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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Making Time To Think Intentionally
Do people do this? Yes, but there’s an outcome that’s typically unexpected.
OMGosh, do I have to schedule something else in my life? That depends. Do you want to succeed or get by with the spur-of-the-moment solution?
My wife believes that I plan everything. She once referred to me, with her friends, as Mr. Cross-filed and indexed. Her proof was that we had our six children as I planned—boy, girl, boy, boy, boy, girl.
My dad died while I was in Air Force technical school learning to program an IBM 360. I was devastated; he was only 42. Well-intended family members all pointed out that I was just like my dad. So they said, “Be careful you don’t die at an early age.”
On my way back to the training camp, I realized I didn’t have a plan. Without a better plan (I reasoned), I could die at 42, just like my dad.
I spent my travel time planning for the rest of the year (April — December). Then, I took off between Christmas and New Year the following year and used that week to think through my plan for the next year. Over time, business friends, colleagues, family, and even the clergy understood how important that time was for me.
