Bill Gates was recently interviewed by Forbes Magazine. 

Forbes posed this question for Mr. Gates:

“Bill, you are known for clearing time on your calendar for “Think Weeks,” where you hole up in a cabin, read books, and ponder the world. Why is this so essential?”

Bill’s Answer

Bill’s answer should be a beacon for every one of us:

Adult life is so easy to fill up with activities. 

The ability to step back and read deeply or think deeply or write up thoughts is largely missing.

And so I work hard on my schedule to make sure I’m not filling it up with too many things. It’s been a little bit easier with no travel this year.

So I think of myself as a student where I need almost like a reading period to consolidate my knowledge.

It was particularly challenging when I was CEO of Microsoft. Eventually, I got to two weeks a year that I was setting aside.

Since I retired from Microsoft in 2008, I don’t have to do it necessarily as one block, a week at a time, but I do set aside lots of days, and then I say, “Did I write the memo that I intended to write?”

The act of writing when you try to explain to someone else–is where you really are forced to think things through and not be sloppy in your thinking.” 

Mr. Gates answer fits his unique circumstance as well as what best supports him. 

The Major Takeaways For Me are:

1. Be careful with your calendar.
2. Set aside time to think.
3. Do it regularly.
4. Think on paper.

Now… Go THINK! 

You will thank me later.

Keith Cunningham