Stop thinking

25 September 2009 2 By Viv McWaters

iStock_Rope TangleOver the past fortnight I’ve had a particularly tricky problem on my mind – nothing too serious, just messy and complicated and a bit demoralising. The more I thought about it the less able I felt. I started to question my own capacity to think and make sense, yet alone identify options.

So I let it go. I stopped thinking about the issue for a whole week. Consciously, anyway. I read books. I blogged. I watched mindless television and exciting football games (that’d be Aussie Rules Football of course!) I walked on the beach and in the forest. I balanced rocks. I had weird dreams – none of which I can remember. I weeded the vegie garden. I trained some people in facilitation. I listened to music. I slept in. I met friends for coffee, and others for dinner.

And then I returned to the problem. And click, click, click. The synapses fired. Options were all around. Ideas exploding. Enthusiasm reignited. I just had to let it go and be patient. Easy to say. Hard to do. Worth remembering.

Photo credit: iStockphoto