5 reasons for adding a daily “think time” to your life …

Having always been a very busy person, one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself was years ago adding a “think time” into my life as a daily personal discipline.

And one of the best things I’ve done for my clients over the years is recommending they make the same add to their lives.

That’s because whether we are living life casually and carefree, or are among the hordes of busy people, most of us are grossly lacking in making time each day just to think.

And having time just for thinking may be far more important than you ever thought! Pastor and author, Wayne Cordeiro, noted in his book, “Attitudes That Attract Success,” the following:

“Deliberate thinking is for doing better than just coping. Everyone can run, but an athlete runs deliberately and is trained for that purpose.”

Let me clarify a few things about designating time in your daily life for thinking …

Adding a “think time” is not a daily devotional time or prayer time. This is time just to think. That doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes refer to scripture or include prayer in my think time. As I’m thinking, I may want to consult the scripture to see what God thinks about what I’m thinking about, or I may want to include God into my thinking by conversing with Him about my thoughts. But my devotional and/or Bible study and prayer time is separate and distinct from my think time.

We NEED time to think because no one, including God, is going to think for us! God created us with marvelous minds that He wants us to use and engage in the daily living of the life He’s leading us in. Let me give you just five good reasons why it would be beneficial for you to add “think time” as a daily discipline in your life:

1. Greater personal awareness. Most of us are woefully lacking in self-awareness, and even more so in other-awareness. We often don’t know what we’re thinking because we don’t make time to think! Most of us are hurling ourselves through life with the majority of our thoughts happening at a semi- or unconscious level. We don’t take time to think about the people, relationships, issues, challenges, and opportunities in our life, we just wait until we have to face them, and often reply, “I haven’t really thought about this …” You’ll understand yourself, others, and the world around you better by making time each day to think.

2. More rational thinking. The more unconscious our thoughts, the more irrational they are. But by making time to “think on purpose,” we develop a greater habit for more rational thinking.

3. Better understanding. When we wait until we land in a set of circumstances and are needing to act to first try to sort our thoughts, we’ll respond with a lack of understanding. But when we develop a daily habit of thinking, we’re building our understanding of the people and world around us.

4. Enhanced decision-making. Most of us make decisions “on the fly” or “on the run” because we haven’t given much previous thought and consideration before having to make decisions. But, by having routinely given rational thought to the relationships, issues, ideas, and challenges we face, we can make much better (and wiser) decisions.

5. A more steadfast discipleship. Taking time to think includes thinking about God, our devotion to Him, and what we really believe. As we think about what we believe, we make internal decisions that are then made and in place for those times when our faith is tested or tried. In those moments, we won’t falter because we have already thought through and decided what is important to us and what we really believe; we’re then equipped to act and be steadfast in our faith rather than wonder because we haven’t thought about what the Bible teaches us and what God desires of us.

In adding a daily “think time” to your life as a personal discipline, keep it simple. This doesn’t call for a specific place or a certain practice. You just want some time where you won’t be interrupted. I often make my think time “coffee and think time” where I enjoy a cup of coffee while taking time to think. I usually will have paper and pen, or my smartphone (or both) with me to take note of any thoughts I don’t want to forget, or want to follow-through on.

The one consistent objection I get about the recommendation for adding daily think time to your life is people saying, “I’m too busy! I just don’t have time for this!” In that case you’re too busy, and likely doing harm (to some degree) to your life because you’re not thinking thoroughly and in an unpolluted (unhurried) manner. Believe me, the quality of “thinking on the run” is not nearly as great as making time each day to think. This daily discipline doesn’t take a lot of time, you would be surprised at what 15 minutes of uninterrupted time each day just for thinking could do for the quality of your life.

Try it, it may be easier and more beneficial … than you think!

Scotty