I recently read an article in the Harvard Business Review that talked about having an “untouchable day.” I was intrigued by what they meant and how it applied in today’s world of 24/7 accessibility.
The concept of the “untouchable day” is to mark your calendar with one day every week or month (whichever feels right for you) when you will be 100% unreachable. This day is when you can do the “deep” work that is necessary to take your business, or life, to the next level. It could be for the book you always wanted to write, or the podcast you always wanted to launch.
Here are some ideas for your untouchable day:
- Switch off the phone or put it to airplane mode.It gives you a break from email, social media and all the other “noise” so you can focus and stay on track.
- Try moving while thinking. Hemingway once said “I would walk along the quais when I finished work or when I was trying to think something out.It was easier to think if I was walking and doing something.”
- Go to a different location to minimize distractions. Microsoft founder Bill Gates, when he was growing his company, scheduled “think days / weeks” where he went off away from the city and would think about the issues facing his company.
- If emergencies come up, you may have to deal with them.In that case simply move your “untouchable day” to a different day (but do not delete it from your calendar!)However, I bet in some circumstances what seemed to be an “emergency” was really someone else’s lack of planning, and often they can actually handle the situation just fine without you.
The idea is that once you get into the habit of scheduling “untouchable days” to energize your creative and strategic thinking, then your brain will begin to generate that feeling to get you into that flow state quickly. Great things can happen when we shake up our busy everyday routines and schedule focused time to work toward our goals.
Cheers to your “untouchable day!”
Mike