specific topic in mind. Sometimes I just sit and listen to the birds chirp and watch the deer wander until inspiration strikes.

Giving myself permission to just be still has been a wonderful gift. Some of my most productive moments occur when it looks like I am doing nothing at all.