I returned a week ago from a quick four-day beach vacation that I literally forced myself to take. 2016 started off on a particularly busy and stressful note for me, and after getting through a couple of major coinciding client deadlines that pushed me to work harder than I’ve ever worked, I was feeling as burnt out as I’ve ever felt in my time as an entrepreneur. Something had to give.
My husband is in medical school and he’s in the thick of his clinical rotations, so taking time off together wasn’t an option. Instead, I convinced my mom to join me for a quick vacation with the caveat that I intended to do nothing but sleep in, lay on the beach, swim in the ocean and drink anything that came with a tiny cocktail umbrella. She turned out to be the perfect companion for the sort of low-key trip I had in mind, and the four days we spent at the beach were some of the most relaxing I’ve had in years. I committed to tuning out work completely, but by day three or four, I noticed something. I wasn’t checking my email or ruminating on client frustrations like I usually do, but I was thinking about my company. I was thinking about it at a high level that I am rarely able to get to during my regular work weeks. And I was having some of the best ideas I’ve had in months.
This caused me to wonder, as I have during a few similar circumstances in the past, what could I achieve if I took more time to simply think? In the world of pressing deadlines and competing priorities that I live in, this isn’t always easy. But I’m convinced it would be worth it. With that in mind, here are three things I’m doing (post-vacation) to carve out more time to think during my regular workweeks that you can try too:
Get up early. Like, really early.
I went through a period last year where I convinced myself that waking up early was the secret to success. I’d get out of bed at 4:45, and spend 15 minutes meditating, 15 minutes journaling and 45 minutes exercising. After getting ready and commuting on the train, I could be to my desk by 7:15 and spend the first 45 minutes of my day simply thinking, planning and processing before launching into emails and meetings. It sounds intense, and it was, but it was also effective. On the days when I made that morning routine happen, I was an unstoppable machine. My mind felt like it was running on all its cylinders. However, the thing about this habit is that it only works when you’re getting enough sleep. As I quickly learned during my “morning person” phase last year, you can’t make time to think at a high level when you’re sleep deprived. So now, I’m revisiting this habit with the goal of getting in bed by 9:30 each night. 4:45 am comes quick!
Quiet the flow of email
I’m getting much better at stepping away from my inbox for long stretches each day. It’s tough to ignore the demands of those unread messages, but it really pays off. I’m willing to bet that I get at least twice as much done during an hour in which I’m signed out from email as I do during an hour where I’m switching between shooting off quick replies to incoming messages and other tasks. The real beauty of ignoring my inbox, though, is that it allows me more time to think. When I’m not constantly in rapid response mode, my mind frees up to move in other directions, and I notice that I’m able to make connections I’d otherwise miss.
Put it on your calendar
Yes, I know this sounds ridiculous, but I’m attempting to put time on my calendar each week to think. At Prosper Strategies, we’re attempting to make Fridays meeting-free days. By the final workday of my week, I’ve typically made enough progress on my deadline-driven work that I can take at least part of the time to step back and simply plan and process.
Do you feel like you’re making enough time to simply think about your business and where you’re headed? It’s crucial, but it’s also incredibly challenging. I’d love to hear what’s working for you. Let’s connect in the comments.
