Idea incubation comes in seemingly unproductive times [CREATIVITY], [DETACHMENT], [PATIENCE], [CONFIDENCE]

Break Through by Taking Breaks

Posted: 17 Sep 2009

From Matthew E. May, In Pursuit of Elegance:

Ever wonder why our best ideas come when we're in the shower, driving, daydreaming, or sleeping? Most people know the story of Archimedes' shouting "Eureka!" upon suddenly discovering volume displacement while taking a bath and of Einstein's theory of special relativity coming to him in a daydream. But there are many others:

• Friedrich von Stradonitz's discovered the round shape of the benzene ring after dreaming about a snake biting its tail.

• Philo Farnsworth was plowing a field gazing at the even rows when the idea for projecting moving images line by line came to him, leading him to invent the first electronic television.

• Richard Feynman was watching someone throw a plate in the air in Cornell University's cafeteria when the wobbling plate with its red school medallion spinning sparked the Nobel Prize-winning idea for quantum electrodynamics.

• Kary Mullis, another Nobel winner, was driving along a California highway when the chemistry behind the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) came to him, stopping him in the middle of the road.

• Car designer Irwin Liu sketched the innovative new lines of what became the shape of the first Toyota Prius after helping his child with an elementary school science project involving the manipulation of hard-boiled eggs.

• Author J. K. Rowling was traveling on a train between Manchester and London, thinking about the plot of an adult novel, when the character of child wizard Harry Potter flashed in her mind.

• Shell Oil engineer Jaap Van Ballegooijen's idea for a snake oil drill came as he watched his son turn his bendy straw upside down to better sip around the sides and bottom of his malt glass.

When you look deeper into these ingeniously elegant solutions and brilliant flashes of insight you can see that they came at strange times and in random locations. They didn't occur while actually working on the problem but after an intense, prolonged struggle with it followed by a break. A change of scene and time away seems to have played a part.

Most "creatives"—artists, musicians, writers, etc.—instinctively know that idea incubation involves seemingly unproductive times, but that those downtimes and timeouts are important ingredients of immensely productive and creative periods. But until fairly recently the how, when, and why of being kissed by the muse was something of a myth and mystery, explained only by serendipity.

But now there's some hard science that shows it's not just coincidence.

Neuroscientists examining how the human brain solves problems can confirm that experiencing a creative insight—that sudden aha!—hinges on the ability to synthesize connections between seemingly disparate things. And a key factor in achieving that is time away from the problem. New studies show that creative revelations tend to come when the mind is engaged in an activity unrelated to the issue at hand; pressure is not conducive to recombining knowledge in new and different ways, the defining mark of creativity.

Neuroendocrinologist Ullrich Wagner has demonstrated that the ultimate break—sleep—actually promotes the likelihood of eureka! moments. He gave volunteers a Mensa-style logic problem to solve, one containing a hidden rule enabling the solution. The subjects were allowed to work on it for a while, then told to take a break. Some took naps, some didn't. Upon returning to the experiment to continue working on the problem, those who had taken a nap found the hidden rule quicker and much more often than those who hadn't.

Wagner believes that information is consolidated by a process taking place in the hippocampus during sleep, enabling the brain to clear itself and, in effect, reboot, all the while forming new connections and associations. It is this process that is the foundation for creativity. The result is new insight and the aha! feeling of the eureka! moment.

While no one yet knows the exact process, there's an important implication for all of us: putting pressure on ourselves to try and make our brains work harder, more intensely, or more quickly, may only slow down our ability to arrive at new insights. In other words, if you're looking to engineer a breakthrough, it may only come through a break. Your brain needs the calm before its storm.

Matthew E. May is the author of In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing, and blogs here. You can follow him on Twitter here.

 

From OPEN Forum Articles

The Ability to Prioritize - Making room for what really matters [DETACHMENT], [EXCELLENCE], [WISDOM]

 

The Stop-Doing Strategy

Posted: 16 Sep 2009

From Matthew E. May, In Pursuit of Elegance:

In this recent interview, Campbell Soup CEO Douglas Conant defined his mission in taking the helm eight years ago as being, "to take a bad company and lift its performance to extraordinary by 2011." His strategy was simple enough: developing or keeping only products that ranked first or second in three major categories. That meant, among other things, selling the Godiva chocolate brand in 2008.

Jim Collins, best-selling author of Good to Great, commented on Conant's sale of Godiva by saying, "That gets my attention, when someone has the discipline to let go of what doesn't fit."

