All of us get stuck in life.
Writing a book, growing a business, investing, weight loss, you name it. It’s easy to eventually get stuck in any personal or business goal you have.
One of the most overlooked areas that will facilitate growth is “thinking time”. There needs to be time to think outside of the daily tasks of your business and to instead think about what it means to grow your business and why certain aspects may not be working.
Read on to learn more about maximizing your thinking time.
Just Think About It
People make mistakes and face obstacles. Great business owners ask “what could I have done differently?” and are able to learn from difficult times in their business, which makes them more prepared in the future.
But many times, we can avoid the depth of pain from business difficulties by just spending more time really thinking about the challenges, obstacles, difficulties, and marketplace in the moment. In reflection, our vision is always 20/20, and better choices are obvious. However, with a bit more thought we can make better decisions now.
To be effective, thinking time must be done regularly. While there is a place in the world of business for collaboration, thinking time is a solitary activity. Put away your materials, phone, and social media so you can just think. It doesn’t need to be excessively long, a few 45 minute to one-hour thinking sessions a week is really all you need to create a lot of progress in your life and business.
5 Steps to Craft Your Thinking Time
Find the Unasked Question
Oftentimes, it is not the solution that is as important as making sure you are asking the right questions in your life and in your business.
You need to re-frame questions in a way that you can come up with a solution that is viable.
Instead of asking “Why is my book not selling?” ask, “how might I sell more copies of my book so that I can achieve greater client attraction?”
Separate the Problem from the Symptom
People often think about the symptom of the problem they are actually facing. Your book not selling, Facebook ads not working, your business not growing, those are all symptoms of a larger issue. Take a step back and dive down to discover the problem that is actually causing the symptom.
Check Assumptions
We tend to make assumptions that only hurt us in the end. For example, if your book is not selling you may assume that Amazon or your publisher isn’t promoting it. That relies on the assumption that it is their role to do all this. See the bigger picture and take full responsibility for the problem you face so you can come to the right answer for it.
Consider Second-Order Consequences
If you do discover a solution to the problem, you must carefully analyze it. Is there a downside to the solution you’ve come up with? If the solution requires an ongoing cost, you must decide if you can live with the additional cost and if the upside of the solution is worth it.
Create the Machine
Once you have come to a solution, you must create a machine that will continue the solution. It is not just about solving the problem once, it about solving it on an ongoing basis. You must do something different so the result you are looking for is constantly happening.
Thinking time is a great way to tackle big problems and keep you on track for any future ahead. Start asking some questions for yourself and your business. If your book is not driving new clients, or new opportunities you must ask yourself some hard questions. Your book is the greatest asset for your business, and when used right it will help you gain clients. Best Seller Publishing is here to help. To get help publishing, promoting, and profiting from your book, contact us at (626) 765-9750 or info@bestsellerpublishing.org.
