Deep Thinking

Technology is great. I love that we can listen to music, check email, surf the Internet, check stocks/weather and can call anyone we want with a little portable device that goes everywhere with us. Anytime we have down time or are waiting for the next act in our circus we can be productive or enjoy a little entertainment.

But the flip side to this is that we can fill our time and our minds just about every moment in our day with something. When do we have time to think, ponder or contemplate? Do we take the time anymore to just listen to the thoughts going on in our brain or do we fill the time with music, email, social media, entertainment or the Internet? Down time is very important and we do need to take mental intermissions. But there is a balance where we need to sometimes hit the mute button and just think thoughts. It is important to turn off the distractions for some amount of time for "productive deep thinking" away from the mode of "doing stuff." What "ahas" have you found in your moments of solitude and reflection?

Remove as best as you can any interruptions (unplug the phones, log off the computer, close the door, tell everyone that you have an appointment with yourself for the next 30 minutes and can't be bothered unless the building is on fire). Have a list of items that you want to "think about." It could be a project you are working on, your family, your goals and dreams, strategy, a marketing plan, your next book, your career plan, who am I in the universe... and so on. Focus on one item at a time. Break the topic apart in your mind. Take notes. Listen for inspiration. Brainstorm. Stay focused. Maybe you only get through one item on your list. Allocate time each day to think.

If your day is so intense that you can't take the time to find a quiet place without distractions, be creative. What about during the commute? Turn the radio off and think while you drive. Put away the book, put in ear phones without turning on the MP3 player, close your eyes and think while riding the bus or subway. What about the time just before bed or when you are just waking up?

You don't have to think alone. Bring in your significant other or your work team on occasion. Pick a topic and brainstorm. There doesn't need to be an agenda. Think outside the box. Discuss vision. Are we on the right course? What should we be doing differently? What are we doing right? Write thoughts on the board. Be creative.

It is easy to fill our minds and our days with information, stuff that we need to do, stimulus and distractions. The goal is to carve out some time for focused...deep...thinking. You will be amazed at the "thoughts you will think."

Just Stop Talking

The Ringmaster has the greatest impact on the success of the circus.

-Juggling Elephants, page 30

While spending time with my 5 year old last week, I had to laugh at her "babbling." She would just talk and talk, sometimes making sense, sometimes saying things that only she could understand it's meaning or intent. At one point, I invited her to help me solve a minor problem (to build her critical thinking skills, of course). She would offer an answer and then continue talking about it, often to the point that I forgot her solution. At one point I simply said, "Just stop talking for a minute and let me think about it."

Sometimes I need to take my own advice. I am guilty of "talking too much." Silence between people is not a bad thing. It gives us time to reflect, ponder and evaluate. We certainly wouldn't want a ringmaster of a circus to babble on about an act. Introduce it, give me the facts, and then get out of the way.

In my travels I have come to really appreciate conversations with individuals for whom English is not their primary language. They use only the words needed to get their point across. There are often moments of silence while they think of the words they want to use, and that gives me time to think about what they are saying. I have learned much about true conversation from such people.

Today, why not try to choose your words more wisely. You might just find yourself a better conversationalist, and that people around you are more in tune with what you are really saying.

Minimizing Mistakes In Our Lineup

Make a mistake today? Okay so you made more than one. You're normal. But have you ever thought about WHY you make those mistakes? If you have, get the book, Why We Make Mistakes, by Joseph T. Hallinan. In his book he offers well-researched and studied reasons why we aren't always perfect with our words and actions. One that made me chuckle was "When we multitask, we get stupid."

Not to leave us wallowing in our errors, he gives 8 simple ways to minimize our errors. Get the book to get the full list, but a couple key ones are:

• Think small. Don't overlook details.
• Think negatively. Always looking at things positively can blind you to possible problems. Thinking negatively helps you prepare for them.
• Slow down. Multitasking may put more things in process, but focusing on one task at a time is actually a more efficient use of your physical and mental resources.
• Get more sleep. Simply put by the author, "Sleepy people make more mistakes."

Dropped Them Yet?

At the beginning of the year, it can be very overwhelming to look at our "circus" and think of all the areas where we want to improve our lineup. It can even get depressing for some. New Year's resolutions and our goals for the upcoming year can seem daunting and with almost one month gone in 2008 we forget about them so that we don’t have to face that we are falling short so quickly.

I take strength from the thought, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Break down your goals into bite size pieces. Spread your goals throughout the year and also be realistic as you make resolutions. Like we say in the book, "What's the best time to bring this new act into the lineup?" Focus on one per week or one per month. One-Two well executed improvements (see blog from Tuesday) are better than 4-5 sloppily attempted that are ultimate failures.

Lastly, look at what acts can be removed from your circus as you look to add new ones. Nothing weighs more heavily on a performer than a line up that is too crowded... that loud crash is an elephant that just fell on someone-don't let it be you!

In Good Company

Raven Young of "Raven's Brain" put Juggling Elephants in some pretty good company. Read her thoughts at:

http://ravenyoung.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!17376F4C11A91E0E!3774.entry