There’s a ritual Bill Gates repeats every year. He takes a week off and gives himself space to think by going to a cabin in the woods. He calls this “Think Week”, a physical and mental retreat without distractions. I know people reading this aren’t billionaires running multinational companies. That said, how can you create a retreat to reset your focus and boost your productivity?
A Think Week has several characteristics. First, it involves a long period where you disconnect from distractions. Although this means something different for everyone, it probably involves staying away from social media, news sites, email, and the internet. What it does allow you to do though is engage in activities like reading, thinking, and planning. While Bill Gates retreated to a cabin in the woods to reflect on the future of Microsoft, you don’t have to own one of the largest companies in the world to see the benefits of having unstructured time to think. Also, instead of thinking about work-related things, you can use your think week to reflect on your personal goals.
There are numerous benefits to having your Think Week. The best ones include clarity of thinking and giving yourself time to read. We’re surrounded by noise and distractions and this makes it particularly difficult to think clearly, something we could all benefit from. Also, when was the last time you lost yourself in a book? There are too many distractions pulling our attention in different directions. As a consequence, some of the activities we sacrifice are the most important ones, like reading or writing.
Now that you know the benefits of holding an annual Think Week, how could you design one? Well, first I’d suggest that you choose an off-the-grid location where you’re undisturbed and surrounded by nature. Also, you should choose a specific topic you’re going to explore while you’re on that retreat. It could be related to personal goals or you could use that time to write. Ditching technology is probably one of the most important steps because it distracts you. Replace screens with books and notepads.
Unless your goals align with someone else’s and you’re planning to think about the same things, do this alone. To get the most benefits out of the experience, you should go on your own. This is probably the scariest part of the entire experience, but solitude is important to think deeply about things. If you’re anxious about going to the middle of nowhere by yourself, remember that this is a momentary experience.
Having a solo retreat is a scary proposition, but since the idea is to read and write, you won’t be alone. You’ll be with some of the greatest thinkers of our time. A Think Week gives you the time to think about important aspects of your work or life for a long period without distractions. Although it’s right there in its name, it doesn’t even have to be a week and you don’t have to rent an expensive cabin in a reclusive area to get the most out of this experience. The important part is that you give yourself some time and space and that you make it a habit.
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