We thought we knew nearly everything about productivity… but no — we were missing one crucial piece: systematising ideation. That higher-level kind of thinking, done calmly and with perspective, which becomes essential at certain professional stages. This realisation dawned on me as I reflected on my own systems and considered the direction we want our consultancy to take.
When reviewing how we organise our time, many of us have already optimised our calendars: more coherent schedules, focused on what truly matters. We’ve reduced meetings to only those that are strictly necessary, ensuring there’s ample time to prepare for them — and to dive deeper into those that require it. What’s more, we’ve become more efficient in handling those tasks that used to trap us in relentless multitasking (emails, mobile phones, and the like).
However, despite all the progress we’ve made, something was still missing: deliberate time to “feed the brain” with essential ideas and knowledge — time to think from a distance about broader topics. Some refer to this as structured ideation.
So, what does this “feeding my brain” involve?
It’s that kind of space we all need to:
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Read articles and insights that expand our perspective
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Listen to voices different from those we usually engage with
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Observe the world around us with curiosity
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Converse with clients and colleagues on a deeper level
We do engage in these activities — but not as systematically as we should.
But here’s the real challenge: how do we transform all this input into valuable ideas? And this is where science offers a rather intriguing clue.
Research shows that ideation mainly takes place during moments of scattered focus — those hazy mental spaces when we’re walking, showering, or driving. Our brains first need to absorb information and only then can they process it in the background.
The paradox? We rarely schedule these two types of time in our calendars. We’re so focused on doing, that we forget to create space for thinking — for idea generation.
