How to Make Time for “Deep Thinking”

Editor’s note: Kimberly Paterson, Certified Executive Coach and Master Energy Leadership Coach, is president of CIM (www.cim-co.com), which works with organizations and individuals to maximize performance through positive, lasting behavioral change. She can be reached at kpaterson@cim-co.com.) What follows is adapted from a recent article she authored in Rough Notes magazine (www.roughnotes.com.)

Henry Ford said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” Volunteer managers understand that time spent in “deep thinking” is essential, but actually preserving such time amid daily distractions is a challenge. Responding to distractions might be called “shallow work” – putting out fires, responding immediately to requests, or performing tasks that don’t require much thought. It’s easy to fall into the trap of spending most of our time in shallow work, sacrificing the time that should be devoted to the distraction-free concentration that’s a hallmark of good managers.

We have a choice: be victims of distraction or become masters at managing how and where we invest attention and brainpower. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Respect your calendar. Eliminate “white space” on your daily calendar by including all your planned activities, including response to emails, lunch, exercising, checking in with colleagues…and a few minutes at the end of the day when you will assess what you planned to do, what you actually did, and where you became distracted.
• Schedule “deep work” time. If your work environment doesn’t allow you to schedule 60-90 minutes a day for distraction-free thinking and planning, you might need to schedule a day or half a day to work at home.
• Let your colleagues know you are not available for that “deep work” time you have scheduled. Most managers who use this strategy have found that the long-term benefit outweighs the short-term pain.
• Set yourself up for success. Will you concentrate better in your office, your home, or a coffee shop? Put your phone out of reach. If your deep work requires online research, set a timer so you won’t wander around the Internet.
• “Surfing the urge.” Behavioral psychologists use this term to describe the feeling one has when distraction starts to creep in. Take a few minutes to acknowledge the feeling, without trying to push it away or give in to distraction. Research shows that when you gently pay attention to negative emotions, they tend to dissipate.
• Muscle up! Focus is like a muscle. As with any muscle, you can strengthen your focus. How long can you concentrate on a single “deep thinking” task? Whatever the time is, that’s your baseline. Write it down, then work on gradually extending that time.

The better we become at managing our attention, the more “deep work” we get done, and the more control we gain over our lives and future success.

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