Daydream Like a Genius
By Michael J. Zappa, MD, FACEP
STOP making excuses for yourself….
STOP believing "If I had been luckier or just had the money to pursue my ideas then I would be…"
START daydreaming!
The most intelligent and successful people in history all have something in common: they give their minds a regular opportunity to daydream. Daydreaming requires introducing a little "boredom" into one's day. It requires a break from the typical routine followed by most "successful" individuals whose days are filled with scheduled tasks measured by productivity.
The 17th-century philosopher Rene Descartes taught: "Cogito ergo sum," Latin for "I think, therefore I am." This reminds us that thought must precede action. To give ourselves the opportunity to think and innovate, we must let our minds wander.
Albert Einstein's genius is accurately revealed in his famous quote:
"If we want to change the world, we have to change our thinking…no problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it …we must learn to see the world anew."
In order to advance your personal situation, achieve your goals, lead your team, and make your world a better place, your mind needs to be free to explore and create – when you are daydreaming, you are thinking!
Clearly not every daydreamer is regularly improving their situation in life and most have more significant concerns than how to invest their profits from their latest product launch! There are, fortunately, scientific principles that are part of the genius mindset present when they daydream. These sessions of mind wandering are often referred to as thought experiments. Assimilating the following principles into our thought processes will advance each of us on our life's journey.
Daydream Like a Genius
Ponder the Right Question
Imagine a New Reality
Embrace Uncertainty
Critique Your Own Opinions, Ideas, and Perspectives
Experiment
Ponder the Right Question
As your mind begins to wander and open the way to creativity, you will likely ponder a problem that needs a solution. Be sure you are thinking about the answer to the correct question…as you tap into your personal genius you are likely to realize the correct question is different from the one you started with. View the situation from a higher level and it often becomes apparent. Take the problem of gasoline prices and automobile fuel inefficiency…. a genius changed the question from "How do you make gasoline engines more efficient?" to "How do you make engines that don't run on gasoline?"
Imagine a New Reality
Most people are familiar with the concept of brainstorming in group strategy sessions, but you can easily brainstorm by yourself as you daydream. One of the key elements here is to practice divergent thinking: challenge the status quo, don't let your imagination be limited by current realities, even budgets. There will be time to filter your innovative concepts later. The focus needs to be on strategy, not tactics.
Embrace Uncertainty
No advances occur by playing it safe, nor do they come with a money-back guarantee. As you start to filter your new ideas or strategies, consider the worst possible outcome for each. In most instances it is not truly tragic – it is most likely fear of failure, embarrassment, or lost time – none of which are reasons to not try something that could be a game-changer.
Critique Your Own Opinions, Ideas, and Perspectives
Work diligently to analyze all the ways your idea may fail – think about what your most vocal critics would say and how you should respond. Try to disprove your own theories and look in the mirror and recognize your inherent biases. Don't forget to do an equally thorough analysis of your historical successes; be sure there were no flaws in your tried and true strategies that just succeeded by luck.
Experiment
When you've taken the time to let your mind tap into its potential, and you think you have the creative solution that's a game-changer, set up your experiment. This protects you from a large-scale disaster and affords the opportunity to tweak and enhance your process and/or product. Be sure to measure your results and when you are pleased, go for it!
Daydreaming can jumpstart your personal fulfillment, improve your strategic skills, and even set the foundations for life-changing innovations!