Thinking is a lost art form. Today, we get answers on demand from Google, Siri, and Alexa (who probably just turned herself on if you're reading this aloud). But many of us don't invest any real time into thinking. Yet, giving ourselves time to think is one of the best investments we can make—and there's no risk.
I've learned that everyone has their thinking spot. My wife Sara thinks best in her car. We live two miles from her office, a ten-minute drive, but she's created a forty-minute "fake commute" so she can think (I wonder if she thought of that idea while driving?). She's even set up cameras in her vehicle to record her thoughts out loud.
For me, it's running or walking. I recently calculated I've run almost every day for the past 30 years, nearly 45,000 miles—almost twice around the earth's circumference. That's about 10,000 hours alone. It's when I do my best thinking—pounding the pavement, path, or track. Without it, I don't think I'd have had nearly the same success in my life.
That's why I choose to run without music. I can clear my mind by listening to my footfalls. Usually, within a few miles, I'm in sync with my body and spirit, totally focused and in stride with the world around me. Everything becomes clear.
I've come up with everything from family Halloween costumes to entire speeches, solved work problems, figured out how to make amends, and created new business ventures—all while running. As soon as I finish, I immediately write everything down in one notebook. Putting it on paper declutters your head and frees up energy.
When you're in the zone, STAY THERE! If you're thinking clearly, keep it going—extend the session. That's when it's time to go for a longer run.