Collins firmly believes in the power of a "stop-doing" discipline, a practice that began taking shape during his early post-Stanford Business School career at Hewlett-Packard. On a return visit to the school early in his career, Jim's favorite former professor, Rochelle Myers, reproached him for his lack of discipline. An expert in creativity and innovation, she told him his unbridled energy was riding herd over his mental clarity, enabling a busy yet unfocused life.

Her words rang true: At the time, Jim's life was crowded with the commotion of a fast-tracking career. Her comment made him pull up short and re-examine what he was doing. To help, she did what great teachers do, constructing a lesson in the form of an assignment she called "20-10": Imagine that you've just inherited $20 million free and clear, but you only have ten years to live. What would you do differently—and specifically, what would you stop doing?

The exercise did precisely what it was intended to do: make Jim stop and think about what mattered most to him. It was a turning point for three reasons.

First, he realized he'd been racing down the wrong track, spending enormous energy on the wrong things. In fact, he woke up to the fact that he hated his job. He promptly quit and headed back to Stanford to launch a new career of research, teaching, and writing.

Second, the assignment became a constant reminder of just how important his time is. He now starts each year by choosing what not to do, and each of his to-do lists always includes "stop-doing" items. Collins preaches his practice, impressing upon his audiences that they must have a "stop-doing" list to accompany their to-do lists. As a practical matter, he advises eliminating the bottom twenty percent of your goals... forever.

Third, the strategy helped him identify what factors led the companies he was studying to become "great" while others remained merely "good." The great companies routinely eliminated activities and pursuits that did not significantly contribute to the following criteria: profit, passion, and perfection. All three criteria had to be met in order for any activity to remain in these great companies' repertoires.

In this editorial piece Collins said, "A great piece of art is composed not just of what is in the final piece, but equally what is not. It is the discipline to discard what does not fit—to cut out what might have already cost days or even years of effort—that distinguishes the truly exceptional artist and marks the ideal piece of work, be it a symphony, a novel, a painting, a company, or most important of all, a life."

In an economic environment where time, money and attention are fixed or decreasing, where we must achieve maximum effect with minimum means, having a good stop-doing strategy may hold the key. At the very least, it will allow us to make more room for what really matters by eliminating what doesn't.

Matthew E. May is the author of In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing and blogs here. You can follow him on Twitter here

 

From OPEN Forum Articles

 

TIps for College/University students

Starting College? Words of Wisdom

Published: September 12, 2009

To the Editor:

Ted McGrath

Re "College Advice, From People Who Have Been There Awhile," a collection of nine Op-Ed essays on Sept. 6:

Create opportunities for yourself — this is my advice to college students. Be proactive and seek mentorship from professors whose research interests are closely aligned to your own.

Immerse yourself fully in this field of study and find ways of making your research relevant to society at large. In this era of globalization, it is vital to keep asking the question: how is my work relevant on the international stage?

Do not be afraid to take risks by stepping outside your personal and academic comfort zones. Apply for competitive international scholarship programs. The application process, while long and arduous, is a valuable learning experience that will help to clarify your goals.

College is a rigorous, exhilarating process. As you set off to forge your own path, make it your mission to seek out research and fellowship opportunities along the way. The rewards are tremendously fulfilling, and in the end you will become a more adaptable and globally minded citizen of the world.

Lindsay Chura
Cambridge, England, Sept. 6, 2009

The writer, a Mount Holyoke graduate, is a Gates Scholar at Cambridge University and was a Fulbright Scholar in Australia in 2006-7.

•

To the Editor:

I was disappointed that not one member of your panel of sages advised incoming freshmen to take a course in art, music or both.

While no one would dispute that all college students should absorb and understand works by Homer, Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton and other members of the "indispensable canon," the understanding and appreciation of the works of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Brueghel, Rembrandt, Bach, Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven (among others) are no less important.

The American scholar and author Thomas Merton got it exactly right when he wrote, "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."

Richard Kavesh
Nyack, N.Y., Sept. 7, 2009

The writer teaches social studies at the Bronx School of Law and Finance.

•

To the Editor:

I enjoyed the sage advice for first-year students offered by my esteemed colleagues from many of our nation's premier four-year colleges and universities. Yet I can't help but juxtapose it to the message given upon admission to community college students: do something practical; declare a career major right away; the liberal arts won't prepare you for a job.

Reading the classics, becoming politically engaged and casting a broad intellectual net by learning to think critically are essential messages that are just as important to present to the poor, working-class and students of color enrolled in community colleges.

Lisa Hale Rose
Brooklyn, Sept. 6, 2009

The writer is an associate professor in the department of social science and human services at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY.

•

To the Editor:

I taught biology for about 55 years and was interested to read the good advice that was offered by college faculty.

