I don’t know about you, but I often find myself in a constant state of motion. Up and at it early, running hard all day, and then back home to knock out personal tasks before sliding onto the couch, exhausted, with very little time left in your day. Add in a pet, significant other, or hobby and your idle time evaporates quickly.
I am a big believer that idle time is important—but not to put your feet up and relax. In the past there have been meetings, client engagements, and projects that I have walked right into without much forethought. This is not to say that these events were not important, in fact quite the opposite.
I don’t think I’m alone: all of us often operate in a mindset of focusing on what is right in front of us, with little consideration for later tasks.
What’s more, is that this activity can be addictive—meaning that anytime you are not receiving input or generating output can feel like wasted time. Think about when you last went for a long walk, but opted to leave the earbuds at home... it’s been a while, right? How about an early morning drive to a client site where you spent the whole ride rocking out, but upon pulling up to your destination you say, “so what am I doing here?”
I have recently rediscovered a love for idle time—I like to refer to it as “processing” time (“idle” has serious negative connotations).
Instead of filling time in the waiting room at the doctor’s office plugging away on the smart phone, or trying desperately to find a distraction on the radio or in an audio book while stuck in traffic, I urge you to try some processing time.
Here are a few things I like to do to maximize my brain’s processing power to help me be better prepared for what lies ahead of me:
1. Isolate: Whether in a crowded room, alone en masse (feeling alone in the car while in a sea of other cars filled with people), or walking solo I like to try and shelter my mind from outside influences. This is where you have to fight the urge to give yourself the input you are used to.
2. Wander: I find myself at my most creative when I allow my mind a long leash. I enjoy the tangents, and in the wandering, often find connections I believe that I would not have found otherwise.
3. Focus: Occasionally, I have to yank the leash and bring myself back to the topic I am working on. Digressions are welcomed, but for this to be meaningfully spent time you have to have a measure of focus.
4. Capture: After ruminating, it is critical that I capture my thoughts. I used to think I could just retain it all, and bring it back to the surface when it was time to go to work. I too often found myself feeling that I missed a critical detail, so I’ve learned if I take the time to write down my thoughts as soon as I can I will minimize that sensation of missing crucial details.
The point in all of this is that I am of the belief that we too often run at full speed, feeling that every moment is an opportunity to hack away at our list. To be honest, the concept I’m mentioning here is nothing new. Abraham Lincoln laid it out best in a well-known quote attributed to him: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Care to join me at the sharpening stone?
Alec Kisiel is the Director of Client Engagement for entreQuest. He helps to assess organizational dynamics, project manage client deliverables, and engage leaders at every level of an organization.
