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Todd Henry

BFB: I (accidentally) almost walked a marathon

Published about 2 years ago • 2 min read

This past week, I (accidentally) almost walked a marathon.

It was a much-needed time to reflect on some work, and it was very helpful so I thought I'd share my experience with you.

This practice will help you be brave.

It will help you focus.

And, it may even help you be brilliant.

I accidentally (almost) walked a marathon.
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I didn’t really mean to. I just needed some time to think.
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Often, I’ll think while sitting on my office chair with a pad of paper in my lap, but last week I realized that the kind of thinking I needed to do might be better-served with a “stimulus dive”, a concept I outlined in my book The Accidental Creative. I needed to get out into the world and see what was sparked.
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So, I wondered how far I might be able to walk while thinking. I live about 11 miles northeast of downtown Cincinnati, and for the first time a thought crossed my mind…

“I wonder if I could walk downtown and back in a day?”

Turns out, there’s a road that comes near my home with a sidewalk that gets me most of the way there. (There’s only one dangerous stretch where I was hopping on and off the road to avoid cars.)
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Here are the details:

  • I didn’t listen to ANYTHING. I just walked and thought. I took a pen and notecards to write ideas on.
  • If someone came to mind, I called them. I had a few really good phone calls during the walk, prompted by their name randomly popping into my head.
  • I paid close attention to details in my surroundings. I’d driven those streets numerous times, but didn’t see small details like the moulding around doors or little gardens in the courtyard.
  • I let my mind wander, and when something sparked my attention, I zeroed in on it. I had some pretty great ideas, if I do say so myself.
  • I didn’t pressure myself to have a great result at the end. This was purely for the sake of the practice, not to crank out some token of brilliance. But, as I mentioned, my mind went in a few surprising directions.
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So, if you have the space, I highly recommend this practice. In my case, I covered about 23 miles in six hours with an hour break for lunch in the middle. But regardless of how much time you have, I recommend getting out into the world to help you spark some ideas and get unstuck.
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​You never know what’s actually on your mind until you spend some time alone with your thoughts.

This Week:

  • Center-down on a problem for which you need a breakthrough.
  • Find some time to get "out there" and think about the problem.
  • Get alone with your thoughts and let the ideas fly.

And, finally:

If you enjoyed this newsletter, my new book The Brave Habit is a practical guide to making brave decisions every day in your work. I hope you’ll read it. (You can download a few sample chapters here.)

Your turn to lead:

Do you know someone who might find this email helpful? Please forward it to them.

Todd Henry

teaches leaders and teams how to be brave, focused, and brilliant. He is the author of seven books, and speaks internationally on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

​TODDHENRY.COM​
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Todd Henry

Arms dealer for the creative revolution

Author of seven books, including The Accidental Creative, Herding Tigers, Die Empty, Daily Creative, The Brave Habit. I help creative pros and leaders to be brave, focused, and brilliant every day.

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