1 thing I like to do is always pre-plan times I will be idle… like when your dropping a deuce or going to be stuck on an airplane. These are some of the best moments in the world to just relax and focus. I rarely read blogs that have more than 1-2 paragraphs online but if its something I am really interested in then I will print it out and put it in the “to take to the bathroom pile”. I also print out a lot of ebooks and read them in the bathroom. I REALLY look forward to the 3-4 hour flights I have mainly because they are the one place where nobody can call or email me.
BTW speaking of eBooks there seems to be quite a backlash lately against them. I gotta say I think eBooks are pretty awesome. They are super cheap and many times I did not agree with the author on the core subject it spurred me thinking about the subject and so perhaps I write a blog post on my view or like sometimes you never know what it spurs.
Anyway pre-plan your idle time 
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This is my biggest problem, I waste so much time I probably could of built a house by now.
Good to know I’m not the only one that prints out blog posts and ebooks to read on the throne.
My wife will be happy to know the “Shoemoney H2 guy” also reads blogs on the shitter. 
I can see how this helps productivity, but do you ever just have to take a break and focus on other things? You’re like a machine!
I usualy read some business magazines to read in train where is also no email or phone or TV…
Don’t you get bored sitting on the pot?
Haha, until now I swore I was the only one who did the “print out for the bathroom” pile thing.
Hey Shoe!
Nice T-Shirts. Do you send to Germany, too? What’s about the costs?
I like to think on long car rides too. Makes the trip go fast. 3 yrs ago I had a 80 minute, each way, commute to my programming job. I used this time to plan out my strategy for buying apartments and talking shop with my Realtor or mortgage guy. Now I use it to dream up my next website so when I do get a chance to sit and code I can get right to business.
I plan on reading but it turns out to be catch up on sleep for me.
That’s my 2nd office.
I like the idle time on flights. I get to catch up reading the Economist.
I am a planning freak, but I must admit I’ve never thought about planning my idle time. It would be fun to try, thanks for the suggestion, Shoe.
I warn anybody right now not to print out and read any of my posts on the toilet. Not only is it creepy, but it’s downright dangerous.
23% of my reader base found this one out the hard way as they fell off the toilet boiled over in laughter and hurt themselves in one way or another.
I agree completely dont waste idle time wether in airport, or bathroom or wherever take that time to expand your knowledge or read deeper into a subject or grasp something completely new.
My main “inspiration” time is in the shower, but my wife makes fun of my half-hour showers. They are not really that long. She likes to stretch things a bit. I also find that while eating out some good ideas pop into my mind. I think it is the freeing of the mind that allows new ideas, however it comes.
I find that when I am out for a run, especially at night, my mind is completely clear and I figure out almost all of my problems. I’ve figured out complex programming problems when I have been running. Though the bathroom works too
You should definitely throw some relaxing time in there as well though. I know when I sit on the computer for 8 hours straight it feels like my face is frozen.
I have started taking breaks and just relaxing for 10 minutes at a time, no cell phone nothing. Just be quiet and relax.
You need to do this so you don’t burn yourself out.
That is a great bit of advice. I remember when I was going to University, it was a long 10 minute walk to the washroom from the building I was usually working in. Every time I was stuck on a problem and ended up having to take the long walk at 4:00 am, the solution would always hit me.
It’s pretty interesting how a little bit of isolated focus time can really help you wrap your head around an idea or problem…
The bathroom is the one place where I dont want to do any work
Long car rides are great times for me to think through ideas and make site plans etc. Something about the rhythm of the road that helps me concentrate well. Of course you’ve got the time on the throne and showers but for me those tend to be too short.
I actually think a lot about ideas, and it has worked out well. I am glad you put this as a tip, #1 in my mind, think!
What types of eBooks do you prefer Shoe? That is a pretty broad area.
I get all my ideas during my idle time. I rarely think of a great idea while I am actually working on one. Unless it happens to be an improvement on the one I have.
I love ebooks. I have been reading them on my palm pilot recently. Has anyone tried the dedicated ebook readers. it seems like the ones that I have seen are tech overkill sometimes with super fast processors and such. I do see the need for mega storage though. It would be nice to carry around a whole library. Can anyone suggest a reasonably priced dedicated ebook reader?
the best ideas for me come during the idle times.
The ebook thing…some are good resources but a lot at the prices they go for and the information the give you is absurd and Jon’s “quest” to oust those types of ebooks is rightly so, extreme, but needed.
It’s the latest cool thing to hate ebooks. Most people are just broke and angry- it doesn’t matter what you give them, they won’t take action on it.
Shoe, great post! When traveling or when idle, I carry a Dell Axim x30 loaded with eBooks that I haven’t had time to read. Great way to feed the fire.
I also agree with you about eBooks in general. The trouble is many people buy these books and never act on the information, then they go on to dis the author and ebook because they didn’t make a million sitting on their arses.
Don
That’s an article I’d love to see Shoe, your top #10 eBooks related to internet marketing and making money online. Oh, and let me know if you want to use brokejerk.com
Shoe, that’s nice. Yeah, I think all us guys do our best “thinking” in the bathroom.
You don’t have to agree w/the author to get something out of what you read.
Sometimes you get some killer ideas from reading bad ones or something written by someone else totaly unrelated to what your doing makes you think about things differently.
A lot of people don’t like those “Self Help” books but sometimes they are good inspiration even if they are fluffy.