84: Permission to Just THINK

It's a trap that so many creative entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, including myself, fall into over and over and over again.

I'm Bonnie Christine and this is where all things creativity, design, business and marketing unite. I'm a mama living in a tiny town tucked right inside the Smoky Mountains, running a multi seven figure business, doing the most creative and impactful work of my life. But when I first set out to become an entrepreneur, I was struggling to make ends meet and wrestling with how to accomplish my biggest dream of becoming a fabric designer. Fast forward to today. I'm not only licensing my artwork all over the world, but also teaching others how to design their creative life and experience the same success. This I'm here to help you spend your life doing something that lights you up. I'll help you build a creative business that also creates an impact, changes people's lives, gives you all of the freedom

you want, and is wildly profitable.

Welcome to the Professional Creative Podcast.

Today we're diving into a topic that, that, believe it or not, may just be the key to unlocking your next big breakthrough, but it's also something that I've struggled with for so long and it's just giving yourself permission to think. Time to do nothing but think. So I'm excited to dive into this, tell you why I struggled with it, how I overcame that, and what it's unlocked for me as well. Because how many of you have found yourselves just overwhelmed by the daily grind of your business? We're constantly doing, reacting, firefighting, without a moment to really step back and just think, pause and reflect on what we're doing. It's a trap that so many creative entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, including myself, fall into over and over and over again. But what if I told you that the real magic happens not when you're deep in the weeds, but when you're. When you're high above looking down at the bigger picture. That stepping back and allocating time to just think is honestly some of the most productive work that you can do for your business. It wasn't that long ago where my days were filled with endless tasks. I was moving from this to that. Answering questions, responding to emails, and getting an order out the door, and also trying to be strategic. And I just felt. Felt like I was constantly in motion. But all the while, my business seemed, you know, somewhat stuck. Or at least like we were never innovating. We were just doing the same thing over and over again. And so I decided to start doing something that felt radical. I decided to start taking time off to do nothing but think. This means removing distractions and really just using my mind. Our most powerful, you know, asset is right within us all the time. And so this looks different for me depending on where I'm at. Sometimes I'll go to a hammock and leave everything else behind. Sometimes I'll go for a walk, and sometimes I'll actually schedule time to think. So we'll get into more of that. It's just important to have no agenda, no to do list, just you and your thoughts. And in that quiet reflection time to think. You'll find clarity and direction and oftentimes inspiration for your next project or your next big idea. Now, I've done it so much that honestly, I'm addicted. If I don't have time scheduled to do nothing but think on a weekly basis, then I feel like, you know, I'm not. I don't have a clear vision of where we're going, and I can't lead in the way that I want to my business or my team or my students and customers. In fact, this is just me. I think there are two different types of people. But you won't find me even listening to music because my thoughts are endless entertainment. I'm either learning or I'm thinking. Now the problem with this is that for a long time, I felt really guilty. You know, I think oftentimes we think when we're done, we with everything that we need to do, then we'll think. But you know, as a creative entrepreneur, you're never done. The list just continues to get longer and longer and longer. And so this is has to take priority and be scheduled into your day, be scheduled into your week. And we also need to remove the guilt around it. I think there's some guilt associated with it because, you know, from the outside looking in, it doesn't look productive.

But.

But let me tell you, it's some of the most productive work that you can actually do.

