Leaders love to see progress. But growth brings a whole new set of problems. You may find yourself stuck in reaction mode, feeling more like a fireman than a leader. Dealing with problems all day can drain your mental energy. After awhile, you may have no bandwidth left for vision and strategy. After more than 40 years in business, we’ve learned how to lead a fast-growing business and maintain time for critical thinking. We call it staying mentally FFIT. With this simple system, you’ll have greater mental clarity than ever before. You will stay out of reaction mode and keep your focus on innovation. Rather than feeling exhausted when you think about work, you’ll be energized by new possibilities. Try it, and get back in front of the change curve again! Here’s a preview of this episode. Why you must have a regular practice of intentional thought. Why scheduled “think time” doesn’t always work. Why your business demands a shift from doing to thinking. One solid way to bake think time into your life. How thought time gives your business an edge. The kinds of questions you should be asking of yourself and business. Why you need to be uninterrupted during your focused thought time. Can focused thought be done with others, or only alone? How outside input fuels your thought life. The value of physical activity in activating your thought life. Why serendipitous breakthroughs are not enough to fuel your business. The simple practice that will help you think more intentionally. Practical advice for people who have trouble writing down their thoughts. The difference between reflective thinking and reactive thinking. How the Hustle Fallacy inhibits your ability to think critically. What critical thinking is and why it matters in your business. The cause-and-effect chain from a leader’s thoughts to business results. How asking different questions can transform your business results. Once you’ve listened to this episode, here’s your next step. Ask yourself this simple question: What is my biggest obstacle to frequent, focused, intentional thinking, and what can I do about it? You’ll be well on your way to solving that—and many other—problems. Tell Us What You Think We love reading your reactions to Lead to Win on iTunes. If you haven’t left a review yet, would you do that now? That also helps keep the show visible to other leaders. Need help? Click here. We also love getting feedback through Instagram. You can follow us at @michaelhyatt and @meganhyattmiller. We think you’ll enjoy our posts there as well. Resources from This Episode Deep Work by Cal Newport See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.