One piece of advice that I didn't see was that students should take a course and gain as much experience as possible in public speaking. No matter what career students pursue, they will have to stand up and speak to a group of people sometime, and they are usually not well prepared to do so.

Also, I would emphasize the importance of experiences. We learn from everything that we do, and everything that we do becomes part of who we are.

Each student is unique. I have always emphasized that someone can be taller, smarter or richer, but nobody is better than someone else. A college education should help students identify and nurture his or her special talents.

The broad mission of teachers is to provide meaningful, motivational experiences that enrich the lives of students and help them identify their unique traits and where they fit in life. To me, that's what a college education should be all about.

Marvin Druger
Syracuse, Sept. 6, 2009

The writer is professor emeritus in biology and science education at Syracuse University.

•

To the Editor:

The advice from Stanley Fish about composition courses ("The Hunt for a Good Teacher") is right on the mark for incoming college students.

Forty-nine years ago this month, I enrolled in a required first-year composition course. My instructor, a senior member of the English department, conveyed a sense of deeply investing himself in teaching composition.

Inspired by this experience, I made my way in the next semester into an optional course best described as intermediate English composition. I found it rewarding and fulfilling.

What I learned in my English composition courses I have distilled into advice that I subsequently imparted, over and over again, to my own first-year students during nearly 40 years as a professor of American history: if you will not devote yourself to learning to write, you will discover yourself hampered and frustrated by your inability to think effectively.

Writing and thinking stand among the keys to learning.

Michael H. Ebner
Lake Forest, Ill., Sept. 8, 2009

The writer is professor emeritus of American history at Lake Forest College.

•

To the Editor:

Re "Get Lost. In Books.": However much I appreciated Harold Bloom's advice to college freshmen (read Homer, Plato, the Bible and so on), I was disappointed at how few female authors he had included in his indispensable canon.

In addition to Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson and George Eliot, I'd suggest that Virginia Woolf, Daphne du Maurier, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Iris Murdoch, Harper Lee, Toni Morrison, the great biographer Nancy Milford and Margaret Atwood, among others, have more than earned places on a 21st-century reading list.

Alison Corbett
Boulder, Colo., Sept. 6, 2009

The writer is pursuing a master's degree in English at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

To network: Connect in a respectful and personal way with those in your same situation

The Truth About Networking (Do you Build or do you Bet?)

Posted: 02 Sep 2009

Editor's Note: I rarely accept guest posts on my blog. But Carlos Miceli from OwlSparks is an exception because his writing is elegant and poignant. So I actually reached out to him for this guest post, and he was happy to oblige. Enjoy!

Image from marcandrelariviere via Flickr

Networking is a common goal for most people involved in social media. We know it takes time and effort, but the payoffs can be quite gratifying.

The thing about networking is that value is king. You show your value and connect with those that you think will be valuable to you. It's logical then that valuable people get targeted more than others. It's Pareto all over again.

Considering this, I see two ways for successful online networking:

#1 – Building.

This is the hard one, statistically speaking.

If you do something remarkable, they will come. Not because they are suddenly nicer, but because it's good for them too. Spreading your story enhances their reputation as well. Value goes both ways.

There are two problems with this approach:

First, building something remarkable enough to get their attention is not easy at all. Odds are against you.

The other problem is that they are all set. They don't need you. The irony is that if you build something truly remarkable maybe you won't need them either…

#2 – Betting.

(I love this approach, it has given me fantastic results).

Catch the next wave.

Don't play the safe path, reach out to other beginners.

All winners were rookies at some point, connect with them in that stage.

Everyone begins with 50 subscribers and 100 followers.

Go after them before it's too late.

And believe me, the worthy ones leave the first stage very quickly.

So, there you go. Don't waste your efforts talking to those that are just too busy to listen. As appealing as reaching out to the Chris Brogan's and Gary Vaynerchuk's may sound, you're investing a lot of effort for very little return.

Instead, take risks; you have almost nothing to lose when you are starting. Connect in a respectful and personal way with those in your same situation.

I would take connecting with the future Seth Godin over being just another follower of today's one any day.

Editor's note: I reached out to Carlos when he was in his beginning stages because I do think he's the next Seth Godin. I highly recommend his blog, OwlSparks. Subscribe here for daily insights.

 

From Twenty Set

 

Structuring one's day

The Answer to Less Stress? More Structure.

Posted: 01 Sep 2009

From Tony Bacigalupo: As small business owners, we all know the feeling of being 5 hours into the day and not having accomplished anything on our to-do list. Or looking up at the clock and realizing that you've just worked for 15 hours straight without a bite to eat.

The fact is, by being your own boss, you take on full responsibility for your time. Without someone to tell you when or where to work, it's up to you to discipline yourself.

