Just like plants need a greenhouse to grow, we need a greenhouse for our thinking. When the environment is conducive to thinking we will produce great thoughts. Having a specific place that we think is a great idea in itself. If we do not enjoy the process of thinking we will never do it. You must find a place that energizes you and stirs your thoughts. When you find your “spot” you’ll create a million ideas.

I can remember at one point in my life as a single young adult living in Maryville, Tennessee. I lived in a very small house that I rented and I had no washer or dryer. So I would take my weekly trips to the local laundry matte and spend a few hours there late at night. I found that the laundry matte was my greenhouse. For some strange reason the lulling sound of the dryers and the warmth of the room meshed with my ability to think. I would take a book with me and I am telling you thoughts would just flow. Who knew that a cheap laundry matte would become my best place of producing life changing thoughts. I came up with so many ideas that to this day I still am reaping the benefit from. I guess my greenhouse has changed now as I have gotten older. I no longer visit the laundry matte (though I have thought about stopping by one and seeing if it still works). Now, I have found that coffee shops are a great place for me to write and think. I enjoy being around people and busyness to think, which is strange for some people. There is something about the smell of fresh brewed coffee and the environment that gets the juices flowing.

I am sharing with you my greenhouses, but you may be totally different. I have talked with many people that prefer a quiet place by themselves. Some people like to be in nature, while others like to be in the city. There is obviously no right or wrong greenhouse, or a one size fits all type environment. The only thing that truly matters is that you find your thinking place.

Where do you go that helps get your thinking cap on? Most people don’t know the answer to that question. They have never taken the time to recognize where their greenhouse might be. In my studies. I have repeatedly found that some of the most innovative people of our time had a specific place of thinking. They all carved out specific places that were designed just for their thinking time.

Here are some things to think about when it comes to your greenhouse…

A) You have to like it

If you do not like the environment you will not be able to think well there. Take some inventory and think through places you have been that you enjoy. Our enjoyment of a specific place usually opens the door for our ability to relax and think. If we do not like certain places we are full of stress, tension, or whatever is causing us to dislike the environment. It is important to find places that you like as it will make you that much more willing to be there.

B) You have to go there

I know this sounds simple, but it does no good to know where you like to think but you never go there. Don’t get caught up in settling for a lesser place if you know where you like to go. This means you have to be intentional about scheduling it in your agenda. Too many times we know where we like to go but because of poor planning we never spend time in the greenhouse. We try to think everywhere else but there. Remember, you have to take the proper time in the proper place to think.

C) It must be accessible

The place you like to go may be hard to get to, take a long time to get there, or not available all the time. If this is the case try to find somewhere that is more accessible for you. You can’t be limited on where you want to go because of the inaccessibility of the place. Make sure you pick a few places that you can bounce to and from if you need to based on availability. Find places that give you options on when you can be there and schedule some thinking time around that.