Comments on: Finding More “Head Time”

By: Michael Hyatt

Michael Hyatt — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:21:00 +0000

I am no longer using that service, Fr. John. My Nashville-based assistant handles everything I need. This was more of an experiment. However, I was very pleased. This is a great option. I have many friends who use assistants in India and no one knows that they aren’t local.

All the best.

By: Fr. John

Fr. John — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:14:00 +0000

Michael, Im new to your site, but after reading several dozen posts, I can say that I love it!

What are you thinking of your assistant who does your bookkeeping for $100/month? Is it working as you’d hoped? My wife and I are looking for the same thing but we’re a little timid about trusting someone far away to do what we need! Provided you are happy so far, would you be willing to share your assistant’s info? We’d be happy to offer her some more work!

Thanks so much!

Fr. John

By: RentMyChurch

RentMyChurch — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:45:57 +0000

Thank you for the article – its needed and will be implemented!

By: Michael Hyatt

Michael Hyatt — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 23:17:33 +0000

Ha!

By: Michael Joe

Michael Joe — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 21:49:44 +0000

Great article and loved the personal additions! BTW is that a picture of the back of @sethgodin’s head? (Could help myself – just had to ask?)

By: Are You Taking the Time to Think Deeply? « Ministry Management Memo

Are You Taking the Time to Think Deeply? « Ministry Management Memo — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:57:46 +0000

[...] Michael Hyatt – “Finding More Head Time” [...]

By: Andre Legoh

Andre Legoh — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:07:48 +0000

I read this article already months ago. Struggling for allocating more “head time”. It went on and off but the improvement is there. Thanks also for your spot on Timothy Ferrris’s book. Just got the book a week ago from overseas – I still cant get the book in Indonesia – and I agree that this stimulate my adrenalin to be more effective.

By: James Daniel

James Daniel — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:29:05 +0000

Hi
While we’re talking about body, mind and spirit, I’d like to observe that from where I sit (next to people, coaching them on productivity), the most productive thinking is generally accompanied by some kind of doing – usually writing or drawing. It seems to be desperately hard to stay focussed when there’s no accompanying physical action. So perhaps it shouldn’t be that hard to look as though you’re doing something worthwhile while you’re “thinking”? Because the chances are that if the thinking is maximally worthwhile, you will indeed be doing something visible…
Conversely, if you’re spending time thinking without writing (or Jotting?) you may be missing a trick. Seems the thinking often moves on to the next stage better and faster once what’s pending up there is stashed somewhere outside the nervous system.

By: Right Attitudes - by Nagesh Belludi

Right Attitudes - by Nagesh Belludi — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 05:27:24 +0000

Ideas for Impact #14: The Time to Think

In the age of knowledge work, we are all paid to think to evaluate solution-paths and solve problems creatively. Yet, we get busy doing and fail to devote part of our days for deep thinking.
In todays workplace, we all have too much to …

By: Heidi

Heidi — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:53:54 +0000

I also hope for the “walking meeting” revolution to gain momentum. Studies reveal that muscle movement encourages better brain activity. Our brain cells turn to mush when we sit all day at our computers. Body, Mind, and Spirit.

By: Nathan Hov

Nathan Hov — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:49:38 +0000

It’s nice to hear from someone tied into mainstream corporate America that actually encourages creative thinking and downtime that resolves in feeling inspired. One of my favorite quotes is “if you keep doing what you’ve been doing- you’re going to get what you’ve got. I too agree that we are busied with the modern, the biggest and brightest things that fly off the production line.

By: Lindsay Terry

Lindsay Terry — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:23:12 +0000

A young man was hired by a large company. For two or three weeks, each time he passed down the hallway, he saw an elderly gentleman in an office, sitting at his desk, staring out the window. Day after day the new employee saw this same sight.

Finally the puzzled employee asked his boss, “What is the responsibility of the elderly gentleman who sits at his desk all day long staring out the window?”

The answer came, “One day while staring out his office window that gentleman thought of an idea that saves our company million dollars. So… we just let him sit in his office and stare out the window.”

Lindsay Terry

By: Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:47:46 +0000

Another inspiring post. I’ve listened to Mike Bickle’s “Power Of A Focused Life” CD several times now. He stresses the importance of managing our time because we will be accountable before the Lord.

