Our workdays are in a permanent state of tug-of-war between deadlines and distractions, waged on a battlefield of meetings, projects, and campaigns—and planning, managing, and creating...

Do we ever, these days, have time to pause, contemplate, assess, strategize—to go beyond the day-to-day to delve into some deep thinking?

And yet, if we're ever going to be at our productive best, and to realize our potential—at work, in our careers, and in our personal lives—we need to think deeply.

Maybe we can learn how one of the most successful businesspeople ever, Bill Gates, does just that.

An infographic from online reservations and travel company Reservations.com explains how Gates goes on biannual seven-day retreats to disconnect... and do some big thinking that has resulted in various Microsoft innovations.

True, not all of us can take a week off twice a year; still, we can learn some lessons from how Bill Gates recharges and refocuses. Check out the infographic: