[ad#Take Charge America]If you’re a Boomer reverse mortgage professional (or one who trained or raised a Boomer or two), you know it’s no secret that Boomers make good entrepreneurs: they usually have strong EQ (emotional intelligence), know how to network (though this year’s NRMLA convention is still over six months away, we can hear the networking wheels turning…), have learned to hire and manage a stellar team, and gained the financial acumen necessary to succeed in their own business.

But can they think?

That’s not a trick question. As we touched on last month, carving out quiet time is the bane of the 21st century for busy professionals, no matter when you were born.

Here are a few additional ways to get the grey matter humming:

• Emulate a yogi. You don’t need to assume a lotus pose or a complicated asana (that’s a yoga term). You do need to release your reliance on phone, laptop, iPad, etc, for a little while, and do the equivalent of navel gazing. Some thinkers sit in their favorite café and appear to be sipping a cappuccino while perusing the latest bestseller. But the book is a smokescreen. In reality, you will be looking within, allowing your mind to wander free so creative ideas can take shape. You may want to keep a pad of paper and pen handy to jot down any brilliance before it floats away. Fret not; you can transfer the info to your smart phone or iPad later. The key? Aim for early in the morning, before you check email and launch your business day.
• Move it. Movement is as good for your brain as your body, so if you’re one of those people who thinks best while walking around the office or exercising, make sure to build this activity into your day. If you belong to a gym, put the workout on your calendar as a sacrosanct item and leave the headphones at home; this is a mental workout as well as a physical one. If you exercise solo, again, keep a pen and paper in your pocket and take to the trails. You can even use a squash match as a brain gym, as long as your match partner doesn’t mind the silence.
• Change it up. Do you always take the same route to work, eat the same breakfast, etc? Changing an aspect of your daily routine — even something as minor as putting the other pants leg on first — can catapult your mind into new territory.
• Schedule it. Yes, put “thinking” on your calendar as an appointment — with yourself. Turn off all electronic devices, grab your beverage of choice, shut your door, and, for the next 15-20 minutes, or however long you’ve allotted for the “appointment”, allow yourself to think, either about a specific problem/situation, or just generally. You may be amazed and amused at all the new ideas that will spurt from a mind recognized for its creative capacity.