The View from Harvard Business

Readers Find Time for Creative Sabbaticals

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Personal Effectiveness

I recently posted on the subject of creative sabbaticals and moaned about how difficult it is for people other than Bill Gates to find time to get away and think about the work they are doing, or want to be doing. I also asked readers what they do for reflection, and the responses ranged from annual personal getaways to making better use of commute time. Victor, for example, finds a little quiet time useful as he drives to work.

"I have almost completely stopped listening to audio books, lectures and the radio during my one day a week two hour commute. Gives me a lot of time to think, to enjoy to sights, sounds and smells, and to just be."

But others of you schedule personal retreats or take regular time outs.

"I book time during my New Year break and set aside a few hours with my calendar. As I review my calendar (which was paper-based back then and is electronic now) I type out a running commentary of what I remember. I write this fairly free-flowing (no judgments) and talk about what I recall and what I feel or think about what I recall. Seen from the perspective of the present, the past year's events take on new meaning." --malleck

Mauramater often does her best thinking while exercising.

"I find that while walking on the treadmill, i can break through whatever creative blocks are in my head, or clean up the 'mental mess' in there, and all of the sudden, solutions emerge. Another thing i have started doing, is refraining from checking my email or phone messages for a half hour after the gym. rather than jumping right back into the fray, I enjoy the relaxation, and allow my brain to wander, dreaming about the big picture for my company or whatever creative problem (i'm a designer) is in front of me."

Some other comments:

"I have always worked retreats and dedicated quiet time into my life (while in a demanding job and a demanding volunteer leadership position and raising a family). There are trade-offs, but the sanity and centeredness that come from taking a time out benefit every aspect of my life. I'm glad Bill Gates' example is drawing attention to this valuable non-activity! People make time for things that matter." --aliaskate
"I've started a work "book club" which I request employees to read a few selected works and schedule a time, uninterrupted to really focus on some of the challenges we are facing as a group. They understand its an opportunity to talk about frustrations and things "not quite right." They know that "no executive decisions come from the book club." These opportunities are times where I see the most innovation from my staff, and where I can challenge them to take personal interest in making a difference." --pwizzy

But the most innovative suggestion came from jsacco, whose ritual involves a spreadsheet, a local diner and his wife.

"Once every six months, I schedule time for business planning and problem-solving and attack the problem on a vacation day. Usually, I can solve my issues in just a couple of hours. I wake at the same time as a work day, go through the usual routines and head off to a coffee shop instead of the office. In this environment I still get the morning hustle and bustle of the office, so it puts me in the right frame of mind. I have a defined list of long-term and short-term items to tackle that morning and I'm methodical at listing all possible solutions. I list them on a spreadsheet that I've templated for just such a task. Then, I take them home and discuss them with my wife -- she always has great perspective from her former high-pressure career! By noon I'm done and able to enjoy the rest of that vacation day unencumbered by lingering "problems" from the office." --jsacco

Just goes to show that if you apply the same creativity and innovation you use use at work, you can find the time you need to reflect, problem solve and, yes, relax.

posted by Sean Silverthorne
October 28, 2009 @ 9:57 am

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