How to think (or meditate) your way to an ideal career.

I have brought myself, by long meditation, to the conviction that a human being with a settled purpose must accomplish it, and that nothing can resist a will which will stake even existence upon its fulfillment.
- Benjamin Disraeli

Several years ago I met with a gentleman at a global company. He explained that his job was to think about “stuff.” He also spent his time flitting around the country, meeting with University researchers, entrepreneurs, and other companies to gather ideas on what to think about. He would then retreat to his office where he enjoyed an enormous atrium outside his office floor-to-ceiling window. His musings produced innovations for his organization.

The same can be done for a career.

In this culture, thinking, just thinking, is frowned upon. It is as though it is assumed nothing great can ever be accomplished without doing something. Idle time is discouraged so that it becomes filled with meaningless cell phone conversations or hammering away at laptops. Just walk through any airport and you’ll know what I mean. With the way we act, one might believe people are fearful of the thoughts they would produce if their minds were left to wander.

But, as the saying goes, we can’t get to where we are going from here. Changing career direction can be daunting. We have our interests, skills, and competencies and then scan job postings looking for a place where these may be applied. If you think about it, no pun intended, this activity doesn’t take much thought. It only requires reading. Sadly, I believe that is pretty much how people approach their career. What would happen, however, if you just stopped to think or, better yet, not think at all?

In thinking, in letting our minds roam, in meditation, or any other form of deliberate nothingness, something profound happens to the human brain. Physiologically speaking, the aging process is slowed (good to know), blood pressure is lowered, and stress decreases. (Click here for great info on meditation and health benefits.) Anyone who has ever been required to make a snap decision knows full well the body’s reaction when the mind is under pressure. I am reminded of a man I know who was let go from his job. Within an hour of his layoff, he was on the phone to all of his contacts, me being one of them, to learn who in the industry was hiring. I could literally feel his desperation, confusion, and fear. So much for portraying confidence and calm.

While I appreciate there are circumstances that sometimes require an individual rush to get another job, I do not agree they cannot afford to step outside of their circumstances for even 10 minutes to simply ponder the situation. Allowing the mind to do the job for which it is intended – namely, solve problems – can do more than just produce short-term or immediate results. It can also expose new avenues for achieving long-term career plans. Just give it a try. What have you got to lose?