Is Thinking Considered Working ?

Are you honest in your business dealings?

That is one of the questions a person is asked in order to receive a recommend for entering any LDS Temple.  I believe it is aimed at encouraging the answerer to consider their interactions with others as related to anything of a financial nature.

When I think about the work I do day in and day out, I often reflect on this question.  I feel it is a responsibility of an employee to give a fair day's work for a fair day's pay.  In fairness it is sometimes more appropriate to consider a fair week's pay or fair month's pay when you are in an exempt role, because the day-to-day may show too much variance.

It is in this spirit that I pose today's title question.

Much of what I invariably do day in and day out at work could be categorized as thinking.  It wears other names like planning, reviewing reports, listening to and analyzing calls, etc. but they almost all roll up into the thinking category.  As I think about that, I find myself wondering whether or not my time spent thinking is actually work.  Most people who work end up completing some task or accomplishing some measurable progress on something.  But with thinking, there is often not a measurable progression until much later.  And if thinking isn't working, then am I truly bringing the value to the role for which my employer is paying me?

Hmmmmm ...


Song Of The Day:
I am thinking a throwback to C and C Music Factory is in order.
The song "Things That Make You Go Hmmmm" was once quite popular and ties in nicely with this topic.

...