#ThinkfullyHabit: Incubate Ideas
We often want to tackle problem head on and work the problem until it’s resolved, not stopping until it’s sorted. But what if that isn’t necessarily the most helpful approach?
Studies show that incubating ideas substantially increases our likelihood of solving a problem. Interestingly, this is most likely with longer incubation periods and when not cognitively overloaded with tasks*. So if you find yourself facing longer periods of time indoors and with less routine or demanding work to occupy your mind, you may be able to make particular use of this habit.
It’s a simple process:
GATHER THOUGHTS: First, set time aside to actively consider the problem or the issue with full force - make sure you pick a time when you are feeling in a good mood. Use this time to explore the problem from lots of different angles e.g. call up someone to discuss it, read more about it, turn over different ideas.
SWITCH OFF: Second, set the problem aside – as a minimum this should be overnight.
REFLECT: Third, return to the problem and reflect on your earlier ideas. See what ideas have stuck and what new ideas come through.
“We do not know until the shell breaks what kind of egg we have been sitting on.”
WHY?
Researchers have studied this process by comparing people who take a break during problem solving (filling their break time with unrelated activities to prevent further conscious work on the problem) with those who work on a problem continuously. Findings reveal that people are better at solving problems when they split their problem solving over two occasions. Importantly, this isn't about spending more time on the problem, but about how you spend the same time more effectively. Experimental studies have looked to control the total time spent on problems in each scenario so that the actual time working on the problem is equal overall.
It works if we start by stimulating our minds consciously and deliberately – but not with the expectation that we will get novel or new solutions immediately, but rather that these will come about at a later point as we unconsciously recombine those elements triggered consciously earlier in the process. Not only that, if we start the process in a positive mood and on a 'good day' this increases the number of different thoughts we have initially and it’s these greater number of ideas that we can then incubate; increasing the likelihood of us solving problems more effectively later**. And then if we sleep on ideas, there’s a couple of things that can happen. Ideas may originate in dreams*** and sleep can help our ideas consolidate. Research shows that problem solving improves after a night’s sleep without any additional conscious effort given over to solving the problem****.
As Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone reflected, "The brain is working all the time, though we do not know it. At night, it follows up what we think in the daytime. When I have worked a long time on one thing, I make it a point to bring all the facts regarding it together before I retire; and I have often been surprised at the results. Have you not noticed that, often, what was dark and perplexing to you the night before, is found to be perfectly solved the next morning? We are thinking all the time; it is impossible not to think."
So, got a problem? In a good mood? Got some time? Now may be the perfect moment to start this new habit, which will be just as valuable in the busy times too.
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