My job is by no means mindless, but there is a pretty definite repetitiveness to it. Each day is a different job, with its own particular nuances, but essentially each day consists of numerous tasks I’ve done thousands of times before, none of which require intense concentration.
So my mind wanders. During the course of a typical week I outline plot points and general encounters and devious traps for the AD&D campaign I run on Sundays. I strike upon concepts for novels and short stories that I usually pursue to a dead-end before disgustedly dismissing them. I balance my checking account and plan my budget.
It is at these times, or while I’m driving for distances longer than to and from work (a ten minute drive, even with the lights that have it out for me and turn yellow as soon as they see me approaching), that my mind seems its sharpest and my imagination seems at its best.
With my hesitant acceptance of NaNoWriNo’s challenge to write a novel next month, I expect to use these times to flesh out my novel. Hopefully, I’ll be able to overcome the precedent of forgetting everything and having my imagination freeze over like dew on a windshield the second I sit down at a word processor.
I’m laying there, thinking, sorting out the day, and BAM, a great idea strikes. A catchy title for a chapter, a perfect phrase for my resume, a solution to a month-old problem, whatever.
So then I am forced to get out of bed, turn on the light, find a piece of paper and write it down so that I don’t just fall asleep and forget all about it.
In order to confront my horrifying childhood, I underwent therapy with rapid-eye movement incorporated into it. I don’t know if it works for everyone, but it helped me immensely to resolve things.
Now, years later, I find certain activities also involve moving the eyes while allowing deep thought at the same time. Taking a shower, washing the dishes, and, especially, doing jigsaw puzzles are my good thinking times. Also driving, but I don’t really do the deep thinking there, more the light skimming and some planning.
Immediately after having done something profoundly stupid. Recognition of 11 on a scale of 10. Then I think of how to honestly admit the moment of cranio-rectal inversion while minimising chagrin factor.
In the shower. It’s often the only time of my day I spend alone. I sometimes just sit down and plan stuff or think about people I know or how to solve some particular problem. I only wish we had a bigger hot water heater.
(sorry about using so much water…I conserve in other ways like never washing my car )
Best? Another vote for certain nights, when my mind is a regular vortex. The rest of the time my thoughts are rather mediocre, I fear.
What’s AD&D by the way? The only context in which I’ve come across the abbreviation is at work, but there is refers to “Accidental Death and Dismemberment” insurance, which doesn’t seem quite the thing.
I read that as Advanced Dungeon and Dragons, an RPG game.
I’m with the OP, work for me is the best time. It doesn’t involve concentration so my mind is free to wander. I’ve recently began thinking that I think more at work because I have no other distractions, while at home I usually choose a distraction.
During class, when I’m supposed to be paying attention. I split my note-taking between what people say and what I think about it. Usually I end up predicting what’s about to be said.
At the bar, with a Guinness. I don’t know why, really. It’s like everything drowns everything else out, especially in vying for my attention, so it’s just easier to think.
Sometimes, thinking about a hard problem, I feel like Winney the Pooh, pooking his paw at his forehead, saying “Think!Think!Think!” I get so wound up in the fact that I’m supposed to be thinking that I can’t actually think at all. I’m okay if I can figure out a diagram to draw, or a list to make, or some data to plot, but sometimes I can’t quite work out what I need to do to let my brain grapple with the problem.
Then I wake up the next morning (or the morning after that or the morning after that) and I just know the answer.
I dunno how it works. I’m just glad it does. (Though it would be nice if I could do it on command.)
Unfortunately, no particular time. I’ve had to start carrying a notebook around with me all the time so I can write down whatever it is that popped into my head.
I do my best thinking and have my most profound moments when I’m at a point where it’s impossible to share it with another human being. I have great moments of introspection that just go lost entirely.
Hopefully when I’m sleeping at night they work themselves into usable thoughts thoughts that can at least correct my own thinking while I’m awake.
Memorize a chunk (2-3 paragraphs) of text or a 15-20 line poem. When you sit down at the Word processor, start typing it out. Use the same text every time. Don’t use one that’s typographically difficult (lots of punctuation or conversation, for example).
This has two effects: it gets you in the “typing groove”, and it’s boring. The boring part is important; as you pointed out, doing a task you’ve done before tends to make your mind wander. I usually find that a line or two of typing the “rote text” is enough to kick my brain into producing what it should be producing.
Once you’ve got a fair amount of text written on a particular work, you can skip this and just substitute reading what you’ve already written - this has the added advantage of returning the “voice” you used in the previous text.
Exactly the same thing for me. Except sometimes I’m just too tired to get up, so I tell myself to remember it in the morning. Unfortunately, I rarely do. I’ll have to keep a notepad by the bed, I guess.
For me it’s when I’m talking a walk, especially a walk after dark. I guess that’s why people say they need to take a walk to “clear their heads.” It works for me.
I tend to worry and overthink and so times like in the car or before I fall asleep is when I do my most thinking, but it is certainly not my best thinking.
My composition of written pieces usually happens when I’m doing mindless physical work. I have noticed , though, that crossword puzzles that stumped me in the evening will neatly fall into line in the morning.
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