The relentless pace of our modern lives never seems to allow us to find that quiet space, the peace and tranquility that we all crave. So in the absence of that, how do we find a space for clear, considered thinking? Can we take simple steps to create our own quiet place?
Image Source: Fast Company
The daily grind is tough, right? Some days, it feels like the pressure is remorseless and you never have time to just catch your breath, take stock and think clearly – you’re always rushing, grabbing a moment here and there.
So how do you find time to think? Where do you go to clear the head, gather your thoughts and process through all the noise? Do you have a special place or routine?
I always imagine that I need peace and quiet to gather my thoughts, but I never seem to quite get there. Are you like that? I always seem to end up scrambling to grab time here and there, where I can. A few minutes at the start of the day, between meetings, grabbing a cup of tea – anything that gives me some precious head-space.
Now if we think this through, we end up at an interesting question. Assuming that we NEVER get that quiet and solitude that we seek during the work day, how do we manage to ever think clearly? How do we get things done with all the noise and bustle around us? Could it be the act of thinking clearly, rather than reaching a special place that matters?
I do my best, most free thinking and creative work when I’m on the afternoon train home or at my regular Saturday morning cafe corner table while La Regina is doing her gym class.
Both places are noisy and crowded – nothing quiet or tranquil about them. But I am able to get into a zone that helps me calm the mind and start to process more clearly. When I think of what helps me think clearly, it’s definitely the routine that’s more important than the place.
Here are five of my favorite routines to help the thoughts flow – each are short, simple and get me into a space from where the thoughts flow.
- A bench at my local train station. Each day, I sit in my favorite spot for a few quiet minutes before the morning commute. A simple way to start my day with a quick recharge – I memorized Shakespeare’s classic Richard III (Act 1, Scene 1) monologue for an acting audition, with 5 stolen minutes on my bench each morning.
- Drinking tea on the back step. Always at my fingertips, quick, cheap and allows me to indulge one of my favorite bare-feet pastimes!
- Breakfast in a city cafe. I think that I completed 50% of my Master’s degree whilst sitting in the window seat at a cafe in e heart of the Melbourne CBD. Hustle, bustle, music, people bumping me…10 minute grabs…and a wonderful energy and rhythm that I just settled into.
- On the train. I often feel as if my morning and evening train journeys provide some of the most productive time in my day. Why? When I settle into my seat, I feel like I own that space and it becomes a haven for an hour. I love the gentle rhythm of the train, the comforting routine of seeing the same people…it feels settling and in a sense, hypnotic. Earphones on, eyes down, heaven!
- While waiting. We all have random moments during the day where we have dead time – sitting and waiting for appointments or people. Embrace those times as free gifts! Be prepared – carry a notebook, pen, tablet device or voice recorder with you everywhere. I never leave home without a mobile device containing Evernote, synced and fabulous.
A case in point – I’m writing this post on my iPad using Evernote, in a few blessed minutes during a frantic afternoon, at a noisy cafe with a bowl of finger-licking, piping-hot Nachos, people walking by, music blaring. I have a great table, the energy is pumping and I feel like I am King of the Universe!
How about you? Where do you go to get your best thinking done? Where are your favorite places or routines? What’s the most unusual place you’ve been able to get serious brain-work done?
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