Time to recharge or reflect!

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You may be looking at the image for this post and think what does this have to do with the title.  Well, it’s 20 to 30 years worth of stories, but I will save that for later.

My wife made this quilt for me out of old motorcycle t-shirts, from a fraction of the ones I have, from places I rode through or traveled.  As she was making it, she would ask me about certain ones and the travels I made.  However, the biggest question she asked me was, “Wasn’t it lonely riding by yourself?”  I took a minute to think about the time I spent riding alone and then the answer was simple, “I was alone with my own thoughts, not lonely”.

There were times I would be riding and come up on another rider.  We would exchange nods and ride along together, but even then I was alone with my thoughts. There were several self-awareness discoveries I made over the years,  as I look back, that had a major influence in my personal and professional growth.

  1. Reset my brain.  Spending time alone allowed me to clear the cobwebs and really start thinking about things from a new perspective with clarity and focus.
  2. Problem solving with some deep reflection.  Yeah, I had some great successes, but I also had some mistakes.  This time gave me the opportunity to think about what I could have done differently and the actions I could take to make sure I didn’t make the same mistake again.
  3. Creativity came effortlessly.  Without the distractions of emails and phone calls, just a small amount of time made a difference in how I thought about upcoming opportunities.
  4. Re-energize yourself.  Sometimes I would come back physically tired, but mentally re-vitalized.  Productivity increased by taking the time to rejuvenate the mind.
  5. Those Ah-Ha moments.  Yeah, they really happen.  That problem or concept that I just couldn’t seem to find a solution for suddenly comes to clarity and I couldn’t get back fast enough for me.

I don’t ride motorcycles anymore, but I still take those moments of alone time. Whether it is at lunch or on the drive to and from the office, that alone time is valuable for the mind and soul. Remember to pause.