5 Ways to Create Space to Think

Trapped in continual “doing mode?” You’re not alone. Here’s how to give yourself permission to pause… and think bigger.

So many of us are focused on doing mode — achieving goals and checking items off to-do lists. But better relationships, bigger-picture strategies, and creative thinking all depend on pausing and entering into spacious mode. 

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Megan Reitz of Oxford University’s Said Business School, and John Higgins, director of research at The Right Conversation, share their research-based tips for making it easier and safer to occasionally switch modes.

• Give yourself permission:  Pausing requires a leap of faith at first, but soon its benefits will become clear.
• Train your mind: A mere 10 minutes of mindfulness practice daily will, over time, help you develop a capacity to pay attention differently.
• Practice guerilla spaciousness:  If your organization is relentlessly promoting doing, be stealthy. Develop small habits that allow you to shift into spacious mode under the radar. Try changing up your environment or scheduling pauses. 
• Ask bigger questions: Pose broader questions to yourself and others, e.g. “What have we not talked about that would help us work together better?”
• Choose good company:  While you cannot choose your work colleagues, spend more time when you can with individuals and groups that help you expand your thought processes and see things in new ways.

When was the last time you deliberately took a pause to create thinking time, and what were the results? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below.  We'd really like to hear from you.

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