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Let's talk about how to just make space for thinking in your very busy schedule. It's so important to have unstructured time. It's in these moments that are free from the rigid structure or the agenda or the to do list where you'll get so many of your ideas and all of your clarity. So you have to first of all find your thinking space. Now, I do two different kinds of thinking. I do thinking on the go or thinking in the margins. And then I also do like a very structured thinking that I'll schedule on my calendar and I'll talk to you about both of them. So when I'm thinking in the margins, this could be somewhere quiet on the go. It could be a car ride, it could be a trip on an airplane ride, it could be in a hammock or on a walk. It could be even when I'm just taking a shower, like getting lost in a and my thoughts. But I do think that it's important to change your environment just so that you're away from the grind. You know, you're away from your regular to dos and that helps shift your perspective. So you can do it anywhere. At home, in the studio, even waiting at the doctor's office. You know, I found myself being bored before and I'm like, how could I be bored? I'm here, sitting here with my brain. Like, I can be really strategic about what I'm thinking about. So one of my favorites is a walk. Something about a walk just does wonders when you're out by yourself. It's like the rhythm of your steps, the change in pace, the fresh air, you know, the, the nature around you really just helps organize your thoughts. And you're also multitasking because you're doing something productive with your body. Then I also really love to schedule thinking time. I call these super thinking sessions and While it might sound a little counterintuitive, I actually have to put it on my calendar and block the time off. And so these are more strategic when I know that I have something specific that I need to plan out. Let's say it's, you know, a new position that I need to figure out on the team, or it's a new fabric collection that I need to sit down and really plan out and get my thoughts together.

Together.

Or maybe it's a book that I want to write and I want to work on the table of contents, or maybe it's something like a new class outline that I need to work through. And so these are blocks of time where I dedicate to doing nothing but just think. So I'll very specifically remove all technology. I oftentimes sit in a place that's not my typical. So I'm not at my typical desk. I'm not anywhere near technology, and I get to sit down maybe in a cozy spot with nothing but paper and pen or pencil and my thoughts. And this is where some of my best work that I've ever put out into the world has been born. And so it also doesn't happen by chance. Like, this doesn't just happen to happen. So you have to block out periods, you have to put them on your calendar. You have to be very intentional about it, and then you'll be able to build it into your schedule and give yourself permission to do nothing but think. If you're like me and very committed or, you know, maybe addicted to feeling productive, I want you to recognize that the thinking is work. It's part of the process. It's incredibly productive. And your business and your creativity will throw thrive because of it. Now, some of you might be wondering, like, well, what if I don't know what to think about? And really, the beauty of these thinking sessions is that they don't have to have a specific agenda or goal. It will come to you very naturally. And even if it doesn't, you'll. You've still given yourself permission. You know, something that I do sometimes is I ask for an idea. I'll pray and ask for for an idea. I'll just be very open to receiving an idea and promise that I will steward it well. And so oftentimes that just kind of opens me up to thinking and having a really good thinking session as well. So just remember, there's no pressure. It's just space. Space to think and let your mind breathe. And that will allow you to just wander and be curious and have ideas. You'll also find that you have natural sparks. It's these agenda less moments that our most profound ideas and realizations will come to us. And when our mind isn't being pushed or directed, it has the freedom to make unique connections that just wouldn't happen otherwise. It's also really nice to just set the reset button. Even if you don't land on a groundbreaking idea, you've given your brain just a much needed pause. Again, time to breathe and think of it as hitting the reset button. Especially if you're in the middle of a hectic day. This alone can rejuvenate your creativity and your energy. You might be thinking that this just sounds like daydreaming and can you really afford to just take some time off to think? And I want you to realize that this mindset that we always have to be doing is not true. Even though I think thinking is doing, I can assure you that true innovation comes when we allow ourselves to step back, rejuvenate, rest, reflect and think. So I hope that you've gotten permission to just think today. We've explored the power of giving yourself this permission and we've talked about the challenges of feeling maybe trapped in the day to day, the opportunity that comes when you elevate your perspective and how you can integrate thinking time into your routine. Also, why you don't need to have a plan of action going in and how necessary it is to just have time to think. So my challenge for you this week is to schedule. Let's start with 15 minutes of pure, unstructured thinking time. And if you've got it, an hour is even better. Especially if you know that you've got an idea that you just need to flesh out. You just need to nurture and give that thinking time too. So find your space, whether it's a walk or a hammock or a quiet corner and let your mind wander. Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Professional Creative. Remember, thinking isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. So my friends, create the beauty that you want to see come alive in the world. And remember, there's room for you. See you next time.