Anya Toomre 2020-09-24 paper circles.jpeg

I’ve been thinking about time recently: deep thinking time and creating time.

In our busy, busy productivity society, there seems to be a a bias towards getting things done and marking things off of check lists. It seems sometimes the only way we can prove that we have been productive, is by listing off all the things we’ve gotten done in that day, week, month or year.

There’s a lot to be said for to-do lists and getting things done. Things get done. I like that. That’s positive! But all the to-do’s can become a lot of chattering noise which is distracting and makes it hard to focus. I’m finding that having periods of time without a predetermined goal and without interruptions is what I am looking for and wanting. I want the calm and the peace to let my mind drift where it wants to and make the connections between ideas that it does. It’s in these periods when I have a-ha moments, figure out a next part of my life puzzle, or just enjoy the freedom from to-do’s.

I find that the busy-ness of to-do lists also inhibits creative play and exploration. Trying something new requires a certain amount of psychic energy. Things take longer because it’s new and I’m not sure what I’m doing. It’s hard to get fully engaged if there’s only a fifteen minute window or an hour before the next meeting. If I’m doing something I’m familiar with, I can squeeze it it. If it’s new, I won’t try it then.

Ironically, sometimes it’s important to plan to have no plan and put that down on my list or calendar to allow time for deeper thinking and creative play.

How do you create best?