Thinking Time

  • Comments posted to this topic are about the item Thinking Time

  • I think (pun intended) that how available we are to contact: cell phones (especially smart phones), twitter, email, pagers, etc..., has severely limited our "thinking time". We are expected to available all the time and expected to respond immediately, at least in many cases, which means quiet time to think and plan is very-limited.

  • That's why I leave my phone upstairs, or down, sometimes when I need to write and think.

    We've also turned ours off at offsite meetings, which has helped.

  • Not all thinking time is immediately productive. Maybe 1 in 20, or 1 in 100 ideas end up getting executed and actually delivering some value. I think most people are jaded by meetings where too often the goal seems to be do anything except talk about the target of the meeting. Thinking time is a little bit like brain storming, but brain storming is goal centric - thinking time much wider scoped. Its a leap of faith to understand that growth and good ideas take a lot of time, and you won't always generate results on every attempt.

  • Good point on the mass availability.

    When there is a specific agenda or goal to the meeting, I am in support of the meeting. If a brainstorming or thinking session were created and then no progress towards that was tried during the meeting - I would be a bit annoyed.

    Thinking time is good. It can help to cleanse the head and bring forth good ideas to try. Maybe most of the ideas will fail - but at least they would have been given some thought first and then tried. In the end, maybe all of those trials would lead to a successful venture. The successful venture just may be due to the effort of trying and thinking and could have been the evolution of one of those ideas from a thinking session.

    If nothing else, the session would be fruitful by helping you to relax a bit.

    Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
    _______________________________________________
    I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
    SQL RNNR
    Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
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  • OK, this is going to come across really crude but....surely some of the best "thinking time" has to be sitting on the toilet. When else do you get 20 minutes of uninterrupted time to yourself (...I like to take it slowly)? Nobody is going to bother you while you are taking care of your business! There's a particular bathroom near main reception that - surprisingly - is seldom used and is perfect for getting away from the desk to think about why my fact load keeps failing or to think about a SQL 2008 R2 upgrade (or lots of other stuff). However, it's pretty sad when I have to "hide" in the bathroom to get some quality thinking time. Unfortunately, when I try to "think" at my desk I invariably get asked one/all of these questions:

    1) Are you asleep?

    2) What are you working on?

    3) You don't look too busy, can you help me with something?

    ARRGGGH!!! 🙂


    James Stover, McDBA

  • As I've learned to run and swim (yes, you learn how), I find that I get some great thinking time there. Driving as well.

  • Steve Jones - Editor (7/26/2010)


    As I've learned to run and swim (yes, you learn how), I find that I get some great thinking time there. Driving as well.

    I can agree on the running part. I find myself thinking as well during drive time. I try to avoid that too much though. Nothing like getting home and not knowing how you got there - distracted driving = not good.

    Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
    _______________________________________________
    I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
    SQL RNNR
    Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
    Learn Extended Events

  • It's interesting to hear where people do their best thinking. For me, it is in the shower. I'm relaxed so ideas seem to come more easily at that time.

  • Unfortunately, when you're working for a consultancy firm, thinking time is usually unaccountable and non-chargeable.

    Most of my thinking time happens when I'm asleep. I actually wake up with fully-fledged portions of code written in my head which I then have to struggle to implement before I forget them!

  • I think interesting to note that it works in many places where you can reduce distractions (that you perceive as distractions). I actually do well sitting at Panera with iced tea, there is enough noise that it masks conversation, not so loud that I'm at a party. I've found answers during sleep too - effective if its only a night here and there, otherwise you're never shutting down and will burn out.

  • James Stover (7/26/2010)


    OK, this is going to come across really crude but....surely some of the best "thinking time" has to be sitting on the toilet. When else do you get 20 minutes of uninterrupted time to yourself (...I like to take it slowly)? Nobody is going to bother you while you are taking care of your business! There's a particular bathroom near main reception that - surprisingly - is seldom used and is perfect for getting away from the desk to think about why my fact load keeps failing or to think about a SQL 2008 R2 upgrade (or lots of other stuff). However, it's pretty sad when I have to "hide" in the bathroom to get some quality thinking time. Unfortunately, when I try to "think" at my desk I invariably get asked one/all of these questions:

    1) Are you asleep?

    2) What are you working on?

    3) You don't look too busy, can you help me with something?

    ARRGGGH!!! 🙂

    Ok, now you've reminded me of the "epiphany toilet" episode from Scrubs.

  • James Stover (7/26/2010)


    OK, this is going to come across really crude but....surely some of the best "thinking time" has to be sitting on the toilet. When else do you get 20 minutes of uninterrupted time to yourself (...I like to take it slowly)? Nobody is going to bother you while you are taking care of your business! There's a particular bathroom near main reception that - surprisingly - is seldom used and is perfect for getting away from the desk to think about why my fact load keeps failing or to think about a SQL 2008 R2 upgrade (or lots of other stuff). However, it's pretty sad when I have to "hide" in the bathroom to get some quality thinking time. Unfortunately, when I try to "think" at my desk I invariably get asked one/all of these questions:

    1) Are you asleep?

    2) What are you working on?

    3) You don't look too busy, can you help me with something?

    ARRGGGH!!! 🙂

    If I put on my desk telephone headset, people assume I am on a "really important call" and leave me alone. They don't even notice that my phone is on-hook.

    If you work in a big office, you can take a long stoll around the office and people will just assume you are on the way to a meeting, to see someone, headed to the rest room, etc.

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