With the world fixated-on busyness and hustling here and there, the value of just sitting with your thoughts can get underrated, or even disregarded.
I have found the need to percolate and process, is even more important, when you want to change something. If you are designing your life or building your Strategic Life Map, it is preferable to take a wee bit of time.
Here are 3 reasons why taking the time to percolate* is ace.
*as an aside, I love the word percolate, as it evokes an immersive rather than surface thinking. Especially odd, as I do not like coffee. I could use steep, as I love tea, but this is not the right feeling, more likely to strengthening an existing view, making it stale or too strong than allowing thoughts to surface, for a better outcome.
1.Insights don’t happen when you decide they will
It would be really nice to say to your brain, hey brain, can I have an insight now please and it will deliver. Sometimes you just need to sit with something and see what emerges.
I am renowned for coming up with crazy ideas, but when someone asks me for a creative idea, then and there, it does not come. I need time to let my brain make connections. I sometimes draw to help my brain make the connections and sometime, I just stop and think.
The same approach applies for insights and dreams. They need time to surface, so don't rush them to an arbitrary timeframe. Even a couple of minutes can make the difference.
2.Insights happen when we are doing other things
Most people when asked where they get their best ideas from will tell you in the shower, washing up, or exercising. When examined under a fMRI, insight happens, just after the brain waves have calmed down, not at their peak. So doing something that is automatic and simple can help you achieve insights.
Use this technique deliberately when you are trying to think of something or remember something. Go do something else, ideally something different to what you are doing now. For example, if you are trying to find words to write for a report or blog post, go for a walk around the block, cook something or do something with your hands, knitting, wood carving etc. You will find that you gain better insights that way.
3.Initial insight generally not very deep
Giving yourself time to think will generally mean you get more nuanced insights. The same as when generating ideas, the first few will be predictable, so giving yourself a little more time will lead to more creative and deeper insights
How to not let the percolation turn into procrastination?
When I talk about percolation, it does not mean procrastination. It can be tempting to use this as an excuse to move forward.
To avoid your percolation turning into a longer-term issue, I suggest a couple of things:
Put parameters in place to enable focus – this can be timebound or numerical. For example, if you are trying to determine what to call your crazy new idea, either allocate time to generate ideas, eg 2 times 30 min or a number of outputs, 50 names.
Determine your contingency – if I have not solved x by such and such a date, I will continue with ‘other thought’.
Ask someone to review – ask someone to provide you feedback and book it in, so you will be encouraged to meet the timeline
Be clear on what you are solving – if something is complex, look at what aspects you need to decide on to make it happen
So now we know how not to let our percolation descend into procrastination, but also why you need to percolate.
So, what does this mean for you?
Unearth Possibilities and for that matter Design your Life on Purpose have built in structures that will add you in thinking deeper and more insightfully, but also to help get you moving and getting into action.
Unearth Possibilities is coming up on 25th August, which is 3 weeks and 2 live coaching sessions. In it you will generate a load of ideas for you to work on, using the 2 superpowers of Reflection and Dreaming.
I hope you can join me online.
Yours Collaboratively
CMM