Random Tidbit | Working in the Background

I think I have a different approach to solving problems. When I’m stumped with some sort of challenge that I can’t seem to get the solution to, I’ll often file it in the back of my mind and work on other things.

In essence, that problem is getting worked on in the background, on a subconscious level. I don’t actively think about it, and I don’t actively try to solve it. In fact, a lot of times, I find myself less effective when I’m actively engaged in finding a solution.

The solution will come if I step away from the problem. I could be eating, or showering, or playing basketball, or even sleeping. And then suddenly, the epiphany would hit.

Some of my most epiphanic (I just made this word up) moments have happened in my dreams, during the moment when I’m sort of awake but not quite. The answer would appear as clear as day, and I’m often surprised because I hadn’t been thinking about it (at least not consciously).

Of course, I’m not saying that I won’t attempt to solve a problem as it presents itself at the moment, this is more for those impossibly-hard, head-stumping challenges that don’t have clear solutions.

So the next time you’re working with me and we’re stuck, don’t get annoyed if I move on to something else. In my view, it’s a lot more efficient this way, plus, I’m still working on that problem in the background.

Complete download at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.

 

Daydreaming

I was on my flight back from D.C. Typically, flights mean movies, reading, and other things to keep me busy. But since this was one of those not-too-close and not-too-far flights (with Southwest), I didn’t have much in terms of in-flight entertainment.

So I began to daydream. And not daydream in a “normal” sense, but more like how I used to daydream as a kid. Back in the day, I used to construct epic adventures in my mind, living in vast worlds, controlling the stories how I saw fit. Looking back, those periods where I was supposed to be napping but never actually did were precious.

I wish I could go back to that more often – using creativity and imagination as my only tools of entertainment, not caring about the relative boredom of the present time and exploring a new reality. Wow, this is beginning to sound like Inception…

Multiple levels at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.