Last year, around the beginning of the pandemic, I began reading a book called “Thinking for a Change” by John Maxwell.
With a tumultuous year on the horizon, I knew that I wanted to learn how to become a better thinker – to discern through things well.
It’s common for all of us to allow others to do the thinking for us.
We tune in to our favorite media outlet, constantly check our social media feeds, and rarely take the time to think through things for ourselves. I’ve certainly fallen into this trap many times.
When was the last time you took a significant amount of time to just sit and think? When was the last time you slowed down enough to let your mind wander? It’s often in these moments where we have our greatest insights, creative ideas, and discernments of big issues.
Recently, I’ve started each day with ten minutes of pure imagination. I sit on the floor of our San Francisco apartment (because our moving company hasn’t arrived yet with our furniture…), look out the window, and just allow my mind to go wherever it wants.
I’ve found this time to be extremely refreshing.
I often struggle with anxiety in the morning. On a typical day, I will wake up to a dozen texts and emails from east coast co-workers, friends, or family members – and – for a long time – I would just dive right in to responding.
Since I’ve employed this “pure imagination” time (no reference to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), I’ve found myself to be less anxious and less reactive in the morning. Rather, I am seemingly calm, taking things as they come.
I encourage you to find how this kind of daily practice could fit into your schedule. If it doesn’t fit, maybe it’s time to re-work how much you have on your plate to allow time for your mind to rest.