LTM - 15. Turn Off the Noise and Think

15. Turn Off the Noise and Think

In today’s fast-paced electronic world, the need for quiet time has never

been more crucial. The number of interruptions and the resulting stress

coming from texts, calls, emails, and social sites has increased. And, of

course, we have an endless supply of addictive options at our fingertips

to fill our heads with chatter.

If you want to advance your life forward, it’s absolutely critical that you

block out time to turn off the noise so you can think and process

information in silence.

If you want to make sensible life-planning decisions—the kind of

decisions that allow you to move ahead in life—you need quiet time to

think and process everything going on in your life.

Perhaps it’s your desire to build a stronger relationship with your spouse,

significant other, or a friend; or that you want to be a more

understanding parent. I assume you want to enjoy a successful career

and that you want to make enough money to stay out of debt and enjoy

the good things life has to offer.

If these things are important, then ask yourself: How much time have I

spent in the last month quietly thinking about these issues? How can you

say something is important, yet not allocate quality time without

interruptions to think about it and make thoughtful decisions as to how

you can improve that area of your life?

If achieving your goals is really important, then you must make it a

priority to block out time and turn off the noise so you can sort out

what’s going on in your life and make good, course-correcting decisions.

Let me offer a few suggestions:

1. Start your mornings by sitting in silence. Rather than watching

the news, reading the morning paper, or turning on your

computer, find a quiet place to sit and contemplate the issues

you’re facing.

2. While driving alone, turn off the music and talk shows. Turn

your car into a think tank where you process life and make good

decisions.

3. Go for a daily walk and leave the music at home. Almost all of

my major decisions are made on long walks. Before going on a

walk, select a topic you want to think about, and then consider

these three questions:

 What’s going on? Think about the subject you have selected.

 What are my options? Consider all available options for

dealing with the situation.

 What’s my plan? Make a decision on what you will do and

when.

4. Block out a period of time and go to a quiet place. Turn off

your phone and thoughtfully review what’s going on. Consider

all the options available for how you should handle the situation

on your mind.

5. If you have a major decision to make, block out a day. Get

away from your home, and go where you can think in peace and

quiet. Consider all aspects of your decisions: pros, cons, risks,

rewards, options, and outcomes.

When you make it a priority to block out time in your busy schedule to

sit in silence and think about your life and where you are going, you will

immediately begin to see the benefit of quiet time.

LTM Challenge

Will you agree to test the principles and strategies outlined by finding 15

minutes today to sit in silence and think about an important decision you

need to make?

If you want to make life-guiding decisions that will help

you achieve the things that are truly important to you,

turn off the noise and think.