| Working smarter through daydreaming. - Part 2 | | | | me, and if I am prepared to capture them -- voila! |
| of 2 | | | | So -- what are some ways to stimulate |
| Daydreaming your way to performance and | | | | unconscious thinking? |
| profits. | | | | We've mentioned a number already. One way to |
| Like many of my clients, I am always looking for | | | | stimulate unconscious thinking is to engage in |
| ways to speed things up - to produce more | | | | physical exercise. Jogging, swimming, biking, hiking, |
| results with the same or even fewer resources. | | | | weight-lifting -- all of these activities are great for |
| We probably agree on this. The key is certainly | | | | idea generation. The key is they are all sort of |
| not about working harder; it may not even be | | | | mindless - not requiring much detailed thought. |
| about working smarter. But there are definitely | | | | This may seem paradoxical -- if you are trying to |
| ideas which work, and those ideas need to be | | | | shut down your conscious mind, wouldn't you |
| uncovered. Often you can find them through | | | | want to distract it with a conscious thought |
| analytical thinking. In my last article I discussed | | | | process? No -- it seems you want to have the |
| this: a process of asking deliberate questions, and | | | | opposite effect-- you want to lull the conscious |
| in a disciplined, even rigorous way, coming up with | | | | questioning thinker to sleep, and simple repetitive |
| answers. Asking and answering, that's the | | | | physical work seems to do that. Likewise, playing |
| analytical thinking process. Do it enough and you | | | | a rhythm instrument like drums or bass, or any |
| will likely come up with something useful. | | | | sort of rhythmic chanting or dancing, will produce |
| But there is a whole other process, a "something" | | | | a similar result. |
| that goes on in the mind. Many people call it | | | | These activities, along with morning showers, |
| intuition. Others call it "gut feel," or "tapping the | | | | afternoon massages, and evening hot tubs, may |
| universal spirit." In contrast to rational, linear | | | | be considered strange in the corporate setting |
| left-brain thinking, it is sometimes called | | | | (except in California.) Here are some more |
| "right-brain" thinking, synthetic, or holistic thinking. | | | | corporately flavored, "structured" ways to |
| I'm going to call it unconscious thinking. What I | | | | generate unconscious thinking. |
| mean by this cumbersome phrase is that this kind | | | | Mind mapping is an excellent technique for tapping |
| of ideation is based on removing the linear, | | | | the unconscious. Tony Buzan, the inventor of |
| rational, questioning, conscious thinker from the | | | | mind mapping, has a book called The Mind Map |
| equation, and tapping into the results when they | | | | Book which details this technique. Mind mapping |
| come. | | | | seems to unlock certain expressive mechanisms |
| How do you do that? Everybody has their | | | | not available by writing. Drawing representations |
| favorite way. Several people, responding to my | | | | of your problems and possible solutions, however |
| last article's caveat that I was not referring to the | | | | crudely, also works well. For truly graphically |
| thinking that goes on in the shower, wrote that | | | | challenged, try collages made from cutout images. |
| their best ideas occur in the shower. For others, | | | | Sometimes just flipping though magazines will |
| unconscious thinking occurs while driving their car. | | | | stimulate ideas. Get a big stack of publications -- |
| Or working out in the gym, riding a bike, or | | | | ones with good pictures -- and start flipping. |
| jogging. Gardening seems to be a hot spot for | | | | There are activities which you can do in groups. |
| hot ideas. And sybarites I know report getting | | | | You can play word association games. The game |
| great ideas while being massaged and sipping wine | | | | will usually have a context -- the idea you'd like to |
| in the hot tub. | | | | explore. Start with a list of words which relate to |
| Some people put themselves in a trance state via | | | | your central idea, and free associate. Speed |
| meditation or actively listening to music. Others go | | | | matters in this process, so record these games |
| into a trance watching TV. I get great ideas when | | | | on audio tape. Another version is to use one of |
| I'm at the movies. (Curiously, it doesn't work while | | | | those magnetic poetry kits. Give people the kits |
| watching a movie on videotape -- I think the level | | | | and let them go to work. Also, you can mind-map |
| of concentration is too low -- which may be a | | | | in groups. Or gather a bunch of great images on a |
| key to the way these processes work. For the | | | | projector and let your group play off them. |
| car people, it only works while driving -- not as a | | | | I mentioned this in my last article: you can use |
| passenger. The logic behind this is similar.) | | | | structured information sources in an unstructured |
| What is this spontaneous generation of | | | | way. Use the Oxford English Dictionary (really any |
| unconscious ideas? I must confess that, really, I | | | | dictionary will do, the OED just seems better.) |
| have no idea. But I do know how to make it | | | | Pick words at random and establish connections |
| happen. Spontaneously. The key is to loosen the | | | | with your central ideas. Or use a Tarot deck, or |
| grip of consciousness on the mind, and get the | | | | the Taoist I-Ching. You used to be able to do this |
