Big Chunks of Time for Thinking
Photo by Johan Rd
I came across an article on the New York Times called "More Reflection, Less Action" that talks about how people need time to reflect [which I've been practicing by adding slack time to my days]. There were a couple of quotes that I wanted to share:
...we too often view the opposite of “doing” as “not doing,” and then demonize inaction. In fact, good judgment grows out of reflection, and reflection requires the sort of quiet time that gets crowded out by the next demand.
When you're used to being busy all the time, it is difficult to adjust to being still--to "not doing." It feels like the your brain just got off of a moving sidewalk. As you adjust, you find that your brain starts thinking of new ideas and connecting pieces you hadn't connected before. You think bigger and freer. You reflect.
The article also mentions how Google has made iterating part of its culture: "Rethinking, reconsidering, and even reimagining are built into the process." I work with teams that push back on rework because to them it signifies double work. But what if we viewed that "extra" work as opening the door to possibility? Now that we've seen the product, let's reimagine it and try it another way. What would that mean for customers? For our organization? Yes, it may mean more designing, more programming, and more testing, but if we stop and reflect on what we're being asked to do, what would we think?
