It takes time to think.

In fact, the more time you devote to thinking the more productive you will become. Unfortunately, most people are terrible thinkers simply because they don’t make time for it. It’s not that they aren’t capable, or that they don’t want to. The problem is they haven’t developed a system for thinking. It only happens in the shower, during a commute, or whenever they have a lull in their schedule. 

Scientist and philosopher Blaise Pascal said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Whether or not all of humanity’s problems stem from an inability to sit alone, it certainly does cause most people to miss out on the life-altering results that come from thinking.

If you only think when you have some extra time, you’ll never think. Thinking time must be scheduled in order for it to effectively happen. You can’t wait for leftover time, you have to make the time. Remember, there are seven days in a week, someday isn’t one of them. The longer you put off thinking time, the longer it takes to realize solutions. Time is the currency of productivity. You will only be as creative as the time you set aside for it. Albert Einstein said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.” Thinking gives you what you need for the future.     

Many people avoid thinking because it’s too hard. They give up too easily when they hit a mental roadblock. But it’s those who break through the mental barriers that arrive in a flourishing garden of ideas. Einstein also stated, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” The secret of success is to outlast your challenges. Make time to develop your thinking habits and it will pay you great rewards in the future.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Schedule a date for your thinking time now
2. Pick one topic you are going to think about (and only think about that)
3. Prepare the things you will need for your thinking time (notebook, pen, computer, book, etc…)
4. Go somewhere where you think the best
5. Keep scheduling thinking time on your calendar