I’m a fan and advocate of brainstorming: nothing like a good ten- to twenty-minute sesh to spill all your dumb ideas onto a page in order to harvest the diamonds later.
But lately, I’ve also started to do something that I think of as the opposite, “slow down thinking”.
This is where instead of rushing the idea onto the page, I think about it for a while, maybe writing notes about it or expanding on it to develop it more fully. Think about it like a painting rather than a drawing, taking the time to add enough different colours until a cloud really looks like one (have you ever tried to paint a cloud? Harder than you’d think. Thanks beginner art class) Here are a few tactics I rely on for slow thinking:
Limit your focus
Since you’re spending time on anything you’re slow thinking about, don’t try to bring too much at once. I focus on two to three slow topics, usually the big goals in my business or even in my life. I also try to think about them in order of importance, as in what needs doing first.
Interrogate your topic
I like to think about the “why” behind my slow thinking topic, as well as the how. If my focus is on how to be more present and maybe even a thought leader in my industry, why do I want to do that? What benefits am I aiming for and what will be the time commitment around that goal? What are different ways I can get there and are there any I prefer over others or come more naturally to me? What are things I can start doing today and in three months?
Take notes on your thinking and return later
Slow-down thinking means slowing down your session but also returning to it later. Our minds are amazing on the back burner, so I try to put a week between my first and second slow thinking sessions. The results are different ideas that may come to me on a walk or while making dinner (do write them down if you’re forgetful like me). When you check in the second time, go through your first interrogation but plan other questions that might have popped up since. To avoid slow thinking turning into inaction, do plan on whether you will move forward with the idea before two long, maybe after two or three sessions.