While we can’t be 100% on a schedule most of the time, we can do at least 50% or more. Most people don’t do that – things they need and want to acccomplish, aren’t.

I’ve not arrived, but I’m working on it.

I love these post, sir, that remind us we can take a hold of our time and be productive.

Speaking of… :)

Rachel

By: Carl Thompson

Carl Thompson — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:53:58 +0000

Thank you Mike. Great stuff as always. This would be a solid guest column in the Wall Street Journal. Has anyone out there tried 5-10 minute “power naps” during the day?

By: Paul K Smith

Paul K Smith — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:07:47 +0000

As to the priority of thinking, am drawn to John Macmurray’s notion: John says it’s Not “I think, therefore I am,” but “I act, therefore I am.”

By: Ryan Stewart

Ryan Stewart — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:43:04 +0000

Great post Michael.

From where I sit, the problem is not only a lack of thought and resulting inspiration, but also an aversion to risk that prevents people/companies/organizations from acting on new ideas.

It’s so much easier to go through the day looking busy and saying “we don’t have time to think” than it is to think of new ideas, initiatives, and solutions and implement them with the full knowledge that they just might work.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 02:11:01 +0000

Thank you, again, for your post. You might be pleased to know (or maybe not) that your article hit LifeHackers today between a few other postings below. Take your pick of whether you want to be before–

“How To: Remove a wine cork trapped in the bottle”

or after “Silence your Mac’s Startup Sound”

or two after “Household vinegar not only cleans anything”

I rank the practicality as:
1. Thinking
2. Mac
3. Vinegar
4. Wine

Have a good day! :)

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 02:04:49 +0000

“How To: Remove a wine cork trapped in the bottle”

or after “Silence your Mac’s Startup Sound”

or two after “Household vinegar not only cleans anything”

I rank the practicality as:
1. Thinking
2. Mac
3. Vinegar
4. Wine

Have a good day! :)

By: michael Hyatt

michael Hyatt — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:24:35 +0000

SallyQ: Thanks for the correction on “chockfull.” Dictionary.com lists it as one word, without a hyphenation.

Colleen: Notebook is a great application.

By: colleen Coble

colleen Coble — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:13:12 +0000

Oh this was a timely post! I just found a fabulous program for my Mac called Notebook (Circus Ponies). it’s a way of organizing AND thinking for me. I spent more time thinking the last two days than I usually spend in a month. Well almost anyway. I’m part plotter, part seat of the pants writer. This new program really helps corral my thoughts and help me plan through the part that needs planned.

I use it for book organization but it works for any project. I’ve been telling everyone with a Mac about it. It’s kind of like Microsoft OneNote only better. :-) Here’s the link if you’re interested. http://www.circusponies.com/ All my author friends with Macs have been raving about it too.

By: Just Stopping By

Just Stopping By — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:43:25 +0000

I notice you credited Tim Ferris with stimulating your thinking on this. Any chance you also perused this Forbes piece that ran the day before your post?

By: PollyQ

PollyQ — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:32:00 +0000

It's "chock-full", not "chalk-full".

By: Jay Kelly

Jay Kelly — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:31:10 +0000

Great thoughts! Thanks for pulling the curtain back a little on this.

By: binar

binar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:49:24 +0000

An obvious question I had after reading this insightful post…

I have to get back to work though, my manager just delegated some work to me. :)

By: Marc V

Marc V — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:20:29 +0000

For some of us, particularly those not in management, we may have the time but not the discipline to set aside a regular portion of the day for deep thinking. It may look questionable when you’re sitting at your desk and appearing as if you’re either paralyzed or napping. You also should consider time of day, where I find my better ideas come in the morning.

The Bible addresses this topic when Jesus urges us to utilize our “prayer closet”. It’s up to us to find the time and place, get our proper praying in and then switch to full-mind business problem solving (and asking the Lord’s help on those problems is OK too!). I’m at a time in my life now where it’s difficult to find quiet time, since I’m in a small house with a 3, 4 and 9 year old. I thank God for them every day, but they can make it a challenge to find a quiet spot. At night I unfortunately get too sleepy to stay in the prayer closet all that long.