Make THINKING Time

The way you think determines the way you act and the way you act will decide your future.

            Schedule time to plan your priorities for your work – make this a regular part of the job.

            We all have one thing in common – a 24 hour day. It’s how we use that time that makes the difference.          

            Thinking time is essential for solving problems and hatching new ideas. Good ideas need to be well thought through – they need ‘incubation time’ and often need to be discussed with others. 

A handful of tips on ways to make time to think and to plan

* A disciplined approach

            Make time for a way that works best for you. Get organised. It must fit in with your own schedule and your body rhythms.

            What is your best time of the day for thinking? Are you a morning person, or do you do need time to warm up?

            Make it a regular part of your job.                    

* Find a quiet haven away from distractions

            Inform colleagues you don’t want to be disturbed.

            Avoid interruptions. Can you go home to work, or go for a walk to think and plan? Have you a quiet office available?

            Make the most of this uninterrupted time.

* Strategic planning times 

            Schedule these regular on your work calendar.

            Protect this time by turning off your cell phone, close down your emails and shut out the world for a limited time.

            Transfer calls to others.

* Plan your “thinking time”

            Try to schedule a topic in advance. This will make your time more effective, for example….. “Why do we do things the way we do? Are there better ways?” “Why do we have such a turnover of employees? What can we do about it?”

* Make better use of your travel times

            Travelling gives you time to think.  

            Visiting different environments lets you to see things through ‘new eyes’, gives you new ideas and often a new perspective.

            Unless your time is well-managed nothing else can be managed.

            Make use of your time for a way that works best for you.

-Geoffrey Moss (mossassociates.co.nz)

“Your time is valuable and irreplaceable –

once gone it’s gone forever.

Use it wisely”

Source: “Time-Savers”, Moss Associates Ltd, New Zealand and McGraw-Hill, Australia also as “Time Management Secrets” Cengage Learning Asia, Singapore Available as an E-book from Amazon.com.