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There is a certain grandeur to the concept of solitude. Draw a picture of Henry David Thoreau gazing out over the blue-green expanse of Walden Pond. In our hearts, Thoreau is at peace. He looks off into the distance and thinks about big, important ideas. Occasionally, he writes down these important ideas in a leather-bound notebook.
The Thoreau of our imagination does not fight intrusive thoughts. He doesn’t get irritated and swat a fly or wonder why he’s here. He was never seen chopping wood in a sudden downpour and, cursing himself for thinking he could do that, he packed up his things and headed back to Concord. I thought it might be good.
Thoreau famously valued solitude, and that time at Walden Pond produced some of his most famous work. But we also know that loneliness can be hard, even for the most confident loner. Especially when internal monologue is involved.
As a solo founder and proud introvert, I know the rewards and challenges of working alone. Here are some ways to make it work.
Related: Introverts and extroverts alike need solitude to do their best work. Here’s why and how you can give it to them.
Advantages of doing it alone
Although startup culture values collaboration, there are great benefits to going it alone. Not only do you not have to worry about damaging your vision or stepping on a toe, you also have the freedom to follow your intuition and make the choices you want.
This intuition is an important aspect of being a successful entrepreneur. As important as data and facts are, there is an indescribable power in following your intuition. a study It turns out that when people make choices based solely on instinct, they make the right decision up to 90% of the time. Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, famous for his ability to make decisions based on instinct, explained:
“Decisions are sometimes difficult to make, not because they are unpopular, but because they come from intuition and go against technical rationale,” he once said.
“A lot has been written about the mysteries of the gut, but it’s really just pattern recognition, right? We just know what’s going on this time because we’ve seen something so many times. The facts may be incomplete or the data may be limited,” but the situation feels all too familiar. ”
But intuition can be difficult to explain to others, especially skeptical co-founders who may have their own ideas. This doesn’t mean you should never seek input from others. Having a network of mentors and colleagues can be very helpful when it comes to advice and checking your intuition. Still, when the time comes to push and you know deep down which fork in the road to take, it’s liberating to be able to do it without having to explain yourself to others. It makes me feel good.
Related article: 10 benefits for entrepreneurs of making time for silence and solitude
deal with intrusive thoughts
Working alone means you can trust yourself. Once intrusive thoughts start creeping in, which is inevitable, it can be difficult.
Your inner dialogue can be your greatest asset or your most destructive enemy. The first step to making sure your mind is working for you, rather than against you, is to understand your default mindset. How do you react when you hit an obstacle? Do you wallow in defeat? Do you panic? shutdown? Or do you see the obstacles in front of you as challenges and approach them with curiosity?
If your answer is the former, it means you need to rethink your way of thinking. Doing this will require some work. But just like going to the gym to build muscle, you can train your brain to resist negative or intrusive thoughts.
Practicing mindfulness is a surefire way to become aware of your self-talk and reframe it in a more productive way. Start paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and reactions throughout the day, as non-judgmentally as possible. As humans, we often confuse ourselves with what we think and feel. But it’s important to remember that some of these ideas are simple. wrong. Recognizing your limiting beliefs means you can begin to accept them for what they are. It’s a story we make up, and it’s often not based on fact.
If you find yourself plagued by negative thoughts, try making a list of topics that actually interest you. oneThere’s nothing to think about. It could be a problem you’re trying to solve or a recent win. This is called “deliberate thinking,” and it’s a way to make effective use of your alone time, says a professor at the University of Michigan. Chatter: The voice in our head, why it matters, and how to take advantage of it To tell Vox. You don’t have to be intentional or spend a lot of time thinking about it. Cross prefers to combine it with other activities that are already part of her schedule, such as exercise.
“I just activate what the problem is that I want to solve, and then I get on the treadmill and inevitably my mind starts working and comes up with all kinds of solutions. That way, I get a lot of ” he says.
Related: How to escape from the prison of negative thinking
Finding solitude in an overly connected world
In some ways, it may seem that Thoreau had it easier than the modern-day sole proprietorship. He was in the middle of nature, and more importantly, he didn’t have a smartphone constantly buzzing with notifications to give up his musings and distract himself by scrolling through his social feeds.
It’s easy to give in to the digital dopamine rush, but resisting can reap the benefits of alone time. If you close your door and put your phone on “do not disturb” for a certain amount of time every day, you might be surprised at the creativity and innovation that blooms in your space.
Personally, I build alone time into my schedule, setting aside a certain amount of time each day to clear my head and do some deep work. These quiet moments remind me of my days when he founded Jotform 18 years ago. While I didn’t face the kind of device noise we endure on a regular basis these days, I found myself spending more time alone than ever before. To be honest, it can be difficult. Without distractions, my brain bombarded me with the words “what if” to fill the silence.
But I didn’t give in. And what will happen? When I pushed through the discomfort, that was when my best thoughts took root. Currently, Jotform has over 25 million users. I believe that much of our success is due to those precious moments of emptiness where we can just be without distractions.
Being alone, truly alone without digital distractions, can be difficult. It’s much easier to pick up your phone and scroll mindlessly than it is to learn to face your inner monologue. But once you tap into that voice in your head and train it to work with you instead of against you, there’s no end to what you can accomplish.