Do You Spend Enough Time THINKING?

Do YOU spend enough time thinking? Not Doing, not Racing Around, not Returning Email or Typing a Word doc. Just THINKING?

Most people don't.

My observations show me that most people are too busy DOING and not busy enough THINKING. We often feel more satisfied: "Wow, you should see all the things I DID today."

It's almost like when a university president is credited with how many new buildings were constructed over his or her tenure instead of how many great minds came out of the university… how much great research, how many cures for diseases that ravage our lives.

I find the only way to be sure I actually spend time THINKING is to schedule it in my calendar like any other appointment.

"Charlie, what about Tuesday at 8:30 AM… may I see you then?"

"No, I'm sorry… I have an appointment then… how is Wednesday at 8:00?"

And that's true. I DO have an appointment - and it's with ME.

Sometimes I have a whole list of things to consider. Sometimes I have a single idea and an empty pad of paper, and I hope to write as fast as my little mind will spit out ideas.

"Oh, but I can't get away from the office (the job, my work, my husband who is my partner in the business)… no one would ever let me get away just to THINK!"

Wow… how silly, right?

Think about it this way - you want to go on vacation.

Do you see the parallel? If you simply went to the airport, bought a ticket, landed in a new city, walked to a hotel to get a room, and hoped to find things to do for your week off (without knowing WHAT there is to do), how successful would you be?

Why is you work less important? Why would you spend LESS time thinking about it, before doing.

There are many joys that come with working at home. For years as my younger daughter, Liz, was growing up, I was there to kiss her "pleasant dreams" as she went for her nap and I was there to say "hello, beautiful" when she woke up. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

But we have to take responsibility for ourselves if we're going to work at home in our own businesses, and it all begins with THINKING!

Charlie Seymour Jr.
Charlie@RaisingGreatFamilies.com

Charlie Seymour Jr is the founder of RaisingGreatFamilies.com, FathersAndTheDaughtersTheyLove.com, and ILearnedItAllFromMyKids.com. He is also working with his daughter, Liz, as she publishes her own website and releases her first solo CD: LizSeymour.com. Charlie is a Social Marketer and Community Builder and often consults about marketing through his site, GetThemOffTheRaftMarketing.com. He's a prolific writer, including blogs on each of these sites, his book Dream Inc (32 Philadelphia-area Entrepreneurs and their Million Dollar Secrets For Success), and articles about Social Marketing for national and regional publications including NSA Magazine (for the National Speakers Association) and Spotlight (for the American Association of Community Theatre). He's the father of two daughters and lives in Wallingford, PA with his wife, Pam.