Scheduling time to think, plan & assess. Your experience?

[Michael569]

I feel the majority of my day is spent doing stuff. Reading, researching, writing, on marketing etc but I would like to add a time where I'll plan, retrospect & take a high-altitude overview of all the minor tactical tasks to adjust & reassess. 

Do any of you add this to your day? How do you go around it? What worked for you? What time of the days works best for you to do this? 

Any tips greatly appreciated! Thank You 

[Nahm]

In my world if you will, I call this the ‘add-vantage’ of dreamboarding. Each day it is added to with anything & everything that comes to mind that you want for this life. All things & experiences desired, ‘big & small’, trivial & not. The difference in vantage between vision & the unfolding ‘to do’s’ being ‘in your head’, vs getting it ‘out of your head and into the room’ - literally seeing it in front of you, changes everything. What I’d call ‘voluntary thinking’ melts into a different way, that of understanding the relationship with sensational guidance inseparable of the play of the universe. 

[Leo Gura]

What @Nahm does it good.

What I do is I take hour-long drives to nowhere late at night and just contemplate/integrate whatever ideas are in my mind that day while I drive. Not so good for global warning, but amazing for my clarity of mind.

[WonderSeeker]

I'm a full-time graduate student, so don't have much time to plan during weekdays. On a weekend day, I'll take a chunk of time (1pm to 5pm) and go to a spot in nature with nothing more than my notebook and colored pens and begin writing down my "future visions." Find a comfortable environment that you enjoy, whether its remote nature, the park, your living room; perhaps somewhere other than where you read and research. Whatever helps you think creatively! I think it's necessary to have spacing between planning days though. Personally I can't do it every day.

Just my take.  

[Guest EmptyVase]

31 minutes ago, Nahm said:

All things & experiences desired, ‘big & small’, trivial & not. 

How do you fit everything in there? I'd like to add smaller and more trivial stuff, but there's just not enough space (wow, how metaphorical :p).

Do you use multiple dreamboards or post-its sticked on the board, for the more trivial stuff? I can't see other options to fit everything on it.

[Waves]

I use a simple system of journaling that helps me review my thoughts, insights, ideas, motivations and general direction at different altitudes. It also serves as "record" of who you were in a given period.

Daily: The last thing I do before going to bed, besides stretching, is writing on a pocket-size journal. It takes 3-5 min and I start with writing down what I've done and how I felt during the day. I'm happy even if it's just a sentence. Because of this, and because the pages are small, the threshold barrier is very low for me to do it. More often than not, it expands into reflecting on the alignment of my actions with my desires, on what I want, on things that sparked my interest. I use this notebook also for random insights I have during the day and I find it's a small act of giving importance and a louder voice to my intuition.

Weekly: On Sunday, usually with a cup of mint tea or whatever (music is also an option), I go through what I wrote in the small journal and collect insights I had about what I want to do next, what I value,... and questions I'd like to contemplate. I write this weekly review in a larger notebook and try to keep it within a page. It's pretty inspirational, it's a temporary reality check from my higher self

Monthly: At the end of each month I look through the 4 pages of weekly reviews and write a monthly review + an outlook into the next month. Here I can assume a higher perspective to evaluate the direction of my life, and set the intentions for what I want to focus on next.

You can expand this even further by reviewing the last 3 months or so.

Other than this method, I try to give my mind some space to do its own thing without bombarding it with external sources, for example while taking walks, cooking, doing the laundry,... Hope this helps 

 

[Michael569]

1 hour ago, Nahm said:

In my world if you will, I call this the ‘add-vantage’ of dreamboarding. Each day it is added to with anything & everything that comes to mind that you want for this life. All things & experiences desired, ‘big & small’, trivial & not. The difference in vantage between vision & the unfolding ‘to do’s’ being ‘in your head’, vs getting it ‘out of your head and into the room’ - literally seeing it in front of you, changes everything. What I’d call ‘voluntary thinking’ melts into a different way, that of understanding the relationship with sensational guidance inseparable of the play of the universe. 

@Nahm how does this look for you in a practical way? Do you use a white board? Do you draft stuff that comes up during the day or schedule say 1 hour and dump all during this time? 

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

What I do is I take hour-long drives to nowhere late at night and just contemplate/integrate whatever ideas are in my mind that day while I drive. Not so good for global warning, but amazing for my clarity of mind.

I can see the great value of this. Some of the most productive times in my life are air flights, those 3-4 per year it's like 3 hours of peak concentration. I can't get this anywhere else. Will see if I can identify some way. Perhaps a bench in the park or some isolated spot. Thanks for this !

