Mindlessness for deep thought

A few of the posts I’ve shared in the last week came to me at nearly the same time, even though they weren’t related. The time? When I was just messing around one evening playing “Best Fiends” on my tablet. I let my mind wander, and it found a few connections that I didn’t realize existed.

This happens to me some during exercise as well. If I’m doing something engaging like Supernatural I’m focused on what I’m doing, but if I go out for a walk or run, I’ll often skip ear buds and just let my mind do whatever it wants. Sometimes during those times I’ll come up with a new idea for a post, or remember someone that I need to call, or have an idea to send a particular video to someone to watch.

It’s like the situation in “The Big Bang Theory”, when Sheldon took a menial job to help let his mind wander and solve a major problem that he was facing:

By intentionally taking his mind off of his work, he was able to solve a major problem facing him.

Granted, I don’t generally pick up my tablet with the intent of coming up with new ideas — it’s mostly just to relax for a few minutes. However, through the course of any given week I’ll do my best to purposefully include some time like this, and it often leads to beneficial outcomes.

Originally published at https://www.mickmel.com on July 31, 2023.