Think Weeks Unlock Potential

We can all benefit from them

Imagine you are on a secluded beach. You are under an umbrella, someone is bringing you food and drinks regularly, you are reading the latest novel from your favorite fiction author, and there is not a thought in your mind. Now, imagine you are on a secluded beach, under an umbrella, someone is bringing you food and drinks regularly, but you are surrounded by non-fiction books, your Kindle, your preferred method of note-taking, and thoughts shooting through your mind. The first scenario is a generic vacation; the second, a Think Week. While a traditional vacation is great and has a ton of value, this edition is all about the latter, the best method for generating ideas and clarity.

To be clear, I am not the creator of the Think Week. I originally stumbled upon the concept from Bill Gates. I fell for this concept while watching Inside Bill's Brain on Netflix. Bill's method is going to a secluded cabin, downing copious amounts of Diet Coke, and reading what seems like endless books. During this week, Bill is nearly unreachable. His sole focus is on thought – consuming information and generating ideas. Since watching this documentary series, I put the concept into the back of my mind. That was until reading The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd. In the book, he mentions taking off work for a week, every seven weeks.

Right now, I'm orienting my work around taking every seventh week off from work no matter what. This was inspired by tech entrepreneur Sean McCabe, who adopted the policy for himself and eventually, his entire company.

This concept triggered a connection back to Bill and his Think Week. Bill only takes a Think Week 1–2 times a year, historically. What if we pair up this cadence of time off with Think Weeks? While I don't think 7+ Think Weeks a year are needed, I do think combining these concepts could lead to a more balanced and impactful life, real work-life balance + hyper efficiency.

What am I proposing exactly? Let me run you through it.

Vacation Think Weeks

I am not proposing channeling your inner Bill Gates and secluding yourself in a cabin with your thoughts. While that might work for some people, that will not be valuable for most. What I am proposing is a combination of a traditional vacation with a Think Week.

Imagine roaming Paris – taking in the sights, eating good food, and going to museums. But rather than focusing solely on this time as a disconnection from work, imagine this time supported your work. As we all know, we come up with ideas when we least expect it. Every morning before setting out, write all the thoughts and ideas that are buzzing around your head. When at the Parisian café, sipping wine and people watching, read a book you have been meaning to. When a thought spills in, pull out your notebook or phone to capture it. When staring at an ancient work of art, pull out your phone and record the thought you have as a voice note. The next morning, distill it before heading back out. Additionally, rather than completely ignoring email and messages related to work, triage them regularly. Minimize the catch-up time when you get back.

Six Week Cycles

In the book Shape Up, there is the idea of the 6-week cycle. This is strict time boxing to get the work done. The book is mainly geared toward product development, but the concept is applicable here. You can use it to build a product, write a book, or deploy a marketing campaign.

Spend the first week back from your vacation Think Week distilling your ideas and thoughts further. Combine like concepts, trash things that no longer seem relevant, and go deep on anything that holds value. Prioritize them from highest to lowest impact on your business.

Once your idea or ideas are turned into actionable projects, you spend the next 6 weeks working on them. You might not need a full 6 weeks for one project, so break these up as necessary. After the sprint, you will likely be tired, but the good news is that you have another vacation Think Week coming up.

The Eight Week Phase

If you were counting weeks while reading, you are right, I am proposing an 8-week phase. Start off the process with a vacation Think Week, followed by a planning week, and cap it off with a 6-week project cycle. If you divide that up over a year, you could squeeze in 6.5 weeks of this, but I don't recommend that. There will be holidays, other vacations, and work-related trips to fill the gaps. For most people, I think this is most effective 4 times a year. Additionally, you do not have to head to Paris or any other ancient cities to make this work.

To do this efficiently, you do have to be thoughtful. Most people will need a clear separation from their traditional days to get the most out of this. So rather than just doing a standard staycation, be sure to mix it up. Go to local museums and galleries. Take walks where you normally do not. Sit at a coffee shop and people watch, someplace different than your usual haunt.

You can, of course, vary the approach more intensely. One Think Week could be in Rome, another in New York, and another in your hometown. Just try not to go into the office or sit at your desk in your home office.

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This entire concept is focused around the idea of work-life harmony, having one feed the other and vice versa. As someone who has dealt with burnout numerous times and long bouts of being in creative ruts, I hope this concept can help counteract both. This approach feels natural and sustainable, keeping people and the work in focus. I don't think that you have to follow this approach as a prescription, but I do think it is a good starting point for your personal or team's refinement. Who doesn’t want to feel energized while working and inspired to bring their ideas to life?