Do you structure this time somehow Leo or just see what comes up? 

1 hour ago, WonderSeeker said:

On a weekend day, I'll take a chunk of time (1pm to 5pm) and go to a spot in nature with nothing more than my notebook and colored pens and begin writing down my "future visions."

I think I will experiment with doing something like this. Spending this time in nature really resonate with me, thanks for the idea. 

17 minutes ago, Waves said:

I use this notebook also for random insights I have during the day and I find it's a small act of giving importance and a louder voice to my intuition.

Thank you for the inputs. Yeah, I do use a notebook but I feel like I'm still learning how to use it properly. For some time I was trying with One Note but it just doesn't cut it. I also have a small (a5) moleskin but this is more of a planner & diary than a journal. 

DO you keep a separate thingy for this or is it "all in one"? 

[Leo Gura]

26 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

Do you structure this time somehow Leo or just see what comes up? 

I don't plan it. I just do it when it feels right.

It takes me 1hr 20mins to make a lap around the entire city on the circular highway. I just drive and think or meditate. Driving puts me in flow. Best part of my day.

[SgtPepper]

I utilize a planner and journal.

I find that writing is a powerful to prioritize what you really want, and self-reflects on a level that is impossible with ordinary contemplation.

So practically, I've begun to wake up and immediately jump to my planner. I essentially, have a relationship with my planner and I look at it as a guide to living a happy functional life. Before this, I have already written down and defined, in my mind or on paper, why I am doing this or that.

So my morning routine has been, wake up, meditate for 10 minutes, and then sit with my journal, notice what is there, remember why I wrote it down, and I have sessions of journaling backing up the process of taking action.

I also look at my planner before bed, write what I have to do for the next day, to motivate and stay focused for the following day. 

In addition: I occasionally walk about 4 miles to my local park, write poetry, think, meditate, listen to music, but it's all in a sense to empower myself and feel centered.

 

My favorite day to assess my life goals is Sunday. I identify as Christian, so to me it's a day to reflect deeply about my place in the universe.

 

TL:DR. Sunday is my day to deeply think and schedule my life goals. I use 5 minutes at the beginning and ending of my day to re-focus myself with daily goals.

Edited November 18, 2020 by SgtPepper

[Average Investor]

1 hour ago, Michael569 said:

Perhaps a bench in the park or some isolated spot. Thanks for this !

I spend a lot of time reading and contemplating at the park. It is amazing. I can read and get a lot more clarity contemplating it feels like. There is something about being there that allows me to reach a much higher emotional state easier. 

It's really easy to fill your entire day with habits and work. I try to build in some time a few times a week to go to the park. On the weekend I will go for several hours. I am starting to go there in the rain too, but there is some covered places. 

[blankisomeone]

I like to go for runs very early in the morning before the city wakes up and without music. I hear my breath, my thoughts and my steps. I love doing it. It oxygenates my brain and makes my thoughts so clear. I go for a run with a question in mind, a question I’ve contemplated before, but now while running I get new insights. Also you have to already be comfortable with running so you’re not almost dying outta breath? I can run for almost an hour and a half and still breathe comfortably

I don’t do it every day obviously, because it has to be very early in the morning, and waking up too early every day would exhaust me

It’s usually just like 2-3 times a week. Especially if it’s a long run

[Michael569]

@SgtPepper thanks for sharing, I'm slowly starting to get a vision of what it will look like for me. I do daily planning as well at the end of the day but this is more of a tactical planning, like what I am going to focus on the next day. I feel I need to dedicate 60-90 minutes at least once a week to strategic planning. I am missing the bigger picture in what I am doing.  Really appreciate you sharing the routine

@Average Investor thanks man, the idea of retrospecting in nature speaks to me the most. I'll start looking around for a perfect place. Thinking of starting with 1 session per week and see how it goes form there. 

@blankisomeone I'm with ya on running, my favourite runs are in the evening when the weather is gloomy, foggy & misty and streets are deserted, has very therapeutic effect but I can't plan & strategies during long runs, it's not the most comfortable time to be honest  maybe if your stamina is particularly good, I'm not the best long-distance runner. Up to 50 minutes is tolerable I'd say. 

 

[Nahm]

6 hours ago, EmptyVase said:

How do you fit everything in there? I'd like to add smaller and more trivial stuff, but there's just not enough space (wow, how metaphorical :p).

Do you use multiple dreamboards or post-its sticked on the board, for the more trivial stuff? I can't see other options to fit everything on it.

