Here’s a TED talk by Manoush Zomorodi on “How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c73Q8oQmwzo (16:13) [TED, 30-Aug-2017].
In the video she talks about how our minds wander when we have nothing to do. She notes that boredom is the gateway into the default mode in our brains; the birthplace of creativity. The cracks in our days are often filled with distractions that keep our minds busy. Nowadays there are taskmasters that used to be tools competing for these cracks. The choice is ours to consider: interact with these taskmasters or don’t and re-open the cracks in our days for whatever comes. For us, this is part of how we structure our days and forms part of management controls.
Some things that neuroplasticity and informatics experts suggest we consider:
Doing nothing, no really. Not getting stuff done, opening up the space to connect disparate ideas
Multitasking is actually the fast switching of the brain. Reducing the pace of our shifting attention to use less brain energy
Mindlessness is not mindfulness. Unwinding inside a taskmaster activates the brain leaving less space for our minds to wander
What taskmasters call for your time? What cracks can you claim back? Where are your distractions? What is your relationship with boredom?
How does this thinking apply to you as a Project Manager? What are your teams distracted by? What initiative tasks fill up space without adding value? When is there time to be with a problem? Who is too busy doing to create?
Why is this important? Good question. Creativity is an essential part of our lives. It brings “new” into the conversation and brings challenge that generates engagement. Accepting time for our minds to wander opens up these avenues. These avenues are where day-dreams start coming to life.
For further reading:
How Being Bored Out of Your Mind Makes You More Creative by Clive Thompson https://www.wired.com/2017/01/clive-thompson-7 (550 words) [Wired, 25-Jan-2017]
Inviting you to have a view / read and to have a chat with me about your thoughts.
[Originally posted internally in my role as Project Management Practice Lead at The Warehouse Group.]