The problem? Most people are lousy at holding themselves accountable – at work and at home. And particularly when it comes to balancing the two. For instance: How long is your list of really important personal things that you haven't done in weeks?

It's all about structuring your day and creating accountability. And there are ways to do this both big and small:

Structuring Small: Personal Reminder Services
There's no shortage of productivity-focused services. Tools like Remember The Milk can help you stick to a schedule and not forget the important things on your list, while the well-titled HassleMe simply nags you about anything you like, at any interval, over email. The more sophisticated iPing will actually call you.

If these, or similar services, sound like something that can help you, Mashable has a rundown of 30 different reminder services here.

Of course, while reminder services are a useful supplement, really building the discipline needed to structure your day productively might take a more concerted effort.

Structuring Big: Group Co-working
A few years ago, Brad Neuberg, a freelance developer in San Francisco, found himself working around the clock with too little time for personal maintenance. He consulted a life coach, and they together came up with the idea of "coworking"—which, in its original incarnation, was a special event where participants would share a structured workday.

In his words: "Unlike a traditional office, in the Spiral Muse Coworking Group we begin the day with a short meditation and circle to set our personal and work intentions, and check in physically and emotionally with where we are. Then, we work in the amazing Spiral Muse house, sitting at tables or relaxing on couches as we do our work. Even though each of us is doing separate work, perhaps programming or writing a novel, we can feel each others presence, run ideas by the community, or take breaks together at the "watercooler." We take lunch as a group, and then later in the day have a 45-minute break where we do a different healthy activity every day, such as guided yoga, meditation, a nice walk, or perhaps a bike ride in the sun. We end the day at 5:45 PM sharp, supporting each other in both starting a good work day at 9 AM and ending our work in a healthy, balanced way at the end of the day."

While the structure Neuberg set up might not work for your particular needs, it's an interesting model to draw inspiration from. What could you do within your business to lend better, healthier structure to your day? If you adopted a version of Neuberg's example above into your company's culture, what would it look like?

 

From OPEN Forum Articles

 

Blogging: 5 Tips For How to Start and Grow a Successful Blog

5 Tips For How to Start and Grow a Successful Blog

Posted: 02 Sep 2009

From Jill Fehrenbacher, Inhabitat: Blogs are becoming the ubiquitous calling cards of cyberspace, and it seems like everyone is starting one: from your sister, to the mom next door, to corporate marketing professionals trying to carefully cultivate their brand's public image.  I've been blogging for the past five years, and my green design sites Inhabitat and Inhabitots rank in the Technorati top 100 - and I'd like to pass on some of the tricks of the trade I've learned through relentless trial and error.  Hopefully my tips will allow you to skip some of the trial and error part and get started in the right direction. In order to be successful at blogging, one must follow certain criteria, while also blazing a unique trail. Here are five surefire tips to help you pave a successful path to growing a relevant and profitable blog.

1. Choose your niche wisely Decide on a topic for your blog and then deliver your news and information in a fashion that will entice and engage readers. Select your theme well, and make sure it's something you're passionate about, as you'll be married to it day in and day out, constantly sourcing information for content. Also, consider the competition in your genre. The more unique your chosen topic is, the more chance of success you will have.  If your topic is well-covered on the Internet, find a way to set your blog apart with unprecedented delivery or a larger than life personal perspective. 

2. Find a unique perspective Set your blog apart by making it a first hit, go-to resource for people interested in its subject. Conformists needn't apply to the blogging realm. The most successful blogs are the ones that offer a highly unique, specialized perspective that can't be found anywhere else on the Web. Be the first to break stories, publish noteworthy posts frequently, say something original, and provide unique, compelling content.

3. The medium is the message Blog visitors are a new breed of readers who value their time and are looking for instantaneous access to information. They want information to be chopped into bite-sized, palatable pieces that are interwoven with eye-candy imagery. Pictures really are worth a thousand words in the blogging world, and punchy, well-written, concise text will always be preferred over long, explanatory prose.

4. Network, Network, Network The backbone of a blog's success is that people know about it. Get the word out about your blog by establishing meaningful, reciprocal connections with other bloggers in your field. Feature link roundups on your blog to showcase the efforts of other bloggers, putting you on their radar. Build a community among the readers of your blog by asking questions in your posts, soliciting feedback, holding contests and giveaways, and encouraging involvement.

5. Become a student of other successful blogs Check out Technorati's list of the Top 100 Blogs, and study them to learn what makes a successful blog tick. Blogging is a relentless state of trying to outperform not only your competitors, but yourself. The more you know what works and why, the more you can tweak your blog and shape it into an ultimate success story.

 

From OPEN Forum Articles