The Career Author Podcast: Episode 95 – Dedicated Thinking Time

Dedicated thinking time can be some of the most important minutes in a career author’s day. Without the ability to create space for big ideas to grow and take shape, we’re left with an unending to-do list, chasing completion of an endless set of meaningless tasks.

While it’s important to meet deadlines and attend to the details of your business as a career author, it’s also critical to take time to think. Thinking in this way can be done in many different ways and at various times throughout your week. Dedicated thinking time is not “one size fits all.”

The Career Author Podcast is a podcast where co-authors J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon share their struggles and successes as full-time authors, advice for improving your writing craft, and honest discussions of what it takes to build a successful career as an author.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

  • Why dedicated thinking time is important.
  • How leaving the screen at home is critical.
  • What successful people do for dedicated thinking time, like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.
  • When you can fit in dedicated thinking time.
  • How walking, driving, and journaling can be worked into your dedicated thinking time.
  • What you should consider thinking about.
  • How often you should big think.
  • How long you should spend big thinking.

Also, discover why Zach has returned to journaling.

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Leave us a comment: Do you set aside time for deep thought? Why or why not?

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14 responses to “The Career Author Podcast: Episode 95 – Dedicated Thinking Time”

  1. Crys Cain Avatar

    I’ve been using my walks and bike rides for quiet thinking time instead of listening to podcasts lately, but that’s about the only deep thinking time I’ve scheduled lately. It’s been a while since I’ve had a scheduled go away and review my life and business event, but I haven’t felt the need. I’ve been practicing more daily quiet/stillness, though. I never take my phone to the beach, and that’s a really good place to just lie and think without distractions.

    When I’ve had busier schedules, I’ve needed dedicated trips away from home to draw the boundaries needed for a solid deep think, and it’s a really good practice in general. But with practicing more daily stillness, it might be less of a necessity.

    I do think quiet thinking and stillness is more natural for us introverts—though phones leach at that instinct. Definitely a skill we default to. In my experience, extroverts’ default skill is testing their thoughts quickly against other minds. Wherever we lay on the spectrum, it’s definitely good to develop the other skill.

    1. J. Thorn Avatar
      J. Thorn

      Good point on the intro/extro observation.

  2. Christopher Wills Avatar

    Morning guys. Great hack Zach. I like the idea of voice journaling. I talk to myself a lot at home alone so I’ll give it a go. It might help me get into voice-to-text for writing.
    As a loner I get a lot of thinking time but lovely wifey Denise tells me it’s dangerous; she says when I think I get ideas.
    I guess it’s a generation thing and I don’t have FOMO so I rarely take my phone with me when I leave the house.
    I don’t schedule thinking time but I walk regularly so if I have a thought that needs thinking, I have plenty of opportunities to fit it in.
    Maybe I’ll start taking my phone with me on walks so I can voice journal. That’ll get me locked up for sure; talking to myself out in public 🙂.

    1. J. Thorn Avatar
      J. Thorn

      That’ll get me locked up for sure; talking to myself out in public.

      Not in the States, LOL! I see that everywhere.

  3. Chris Yee Avatar

    I walk to and from my office for my day job. It’s a really nice walk through a park, and I use that as my time for deep thought. Sometimes while I’m in the shower too.

    1. J. Thorn Avatar
      J. Thorn

      Nice! Shower, not bath?

  4. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    I absolutely set aside time for deep thought. I think J. had it right about the introversion. As an introvert, carving out quiet time has always been an important part of my life. I’d go crazy without it! Getting out in nature is hard in the summer where I live (it’s too hot), but during the winter, I’m able to get out much more. I take walks several mornings a week (I do take my phone for safety, but I don’t look at it), and I also take time every afternoon to simply lie down and quiet my mind.

    Real conversation between me and my partner:
    Me (lying on the bed staring at the ceiling).
    Him: “What are you doing?”
    Me: “Writing.”

    1. J. Thorn Avatar
      J. Thorn

      That’s my favorite kind of conversation!

  5. Lon Varnadore Avatar
    Lon Varnadore

    I am more of an introvert and have this kind of time often. I have not set aside times to do such a thing. Once and again, it has happened by accident, not having something to listen to while driving or out on a walk.

    1. J. Thorn Avatar
      J. Thorn

      Definitely worth scheduling it if you can.

  6. Dl Barbur Avatar

    Powerful stuff guys thanks. Roman’s book on mail friendship is great. I’m going to reccomend it to the guys in my men’s group. Added bonus: it’s .99 on kindle right now!

    Crys mentioned phones in the post above. I just came up with a mindfulness/productivity/braining hack.

    I bought an alarm clock.

    You know, the old-fashioned kind that you plug into the wall. It only does two things. It tells you what time it is, and beeps when it’s time to get up.

    Previously, I’ve been using my alarm app on my phone. When it goes off in the morning, it’s all too easy to immediately check my sales, email, or social media. I’m trying to end my screen time earlier in the day, and delay it’s start until later in the morning. Those minutes before I fall asleep are precious, as are the ones right after I wake up.

    1. J. Thorn Avatar
      J. Thorn

      I love real alarm clocks! Nice!

  7. Chad Boyer Avatar

    I find walks while at work to both keep myself from screaming at another worthless meeting and clear my head for the next bit of knowledge work.

    Though I also find this is when I get podcast time in so it is a catch-22 of which is better. Though there are definitely times when I just turn off the podcast and walk in the urban nature and enjoy.

    1. J. Thorn Avatar
      J. Thorn

      I agree. Podcasts vs. quiet is sometimes a tough choice.