Five Simple Ways to Make Creative Thinking a Daily Habit
Where or when do you get your best ideas?
I ask that question to a lot of clients and executives attending my presentations and seminars. The answers I often hear are things like “In the shower,” “Walking the dog,” “Working out,” “On my commute,” “Taking care of the yard,” or “Cleaning the house.”
But do you know what answer I never hear? “At my desk in front of my computer.” In fact, when I ask if anyone gets their best ideas at their desk, everyone laughs because the very idea is absurd.
People hardly ever get their best ideas at their desks, and yet that’s where most professionals spend most of the day. If it’s not the desk, it’s a conference table, and hardly anyone gets their best ideas there either.
The irony, of course, is that most of the great work any of us do depends on the sparks of insight and creativity that come when we’re not actively focusing on a particular task or trying to solve a problem. We need to create and leave time for unconscious thought.