Trigger Your Mind’s Coprocessor Through Mundane Tasks
Have you ever noticed that your best ideas come when you’re not actively trying to think about them? Maybe you’re taking a shower, or going for a walk, or doing some other mundane task. And suddenly, you have a brilliant insight into a problem you’ve been struggling with.
Remember Tim Urban’s procrastination monkey? It needs to be kept busy on stupid things, so that the real brains can focus.
After a run, swim or bicycle ride, I have a long list of items I came up with. You may find me with my bicycle stopped at a traffic light speaking a reminder or note into my Apple Watch. I wish I could easily tag time stamps in a podcast for later.
Doing mundane tasks can be so helpful for creativity and problem-solving. When you’re running, swimming, or doing the dishes, your brain is free to wander and come up with new ideas. So next time you’re stuck on a problem, try taking a break from thinking about it and do something mindless instead. You might just be surprised at what you come up with.