A Ferrari Is Good For This
A Ferrari isn't where I normally take time for deep thought. Usually I'm just enjoying the power and speed.
 
But today I decided to take the 458 Spider on a road trip to San Diego to visit my 97-year-old g
Tai Lopez Mar 09, 2015
But of course, I got caught in LA traffic. 

At first I felt the frustration rise. 
 
We humans like to accomplish stuff. No one likes waiting in traffic.
 
But then I realized that sitting in traffic is an opportunity for deeper thinking. 
 
One of the top businessmen in the world told me he likes to sit in one spot a few times a month and contemplate. 
 
One riddle. 
 
One puzzle. 
 
Some road block in his business that is hurting his profits...
 
I have adopted his strategy. 
 
I call it, "Deep, chess-like thinking."
 
So about every Saturday I take two to three hours to just sit and focus my thoughts on just ONE thing. 
 
Sometimes I do it while shooting basketball. 
 
Sometimes I do it on long walks
 
Today I did it on a long drive. 
 
For it to really work here are three practical tips:
 
1.  Don't do it at home: you need unfamiliar settings. Something about travel and change stimulates a different part of your brain. Routine can be good, but when it comes to problem-solving and creativity sometimes your daily routine gets in the way.
 
2. Focus on just one problem: there is an immense power in focus. Like Confucius says, "The man who chases two rabbits, catches neither."
 
3. Have a dedicated day to think: for me the week gets pretty hectic. So I have found Saturday afternoon to be the absolute best time for me. It's realistic. I can stick to it.
 
I was just reading "Focus" by Daniel Goleman for today's Book-Of-The-Day and he dissects focus into three parts - inner, other, and outer:
 
"Inner focus attunes us to our intuitions, guiding values, and better decisions. Other focus smooths our connections to the people in our lives. And outer focus lets us navigate in the larger world. A leader tuned out of his internal world will be rudderless; one blind to the world of others will be clueless; those indifferent to the larger systems within which they operate will be blindsided.”
 
So take a mini-vacation. Get some time away from home. 
 
Make it a routine. 
 
Do some deep, chess-like focused thinking.
 
Pick one problem to solve. 
 
Let me know how it goes. 
 
Whats the biggest problem in your life right now?

COMMENTS


1 Comments

551867
I couldn't help but notice the familiarity of this exercise to a more concentrated and consistent meditation technique called Vipassana. You made a comment in your previous video post on how you might need to look into meditation, and what better way then Vipassana. I was introduced to this by one of my mentors Dr. Satinder Dhiman, here in Burbank. I will be attending this 10-day retreat which essentially allows you to listen to your body and your mind and to take control of the most simplest of things: breathing. Anyways, to answer your question, what I need to work on is organizing and limiting the many different thoughts that come up in my mind. I think a nice long drive, allowing all these thoughts to flow and developing a technique to focus on one thought at a time is a great way to start for me. Be well!
551867   8 years ago
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