Take time to think

When I was travelling around the Norfolk countryside visiting clients, perhaps 25 miles apart, I had time to take stock of the lesson I’d just delivered and how it had been received. 

• Did it quite go to plan?
• Could I have done it differently?
• Could I have done it better?

Just occasionally, I had to be careful with my driving as I got myself immersed in the success, or otherwise, of my efforts.

I was often still going over it all when I arrived home and found I was not listening to my wife who I hadn’t seen for maybe 3-4 hours – or the TV!

With the advent of online tutoring, I leave myself just 15 minutes between sessions to get a fresh drink or make a trip to the bathroom. I don’t have time to think about the achievements either the student or myself might have made.

I get round to it at the end of the week when I start planning the following week’s lessons. I make myself think.

• Did the week go well?
• Did it go as planned?
• Did the student(s) achieve?
• Did I achieve?
• How could I have done it better or differently?

Sometimes my wife will find me swung round on my office chair staring out of the window.

“What are you doing?” she might say.

“Thinking”, I reply.