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Has this ever happened to you?
You’re working on some project, and you're trying so hard to push through and get ‘er done, and you just can't figure out is one last piece to make it done. And you're so pissed at yourself, and you can't figure out what to do.
Well, here are some tips that I have for you, that happened to me.
So the other day, I was trying to write something, and it took me a few hours, like half a day minimum or even almost a day. And it was 90% done, and I just needed one more example, or one more thing to wrap it all up, and put it all together, and I just couldn't figure it out.
I was humming and hawing, and trying this, thinking that, brainstorming this, researching.
And you know that point when you're like, you're just so frustrated, “Why can I frickin’ figure this out! This is so stupid! Do I suck? It's just like one more thing to do, and I'll be done for the day, and I can’t freakin’ get this thing done.”
So you keep pounding your head on it over and over and over again, and it is super frustrating.
Okay, so what happened was, I tried really hard to figure this out while I was sitting at my desk at home.
Eventually, I actually had to go buy groceries, so I was like, “You know what, I'm just gonna go buy groceries.” It’s maybe a 10 minute walk to the grocery store.
And the second I started walking for maybe 5 or 10 minutes...and I actually intentionally didn’t start listening to a podcast or do something on my phone; I let my brain just relax a little bit.
I think maybe three minutes into the walk an example came to mind, and it was the perfect example that's gonna solve the whole thing and wrap up my writing perfectly!
The point of this is that your brain has two main modes to think about.
There's the focus executive function mode where you really focus, you're honing in.
But then, it’s not the same network of your brain as the default mode network that is more about creativity, mind wandering, and that's where ideas can come.
I was so into that executive function mode because I was super focused that somehow, I was locked into that, and I couldn't come up with new ideas.
So just taking a walk, having that forward movement, letting my mind wander, not thinking about anything in particular…
I wasn’t even trying to solve this problem; I wasn't like okay, “I'm gonna take a walk and try to figure this out!”, because then that's the kind of very focus, right? I wanted my brain to kind of be more like chill mode.
So, I'm going to kind of turn it off...Your brain is still always working in the background, you know? We have a conscious part of our brain, there's also the unconscious part.
Basically letting your brain wander a little bit when you can't figure out something is actually super beneficial.
The next time you're stuck on something, and you really can’t figure it out, it can be super productive to take a break, and go walk around, go get water, go walking outside.
Do something, and then not worry about it, just kind of relax and just let your mind wander and the answer may come to you.
So next time you're noticing yourself pounding hard, and trying to pound your way through, and hammering your way through, and forcing your way through, trying to work harder to get some frickin’ thing done…
And you can’t figure out a creative thing. Not like obviously to add more numbers, but a creative solution or an idea that's something unique that needs to come.
For that kind of task, if you can't figure it out, go take a walk, or let your mind wander, and it may come to you.
Try it out, and let me know how it goes!