Mind Management, Not Time Management

Neuroscientists often refer to the prefrontal cortex as the “CEO of the brain.” The prefrontal cortex sits at a big mahogany desk all day and fields proposals from other parts of the brain. The prefrontal cortex keeps things running, and keeps the paychecks coming. But when it comes to creativity, the prefrontal cortex is a real spoilsport.

Fire the CEO (of Your Brain)

To find my Creative Sweet Spot, I need to find a window of time in which I not only have the energy necessary to write, but when I’m also primed for divergent thinking.

This habit of intense focus in the morning is repeated so many times in the routines of writers and other creators, it’s impossible to list all the examples.

But how many of us keep track of time’s relationship with energy?

We already keep rough mental accounts of time.

It’s not just the amount of time something takes that is important. It also matters from where that time is taken. Where you choose to take that time will affect not just that portion of your schedule. It will also have ripple effects throughout the structure of your schedule, your work, and your life.

If you could think of more-obvious connections less and less-obvious connections more, you would suddenly have more novel ideas.

Obvious connections are the obstacle to novel ideas.