 

5 hours ago, Michael569 said:

how does this look for you in a practical way? Do you use a white board? Do you draft stuff that comes up during the day or schedule say 1 hour and dump all during this time? 

 

Main board is 3x4, double sided, on wheels. I use posts it’s occasionally, but more often email myself from my phone, putting the category as the subject line in the email. Examples would be ‘songs to learn’, ‘house’ (stuff to fix or change with the house. So for example I can search email for “songs” and all the songs I wanted to learn, and emailed myself, pop up when needed. Same for each company, etc. I also use a chalkboard-paint wall in the basement. I also have a small dry erase board where I write, and one where I play guitar / sing. On those I write pretty much what you’d imagine, like song or book idea’s, chord progressions, chapter themes, etc. We also have a family-dreamboard, where we all contribute whenever whatever thought pops up...stuff we want to experience. When we schedule a trip, or just speaks some family fun time, we just pick stuff from the board. Having a (or multiple) go-to flow like Leo mentioned really resonates. Might sound corny, but if there’s any resistance, any ‘I’m getting in my own way’, I play guitar & sing songs for God. It is pointless and therefore it works. 

 

 

[Guest EmptyVase]

@Nahm Sweet, thank you for the practical advice! Your e-mail approach is very similar to mine. I use the notepad on my phone for lists of all kinds, insights, visions and things I want to get done. I label them in different ways, such as 'LISTS' 'MUSIC PRODUCTION' etc.. It's also synchronized with my computer, so that I can elaborate on the stuff which is written down on my phone.

 

[mandyjw]

I like to go for a walk or a run, and it just so happens that's when my best thinking gets done. It's a brilliant way to multitask. 

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-science-of-why-you-do-your-best-thinking-while-walking.html

I also think writing things down is incredibly powerful, so it's good to make time for that too. 

[allislove]

9 hours ago, Nahm said:

In my world if you will, I call this the ‘add-vantage’ of dreamboarding. Each day it is added to with anything & everything that comes to mind that you want for this life. All things & experiences desired, ‘big & small’, trivial & not. The difference in vantage between vision & the unfolding ‘to do’s’ being ‘in your head’, vs getting it ‘out of your head and into the room’ - literally seeing it in front of you, changes everything. What I’d call ‘voluntary thinking’ melts into a different way, that of understanding the relationship with sensational guidance inseparable of the play of the universe. 

That's how I live for a year or so. Life became so simple, so much joy, thank you Nahm :))

[aurum]

@Michael569

I like to take walks in the local park. Physical movement is really important for me to process things. If I can't walk outside, I'll just pace around like a madman in my apartment.

Also, I like to set my intentions for the next day right before I go to sleep. I'll usually just put them in my phone and then delete them as they get accomplished.

Also also, get a coach or at least someone who is committed to helping you achieve your dreams. Meet with them regularly. I'd be so screwed if I never got coaching.

[Nahm]

@allislove ??

[Waves]

On 11/18/2020 at 4:23 PM, Michael569 said:

For some time I was trying with One Note but it just doesn't cut it. I also have a small (a5) moleskin but this is more of a planner & diary than a journal. 

DO you keep a separate thingy for this or is it "all in one"? 

Yeah same for OneNote. There are too many hurdles between having the insight and recording it.

I do the daily stuff, including writing down random ideas, in the smallest moleskine there is (9x14 cm), whereas the weekly reviews and habit tracker are in an A5 moleskine, where things are more clean. When I do daily planning it's usually on a normal notepad, but I'm not consistent with that.

I took inspiration from these two Nate's: 

• The Life-Changing Habit of Journaling (What I Learned)
• How to Write a Diary for Mental Clarity (Very Easy)
• How I Organize My Thoughts: A Simple Guide

 

[Michael569]

@Waves thanks so much man, I've finished watching the first videos and subbed, this guy knows what he's talking about. For now I am on 1 small journal but I can see the advantage of getting one more, a bigger one perhaps. Cheers!

@aurum

21 hours ago, aurum said:

@Michael569

I like to take walks in the local park. Physical movement is really important for me to process things. If I can't walk outside, I'll just pace around like a madman in my apartment.

I seem to be the most receptive when I walk hence that's my best time to listen to podcasts but I actually need to sit, with headphones in isolated room to be able to plan & strategies  I worked with life coach 3 years ago when I was trying to figure shit out for myself and was trying to see what I want to do with myself. For now I'll try to go without hiring a coach but it is not something I exclude for the future. Thanks for your input bro! 

@mandyjw thanks Mandy  I may give the walking & thinking another try since many of you recommended it. It's always been sit down & think for my but maybe that was never the most optimal way