| logical, linear, Q&A thinking process out of | | | | with fortune cookies but the message quality has |
| the way. | | | | gone downhill. Pick a passage from your favorite |
| Spontaneous generation comes in two basic | | | | inspirational literature such as the Bible or Jonathan |
| flavors --fortuitous and deliberate, both of them | | | | Livingston Seagull, and invent a connection to your |
| "unconscious". An example of the fortuitous kind is | | | | central idea -- see what new things come up. |
| what happens when you are driving your car, and | | | | Try attending a seminar when you need new |
| an incredibly useful thought just "comes" to you. | | | | ideas. The seminar need not even be on the |
| If you are not prepared, you are likely to lose it | | | | subject of concern. Just being in the seminar |
| as quickly as it came. On the other hand, if you | | | | room, removed from your controlled |
| keep a voice recorder or notepad handy, you can | | | | environment, can cause your conscious mind to |
| capture this potential gem. Plus, being prepared to | | | | let go a little -- just enough for spontaneous ideas |
| capture these "fortuitous" intuitive pearls, seems | | | | to creep to the surface and make themselves |
| to be a very important part of having them more | | | | available. And for those of you who don't - read |
| often. | | | | some books. On anything. Reading books always |
| An example of the deliberate version is when, | | | | stimulates random thinking if you let it. Remember |
| upon retiring for the evening, you tell yourself | | | | to keep note cards and pens handy. |
| (with feeling and conviction) you want to dream | | | | Bring in outside speakers or consultants to spout |
| the solution to a particular problem. If you get | | | | off their ideas. (I know this might seem like a |
| lucky (back to fortuitous), you will. If you do this | | | | shameless plug.) Or cross-over people from |
| repeatedly -- program yourself with a problem -- | | | | departments who normally don't work together. |
| you will start to dream solutions regularly. | | | | That always gets the juices flowing. Take these |
| Analytical types may scoff at this "telling yourself" | | | | mixed-up groups and do any of the above. |
| bit. But recent research in cognitive science | | | | Try game playing -- simple things like checkers, go |
| indicates a possible model for the mind as a series | | | | fish, touch-tackle football, Lego, plastic model |
| of unconnected agents, each with its own limited | | | | building, even pickup sticks. Even home or office |
| function set. Some of these agents may be linked | | | | renovation work, which is simply another game to |
| by well-worn pathways. Others, however, have | | | | play. Try something community minded -a |
| never communicated, and as yet have no way to | | | | neighborhood cleanup program: lots of sweeping, |
| do so. "Telling yourself" what you want to think | | | | lawn mowing, and trash pickup. All of these |
| about has the effect of sending a broadcast signal | | | | "games" distract the conscious mind. Do a session, |
| throughout the agent population, which may enlist | | | | gather everyone together, and ask what ideas |
| them in your unconscious thinking process. | | | | came up. They will. |
| Whether by happenstance or intention, the | | | | Do you get the idea? Do you have any other |
| available techniques, if you can call taking a | | | | ideas? |
| shower a technique, are interchangeable. The only | | | | Here then are your first two assignments. One: |
| difference is whether you set out to generate a | | | | Make a mind map of all the ways you currently |
| specific idea or whether random ideas comes | | | | do this. Two: Focus your intention on developing |
| unbidden. | | | | some new unconscious processes. Walk around |
| Two habits will make unconscious thinking work | | | | for a few days with this thought deep in the back |
| more effectively for you. First, prepare your | | | | of your mind. See what you come up with during |
| environment to capture ideas as they come. I put | | | | the week. |
| 3x5 note cards and pens everywhere -- in my | | | | The steps are: |
| car, my night-table, the medicine cabinet, next to | | | | - Identify the area in which you want new ideas. |
| my favorite reading chair, my suit pockets, gym | | | | - Create a diversion for your conscious mind. Lull it |
| bag, even my under-the-seat bike storage pocket | | | | to sleep using any of the above methods, or one |
| -- just about everywhere I am, I can find a note | | | | of your own. |
| card. Plus, I carry a voice recorder in my | | | | - Keep handy a way to record your ideas. This is |
| briefcase. The new one has a digital interface to | | | | critical. Use a pocket recorder or note cards. It's a |
| my computer and transcribes notes automatically. | | | | good idea to always carry one or the other. |
| The second habit is to deliberately plant seeds of | | | | Take your unconsciously generated ideas |
| ideas in my unconscious mind. I regularly "re-mind" | | | | seriously. Pay attention to them: you may not use |
| myself of the areas where I could use a creative | | | | every idea, but at least evaluate it. Your |
| flash. For instance, if I am working on a book | | | | unconscious mind likes that and you'll get more. |
| chapter or an article, or if I need a new solution | | | | Visit to download a list of more "methods" to |
| for a client's business problem, I put that into my | | | | stimulate unconscious thinking. |
| mental hopper and let it sit. Often ideas come to | | | | |