No-time: When less is more
Both Jobs and Einstein were busy, brilliant, and busy being brilliant. On the contrary, when you’re accomplishing as much as they squeezed into one lifetime, you also have to do as little as possible.
Every success blog, video, book, or self-help seminar encourages you to have a quality, consistent morning routine and/or way that you prepare for each day. This is wise and critical as one of many strategies to connect with your inner intelligent voice and deploy your creativity on planet earth. This routine is a time to stop and do less so that you can accomplish more.
The concept of “no-time,” the habit of historic contributors like Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein are the quiet times of isolation spent away from the din and the clatter of the world. In the space of “no-time” resides innovation, the ideas of the avant-garde, creativity, and scientific breakthroughs that can change your life; or everyone’s on the whole planet.
Steve Jobs was so good at this, he became what some called, a “famous bum.” According to Adam Grant, a Wharton professor, “The time Steve Jobs procrastinated and pondered the possibilities was time well spent letting more divergent ideas emerge,” In order to create great aim, you often need more aimless inactivity.
EQ; Building emotional muscle
Another vital role and goal of “no-time” is building your EQ; the art of knowing yourself and in relationship to others more. Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis are experts on Emotional Intelligence(EI). Ultimately, EI is enhanced self-awareness or the ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and utilize this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships. Where IQ is your information quotient, better EI gives you a stronger EQ – your emotional quotient. Reports have proven that it is the EQ and not IQ of leaders that is most responsible for individual and organizational performance.
No-time and mindfulness training
Most take some no-time to engage in some level of mindfulness training. A practice that I and many other leaders engage in as part of our no-time is what I call the spiritual triathlon as an option I believe in and enjoy.
A typical triathlon in sports is a race that involves swimming, bike riding, and running, at the same time. Winning a triathlon requires elite physical conditioning in all its three disciplines, which can only be attained through consistent and focused training.
In life, the most important win is a win in your relationship with God. It’s a race you just can’t allow yourself to lose. Like any relationship, it takes focused effort. That’s why Paul tells young Timothy, “Train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim. 4:7, NIV).
When it comes to knowing God, you want to train like a champion. You need to be training for a daily “spiritual triathlon.”
This triathlon consists of three disciplines:
- Bible time (reading the words of God from the Bible)
- Prayer time (speaking to God)
- Quiet time (listening to God)
This type of training takes stopping or to “be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10)
Modern society is a loud, concrete jungle. Whether you’re in the developed world or an emerging economy, chances are your world is filled with television, cell phones, and throngs of people bustling along paved roads and sidewalks in commercial and housing developments that used to be fields and forests. This “modern” and “advanced” living allows for no quiet, peaceful time to hear the universe speaking to you or even become fully aware of your own thoughts. This makes it very difficult to really hear, see, feel, discover, and innovate.
Why the morning?
Do it before your day and your mind along with everyone else’s starts racing on.
I know the excuse already, “I’m not a morning person.” The truth is, however, if you’re a “go-to-bed-on-time person,” 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. doesn’t come so early, especially if you go to bed at or before 10 p.m. I know you’re doing really important things at 10 o’clock at night—like watching Netflix.
I know the other excuse too: “I don’t have time for anything more.” One thing you’ll never hear anyone say is: “Boy, I wish I hadn’t spent all that time with God this morning. It really messed up my day.”
The next big step you take to change your life and making the world a better place may be just standing still.
Have fun saving the world!
Dr. Ben
