Cerebrate Weekly: The Power of Scheduling Thinking Time
Professor Paul Dirac was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who predicted antimatter before it was discovered experimentally. His discovery of the first anti-particle, the positron, revolutionized nuclear physics.
Students were naturally interested to know how he arrived at this world-shaking discovery. His answer was that he did so by lying on his study floor with his feet up so that the blood ran to his head.
Dirac’s answer may seem humorous, but it is actually quite true. To achieve great intellectual feats, one must channel all their energy into the task at hand.
Many people fail to do this, choosing to diversify their efforts. Unfortunately, their failure to concentrate on a single goal renders all their efforts incomplete and ineffective. To be successful, one must give their work all the strength they can muster.
It is the unique ability to engage deeply in thought, reflection, and deliberation that presents a strong case for human exceptionalism.
Thus one of the best metrics for evaluating a human should be based on “think hours.” This refers to the amount of time that one dedicates to thinking and reflecting.
However, in today’s world, this divinely gifted faculty of reasoning has been under an unprecedented attack for quite some time. With the exponential rise of social media and streaming platforms, we have developed a mindless habit of doom-scrolling and have lost the ability to spend time in deep reflection and thought.
Hence Instead of being measured upon Think Hours, we are now measured upon “Watch Hours” and “screen time”. Now with the rise of AI, we are in a state where our creative and thinking abilities are being outsourced to machines, and we have become dependent on them to do the work for us.
The Importance of Time Blocking for Deep Reflection and Contemplation
The act of thinking requires a prerequisite that is moving out of distraction.
In 1921, the famous Psychiatrist Carl Jung published Psychological Types, which highlighted differences between his ideas and those of his former friend and mentor, Sigmund Freud.
Disagreeing with Freud was a bold move at that time. To support his book, Jung wrote several articles and books that further established analytical psychology, the name of his new school of thought.
How did he pull this out? He built a retreat in Bollingen, Switzerland in 1922, which included a private office where he spent two hours of undistracted writing time every morning. He would often spend his afternoons meditating or taking walks in the countryside.
The Tower had no electricity, and Jung would retire to bed by 10 P.M. Despite its idyllic setting, the retreat was not built as an escape from work, but rather as a place for Jung to focus and renew himself.
Bill Gates takes biannual “think week” retreats where he isolates himself in the forest to engage in deep reading and thinking. During one of Gates’ Think Week retreats in 1995, he wrote a paper called “The Internet Tidal Wave,” which ultimately led to the development of Internet Explorer.
Think Week is a time when I can be creative and push my own thinking. It’s a time to step outside the day-to-day demands of my job and really focus on the big picture.” – Bill Gates
If you can’t schedule an entire week, try Nike’s CEO John Donahoe habit of taking a “Thinking Day”. He reflected: From time to time, I like to take a “thinking day.” These are pre-scheduled, uninterrupted times to step away from the chaos, zero-base my time, and refocus on the issues that are most important
✍🏼Quote of the Week
🧠Food for Thought
This week, take some time to reflect on your own “Think Hours.” Are you setting aside enough time to focus on your thoughts and ideas? Consider scheduling a regular “thinking day” or “thinking week” to step away from daily distractions and focus on the issues that matter most.
📖Read and Rise
Check out the book “Deep Work” by Cal Newport for more insights on how to cultivate a practice of deep work and focus in an age of distraction.
🧭Weekly Compass
How I Take Notes on my IPad Pro as a Medical Student: This video explains how to take notes digitally on an iPad or tablet. Digital note-taking makes the process more enjoyable and helps with learning by adding images, diagrams, and text material. Notes can be organized and highlighted ideas can be accessed at any time.
🛠Tools for Thought
Try using the app “Freedom” to block distracting websites and apps during your “Think Hours.” This can help you stay focused and minimize distractions while you work.