The Virtue of Daydreaming

Greetings:

I received an email from my good friend Alyson Stanfield of Art Biz Coach with a link to an article and a note that said, "This looks like a Rachelle article." She was right. (Thanks Alyson) The article was on the Boston Globe website and was about one of my favorite subjects, Daydreaming. Jonah Lehrer wrote an article entitled "Daydream achiever - A wandering mind can do important work, scientists are learning - and may even be essential."

I am delighted that scientists are finally figuring out what I, and many, have known for years. Daydreaming is a good thing. When I was working in corporate I had a manager that didn't get the value of Daydreaming, or really even thinking. One day she walked into my office as I was thinking over a project I was working on going over the various ways that it could be done. I essentially was Daydreaming about the success of the project and how I could be innovative. When my manager came into my office she asked what I was doing. I told her I was thinking. Her response? "I am not paying you to think, get back to work."

Luckily my current boss, that would be me, allows me to daydream. In fact encourages it. I take time every day to daydream. Actually I look forward to this time because I find myself doing and accomplishing amazing things in my daydreams. I bring those ideas and concepts back to my work. Not everything is a success but there are times when I strike gold. In the article Lehrer explains that the post-it-note, one of the most successful business supply inventions of all times, was created as one of the inventors Arthur Fry sat in church daydreaming. You just never know when one of your daydreams is going to be a big winner.

I recommend that everyone keep an idea journal, or maybe you could even call it a daydream journal. You won't be able to act on all your ideas or dreams when you have them and you won't remember them. You might think you will but trust me. I have had some great ideas that I don't remember because I didn't write them down. Carry a small notebook with you and when you have an idea or daydream write it down in your notebook. Days, weeks or even months later you can go back over your notes and pick up on a good idea you had.

Here's to taking action

Rachelle