Think More. Do Less. Be More Productive
Have you ever wondered why some of our best ideas come to us in the shower? Or perhaps while you are on a walk? Sometimes we are so concerned about being productive we forget we need to give ourselves time to think about what should be next. Instead, we continue to push forward because we believe that is what is always necessary. Our brains and body need some downtime, so time to recover and recharge. In doing so, we can actually make ourselves more productive.Finding time to allow our minds to wander can produce some of the most productive time we have. Not productive in the sense of getting things done, but productive meaning new ideas, innovation, outside the box thinking. The act of relaxing and not charging forward on something allows our brains to work subconsciously. When we do, many times we find the ideas and solutions to those most vexing problems we have been seeking for so long. It is the reason that the shower is the location of so many great ideas. We are relaxed, not thinking about anything, suddenly we have an answer to something we had been working on for days or weeks.This can become a practice, a habit even. I too have struggled to get past trying to make every minute a productive minute in the sense of accomplishing something. However, I almost always find that when I do turn off the podcasts, the personal device screens, and get away from them that my brain begins to teem with new ideas and energy for different concepts. While I do not schedule these types of sessions, I am conscious of the need to make it a regular practice in the car, at the office, or home. They don’t have to be long sessions, just a couple of minutes will often times do the trick. And even if the ‘big’ idea doesn’t pop into your head, it is still good to give yourself a break sometimes.
Use your take five breaks to let your mind wander
In the previous article, I discussed creating blocks of time for getting small tasks completed. Use one of those time blocks to avoid all tasks, turn off all your devices, and just relax. Take a quick walk outside, especially if it is a nice day. In many cases in retail, this is even easier for those working in a store. Tell your team you are taking a break and head outside for a quick walk around the building or up and down the sidewalk in your shopping center. I promise you’ll feel a new energy when you get back. Use that time to enjoy what is around you and not what is or isn’t happening in your store.If you don’t want to go outside or cannot for whatever reason, find a quiet spot and close your eyes for a couple of minutes and work hard to not think of anything specific. Relax your shoulders, concentrate on your breathing, and take it easy for those five minutes. If you follow a meditation practice, this is the perfect time for that. There is a good mobile app called headspace that has very short sessions you can select that can help you clear your mind and reset.
Intentional thinking
On the flip side, plan time to think. Set aside a 20 to 30-minute block of time each week to think about where you want to go in the future. This could be an excellent time to brainstorm an idea you’ve been working on or build a mind map of a project you want to start.I like to put on some music, start with a blank canvas, and sketch out ideas as they pop into my head. Sometimes I start with a specific topic and other times I am letting new ideas pop in and out of my head and follow them where they take me. Every so often I look back through those notes and find that it is a good time to begin them or they add something new to what I am already working on.Specifically setting aside that time to think will ensure you are in that mindset of doing nothing but thinking and ideating. For me, the act of opening the mind mapping app and putting on some music is the trigger for me to get set to think. I don’t have much more structure than that and I let the ideas and thoughts flow.Making time to both relax your mind and let it rest as well intentionally setting up time to think are both ways to discover new levels of innovation and capture ideas from your brain to paper. It can be a case of when you allow yourself to think more, and stop doing for a little while, that ultimately you end up much more productive.What activities do you do to free up your mind and allow new ideas to flow through? Share your ideas in the comments section.Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive FREE leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills all at no cost. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.Photo by Ravi Pinisetti on Unsplash