When your plate is full by Barb Woods

 

You know the problem shouldn't be this difficult. You've tried several tactical methods to no avail. You're already spending twelve hours per day, plus weekend time, and requisitions for new people are frozen. You know that tactical solutions won't really solve the issues you face. So what do you do?

 

You could hire Crystal Clear to create that forced time-out to do strategic thinking. But you don't have budget for that. So now what?

 

It is time to Clarify your thinking! You will need to apply your own discipline to your thinking process and create the space and horsepower in you required to uncover this simple solution.

 

Imagine an iceberg, with the small part above the waterline being analogous to the conscious mind, while the vast portion below the waterline is like the Establish your inner consultantunconscious mind. Why not grab some of those brain cells below the water to do some of your work? Now that we have identified your internal consultant, let's get it working.

Do you ever wonder why some of your best ideas tend to come when you're relaxed—driving, showering, falling asleep, flying in an airplane? It's because all of the conscious "noise" is at bay, and your internal consultant can be heard. But how do you relax on demand in a hectic environment in order to find a solution for a problem that is haunting you?

 

start with a seed questionFirst, think of a seed question about your issue. For example, if too much fire-fighting is occurring, your question might be "How do we keep some of these fires from starting?" Or "What is the best solution to . . ."

 

Next, before you begin to write possible answers to your seed question, put your pen down and consciously relax. There are many methods, but one that is easy is to close your eyes and take a deep, easy breath. Put your attention on your feet. Mentally relax them. Then move your attention to your lower legs and tell them to relax, etc. Every now and then, again take a long, gentle breath and as you breathe out, mentally breathe out tension. (At a minimum, this relaxation can be a refresher in a hectic day.) To relax the whole body takes 3-5 minutes. If this is too long, just take a deep breath and let your mind daydream a bit.

 

Now bring your seed question back to mind. Don't start "thinking." Just remember the question, and notice any thoughts that come to you. With your eyes at "half mast," write these thoughts down. Close your eyes, breathe and continue to remember your seed question, noticing and recording any thoughts that come.

 

When no more thoughts come, put your notes away and continue with your day.

 

What happens next is astounding. Because the unconscious mind works 24/7, it goes to work on the thoughts you wrote down! And it does it behind the scenes Your unconscious mind works 24/7 without your awareness. The next time you have a Strategic Thinking session scheduled with yourself, you may not think you know any more than you did at the end of the last session. However, if you read your previous notes and then relax again, you will find much more information coming to you!

 

Relaxing the conscious mind and accessing the unconscious mind is going beyond normal intellectual abilities to access your own wisdom. You'll find that you know much more than you think you do.

 

Solving difficult problems or doing creative work in business with only the conscious mind is archaic, much like going back to the electric typewriter to get letters out! Experiment and see for yourself. If you try and fail, you have a couple of choices—you can console yourself that at least you're more relaxed, or you can call me at 414-852-2222 for a free consultation to fine tune your method!