From Mental Fog to Creative Clarity

Yesterday, it was foggy all day here in the Twin Cities.

Below is a shot I took about a block from my house ...

Now, here's the thing: It's never foggy all day in the Twin Cities. Especially in December.

So this made for a very unusual day, especially when driving. I had to tune out distractions and focus on the road, or risk a crash.

But this had an unexpected benefit. By really observing where I was driving, I had to be fully present and mindful -- it was an accidental zen thing. No stray thoughts, worrying about the future, or replaying past events. Just driving.

What was the benefit?

Research cited in the book, The Laws of Subtraction shows that familiarity can stifle creativity.

By intensely focusing on the new, unusual driving conditions, my mind was jolted out of its normal thought patterns. Not surprisingly, it handed me several solutions later on to problems I had been trying to solve for days.

This happens to you all the time when you travel. Think about it: When you drive or fly to new places (or back home, if you live across the country), you pay more attention to your surroundings, which lets your mind break free of old thought patterns.

So, here's what I learned from the fog: You can wait for weird weather or a vacation to jolt you out of your mental ruts ...

... or you can take action and pay closer attention to your surroundings the next time you walk or drive across town. Doing so can boost your creativity and problem-solving powers, faster and cheaper than a trip across the country.

Meanwhile ... if you want to put an end to "feast-or-famine" syndrome in your business, a free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your copy here.