When you fly the world, a lot, you get comfortable sitting for a long while. On long haul trips to Europe, Asia and the Far East I used to read a lot, think, and do my best work. I must have read 20 books in one year at my peak of traveling across the globe.
On helicopters to platforms offshore, I'd read, sleep or sometimes strategize my exit plans should the plane go down. (You can't blame a safety gal. I always got the middle seat next to big old nice bubbas from Cajun towns and worried how I might fit out the window. Trust me, it doesn't hurt to have a plan to jettison!)
We don't think a lot these days. We are either distracted with 283918293 other things going on or we just take action without careful thought. I have a bias for action, myself. I've had to learn over the years to slow down, think through things and then carve a strategy out to execute. Thinking before responding is a great way to install calm.
I remember it vividly. It's the longest I'd ever been on a plane (on the tarmac!). We were grounded for safety reasons. So much for taking the new "Dreamliner". We had to turn off our personal devices, couldn't watch televisions, and just had to sit and "be".
The crew came through the beverage cart, food, and desserts (over and over), as they do on business international flights. After a few glasses of wine, I decided to play with my napkins. Playing became doodling and the doodling became a plan. Twenty hours I had three napkins and a business plan that forever changed the course of my career.
And this business plan on a few napkins called Pink Petro, will soon become a reality.
Where do you get your best thinking? What do you to do get your mind in a mode where you can soak up the data before responding? Are you doing enough thinking? I'd love to hear where you get your richest thoughts.
