I get a lot of enjoyment out of thinking and I encourage my kids to think, create, problem solve, and search for clarity on whatever they are doing.
I love to watch a lightbulb come on so sometimes I will bring in an opposing view just to get their wheels turning. I always smile when I get an “Ahhhhhhh!” from someone.
Thinking is fun in my house.
Occasionally the kids try to outsmart each other. They bring riddles home from school or that they’ve read online and it becomes a game of “gotcha”. Except the gotchas are getting fewer and further between.
I don’t allow them to be condescending, but it’s fun to watch them try to outsmart each other. My daughter is 4 years younger than my son and she is constantly striving to keep up, (she has been doing that since the moment she arrived).
I’m quite amazed how these games have sharpened up their ability to think outside the box. Neither of them usually answer the riddles in the most obvious way.
What can you use to make a box lighter? A) a Torch B) a hole C) a Rock D) a marker
The answer is A. I would have said B, and I had to have them explain to me that the torch is a light and it would make the box “lighter”.
They each have their own areas where they really love to dig into their genius. My daughter has very high expectations of herself in school and uses her grades as a measurement. She is constantly striving for 100% on her tests and assignments.
My son could care less about his grades in school, but if there is a problem to be solved his genius comes out shining. He loves to make something that solves a problem and if there is a project in school that needs to be built, his group members rarely get to participate.
They both have learned how they think best and they leverage that.
I have been watching and listening to others, and there are certain times and places where we do our best thinking. Knowing yours is important so you can leverage it.
Sarah Blakey the founder of the million dollar company Spanx, does her best thinking when she drives. Since she lives close to where she works she leaves the house extra early to get driving and thinking time in before she goes into the office.
Reid Hoffman, the founder of Linked In, thinks best in a busy environment so he will go to a busy coffee shop where there is lots of noise and action in order to think.
My dad gets up in the middle of the night to do his thinking.
Pay attention to where thinking comes easiest to you, where you gain the most clarity or receive the best inspiration.
The office I work in is dark without windows, and I am well aware that it is not conducive for me to think in. My best thinking comes from driving, and I have plenty of moments of inspiration in the shower.
My kids know when to shut it off. They don’t think so long that they fry their brains. This is a skill I need to learn. Too much thinking can really zap me. The brain takes a lot of energy.
They will both just get up and walk away when they are done thinking.
I think that’s important, and I’m going to start working on when to stop thinking next.