How To Think Clearly? Thinkitation is the Answer.

You’ve heard about Meditation, but what is thinkitation? The first time I heard about thinkitation was the beginning of this year when Vishen Lakhiani, Founder of Mindvalley, wrote about it in his book called, “The Code of The Extraordinary Mind”. I didn’t know there was a name for it but I realized that I ‘thinkitate’ and I’ve found it to be the answer to being able to think clearly.

What is thinkitating? Thinkitating is when you actively try to solve problems and think of new ideas while your brain is relaxed but full of energy.

Thinkitating is best done straight after your meditation so that you can take advantage of the fact that your brain is already in an alpha-state. This is considered to be the brain’s optimal state for creativity. It is impossible to be creative when you are stressed, busy, distracted or in a rush, which is why it is most effective to thinkitate after you meditate. 

Have you ever wondered why your best ideas seem to come to you while you are in the shower? This is because you are finally relaxed and calm. In fact, showering has actually been called ‘accidental meditation’. Now that you’re in the shower, your brain finally has a moment to think for itself instead of consume information as it has been doing the whole day.

In order to get results and find solutions while thinkitating, you need to give your brain the resources to come up with new ideas. The best way to do this is by reading. Read anything and everything! I agree with Naval Ramikant when he says he doesn’t see buying books as an expense, but rather as an investment in oneself. 

We are so quick to search for answers on the internet, however, the best solutions are the ones you discover for yourself as they are precisely relevant to your situation. You don’t need to Google everything and you will be amazed at the ideas and answers that will come to you when your eyes are closed. 

As a mother of two young children (both under 4 years old) I struggle to squeeze in an hour of meditating, let alone thinkitating after that. When my first child was born, I made peace with having less time for me as this is just the’season of life’ I’m currently in. There is hardly enough time to do it all, so I get around this dilemma by habit-stacking. I put my wireless headphones in my ears and listen to an audio meditation while I get ready for bed. I literally have my headphones in while I am in the shower (I have my headband covering my ears so they don’t get wet). The audio meditations I listen to are called ‘Innercises’ which I have been doing almost every day for over 5 months. 

Innercising has become one of the most important parts of my day. I have experienced hugely positive results in terms of my mindset, overcoming self-doubt and completely changing my financial and lifestyle goals that I have never been more committed to. If you would like some more information on the Neurogym Innercises that I do, you can follow this link. 

After I have completed my evening Innercise, I lie down in bed and thinkitate. Either I will come up with amazing ideas or I will fall into a deep sleep – it’s a win either way. Thinkitating before sleeping won’t work for everyone though, as some people struggle to switch off their thoughts. Personally, I prefer to think at nighttime when I know everyone is asleep. This is the time of day when I am most guaranteed to not have any distractions, which is why it works for me but it may not work for others. 

Let’s take thinkitating to another level. Bill Gates started “Think week” twice per year which is when he retreats to a cabin in the woods to think, read and take notes all day. Gates does not invite anyone to his cabin and he even gets food delivered twice per week so he doesn’t need to plan what or where to eat. It is clear to see that there is no such thing as decision-fatigue during “Think Week” and most of Bill Gates’ energy is solely used to think. Gates credits “Think Week” for his greatest innovations and successes at Microsoft.

You don’t need to retreat to a cabin in the woods like Gates, but it is helpful to create an environment that encourages your ability to focus, get creative and think of new ideas without any distractions. 

Setting aside time to think will save you time. My best ideas have come to me while actively thinkitating even though I had been ‘thinking’ about the problem for weeks beforehand.

I find it interesting to see how much effort it actually takes to think creatively and effectively in such a distracted world.

To sum up:

1. Thinkitate after you meditate
2. Give your brain the resources to come up with new solutions during a thinkitation E.g. Read
3. Figure out how you can fit in meditation and thinkitation into your daily routine
4. Create an environment that encourages your ability to focus
5. Thinkitating will ultimately save you time 

If you feel like you hardly have any time to meditate, I will leave you with this Zen Proverb that goes something like this: If you don’t have time to meditate for one hour everyday, then you should meditate for two hours.”

Give thinkitating a try and drop me a comment below!

^{*I may earn a small commission through links on this page, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend programs that I use and love myself.}