It is now Wednesday, which means half of my 'think and motivate' week is over.  I think this is the 5th or 6th year that I've taken a week off to think   (I've lost track, but could check my journal if I thought the exact number really matted here ... which I don't).  Originally I wanted to model my 'think week after Bill Gates' but I quickly came to the realization that really wasn't going to benefit me.  I don't run a huge international software company, I don't have the resources to create products around research that I would catch up on ... and most of all - face it - I'm no Bill Gates.

So you might wonder what I do during these think weeks, since I'm obviously not staying in some friend's cabin on some island around Seattle reading research on the next product to create.  Over the years, these weeks have evolved into a two part process that I feel is important to me in focusing and renewing my energy - thinking and getting motivated.  I'm sure a lot of my readers do these things, but just don't take a week off to do it (must be better at time managemet than I am) or just don't need to do it to keep motivated and moving forward.

Step 1 - Review and Think
I usually start the week off brain storming or just typing out everything that comes to mind on certain topics - I have actually used pen and paper in the past, but have realized this slowed down the process.  Typically I think alot about career goals, but this year I've forced myself to think alot about life goals in general ... you know the stuff that involves other things (and people) and no computer.  This last weekend, I started with a word document and just started typing and thinking about different things that I've accomplished and want to accomplish - I usually do this on an off for the morning (8am - noon).  So far I've done this Sat, Sun, Mon and Tue.  Afternoons are spent indirectly thinking about what I've come up with so far and some casual searching for new ideas.  In order to help this process along I've been reading things like The 4-Hour Work Week (the book is currently a pretty good deal at Barnes and Noble if you are a member it ends up being around $13), Working with Emotional Intelligence and How to Win Friends & Influence People.  Plus for career ideas Justice Gray's How to become a better developer in 6 months meme has produced some good ideas from many blog authors and Scott Reynolds' Career Endgame - Where Am I Going? How About You? entry has some timely advice too.

The goal is to think directly and indirectly about the past and the future.  It is harder than it sounds (for me at least), to make myself not work on that Reflector addin that I've been meaning to finish (a week off and no coding ??) or not meetup with people and otherwise make the think week into a finish stuff I've been meaning to finish or social week.  Just review and think about what you've accomplished (take time and enjoy some of this reflecting) and dream up some new goals.  Everything from finances, career, family, fitness, adventure, etc. it is all free game to come up with goals ... shoot for the stars.  Like Scott Reynolds quotes in his Career Endgame - Where Am I Going? How About You? entry from Fight Club - This is your life - and it's ending one minute at a time. 

What do you want to do and when are really going to do it? 

Step 2 - Think and Get Motivated
The second part of this week, now that I've spent some quality time thinking about what I want to do, is going to be spent coming up with a plan and taking the first steps - now.  To me it seems life (and success) favors those who act, not those who think.  So in order to  kick of the second part of this week, I decided to take Scott's challenge (Shock Your System) - in my own sort of way and do something I've been thinking about doing for a while but just couldn't get myself to do ... shave my head :)   ... actually I was going to do it the week that Brittany Spears did it - I put it off, then decided I can't do it if she did it, then I was going to do it for the 1/2 marathon and didn't do it.  So finally, Monday night I did it.  I'll post some pictures later.

Now when I look in the mirror or touch my head, I have a reminder (at least for 6 months or so) that it is time to start doing and stop thinking so damn much about it.

On to the next steps ... I'll keep you posted.