How to start, grow and manage a business by RedSapiens.
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Issue #20 Deep work and time off July 12, 2021
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Imagine Bill Gates in 1980. Microsoft was five years old, busy, on the precipice of amazing growth, and there was plenty to do.
So Gates decided to take a week off to go to his grandmother's house to think.
Of course.
This became a tradition that he carries out to this day: two weeks a year, one week at a time, he completely cuts himself off from the world to read and think.
Ideas such as Internet Explorer, enhancing windows security, and starting online video games came out of these "think weeks."
Without them, Microsoft likely would have stagnated.
And, while Gates has a very focused and regimented regime that he follows, some research suggests that boredom itself is good for creativity, productivity, and problem-solving.
As a business owner, your mind must at some point disconnect from the day-to-day.
It is the only way you can let the subconscious mind do the work it needs to do to develop new ideas and begin to see your business from an outside point of view.
At RedSapiens, we are shutting our business down for two weeks this summer to give everyone some time off. This also benefits clients since it is invariably when we are not trying to develop ideas that the best ones surface.
When you can pause, a "think week," or disconnect without thinking, you may find it is transformative.
Jeff
Bill Gates Rules for a "Think Week"
Here are some guidelines from Bill Gates on how to have a valuable "think week."
No computer, phone, or television.
Minimal time spent anything but reading.
No visitors.
An isolated cabin in the woods is an ideal setting (but you don't need an isolated cabin in the woods).
Really, the core idea is to reduce distractions and allow for a total focus on reading and recovering.
Scientific American on Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime
This is a great article, a bit on the long side, that summarizes research on how naps, meditation, and nature walks increase producitivity, replenish attention, solidify memories and encourage creativity.
They focus on high
performing athletes and artists, but the research is relevant for other disciplines (including business) as well.
And, of course, the Harvard Business Review has something to say on the topic as well. This article talks about time off especially as it relatest to COVID burnout. This has been an intense period and burnout can seriously impact your team's performance.
We believe that business is an infinite game and that we are better off sharing ideas. Invite your friends, colleagues, and neighbors - let's get smarter, more creative, and more successful together.
If you forward it to five people you will become a founders circle member, with your name listed on the page and an opportunity to share your content. We'll also come up with some other amazing stuff to give you...
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