Eureka Moments and You
The Wall Street Journal just ran a great article titled: “A Wandering Mind Heads Straight Toward Insight.” Here’s the lead.
“It happened to Archimedes in the bath. To Descartes it took place in bed while watching flies on his ceiling. And to Newton it occurred in an orchard, when he saw an apple fall. Each had a moment of insight. To Archimedes came a way to calculate density and volume; to Descartes, the idea of coordinate geometry; and to Newton, the law of universal gravity. In our fables of science and discovery, the crucial role of insight is a cherished theme. To these epiphanies, we owe the concept of alternating electrical current, the discovery of penicillin, and on a less lofty note, the invention of Post-its, ice-cream cones, and Velcro.”
OK, so perhaps you aren’t on a quest for a giant insight that will change the world. It could be that all you want is to do things better or figure out how to do something different that will improve your job search.
There are insights in the Journal article, but we know a lot about creativity without mastering the intricacies of neuroscience or purchasing expensive equipment. If you want to get more good ideas, here are some things you should do.
Feed your brain. Give it lots of information and opinion from different sources.
Let your brain work on its own. You can direct the logical functions of your brain, but you need to let your brain work by itself, too. Do that by giving problem-solving a rest. Do something else.
Let your brain play. The best ideas come at two specific times.
Good ideas some when you’re in a state that the psychologists call “reverie.” It happens most often when you’re either falling asleep or waking up.
Good ideas come when you’re doing something where your body is on autopilot and your brain can roam free. Taking a shower, driving, exercising, walking, doing the dishes, and gardening are just a few examples.
Let your brain work in a familiar way. If you’ve gotten most of your good ideas while walking, you’ll probably get more in the same situation. Want and idea, take a walk, or whatever activity works for you.
Don’t let those ideas get away. Make it a habit to capture the good ideas you get. A small digital voice recorder, index cards, or a pocket notebook are great.
Take the time to make it work. No matter what you’ve heard, one eureka moment is never enough to solve a problem. That takes more work, combining ideas, and modifying ideas.
Getting ideas is the easy part. But now you know how to do it.