We associate boredom with something unpleasant, negative, but in vain: it seems that we underestimate it. Creativity and invention are practically impossible without boredom, it is the key to our potential.
It turns out that boredom is not at all a condition that you need to get rid of as soon as possible, but an asset that you should learn how to manage. This is one of the driving forces of our development.
Of course, to bring your idea to life, you need many other things – creativity, intelligence, perseverance. But the stage of the birth of an idea is preceded by boredom. This is confirmed by the results of a recent study conducted by the Australian National University, in which part of the subjects were asked to complete boring tasks at first, and it was these people who subsequently had the most creative ideas.
We take an example from children
Imagine if your kids were without access to a phone, tablet, or TV. Of course, at first they will most likely complain that they are bored, but pretty quickly they will come up with some kind of activity for themselves. Of course, not all of their inventions will be useful, but boredom will make your offspring ask one of the main questions for humanity – “what if …”.
“I really believe in boredom,” said Steve Jobs. “She helps us to give free rein to our curiosity, and from curiosity everything is born.” When we fill our free time with watching TikTok videos and Instagram feeds, we send our main ally – boredom – to the bench.
Boredom as a tool
Do you need new ideas or a fresh perspective on a situation? Close your laptop, turn off your phone, and do something boring for half an hour. In the study mentioned above, researchers asked participants to read a phone book. So you don’t have to bully yourself, but you can go for a walk, ride a bike, sit in the sun, mess around – in general, do something that allows your brain to relax.
At this time, do not force yourself to meditate, do not make lists of tasks that you will take on as soon as the time allotted for boredom has passed. Let thoughts wander, don’t control their flow. Only in this way can fresh ideas come to your mind – of course, they are based on the already existing foundation, on old ideas, but something new is added to them. New part, connection, new method, approach, point of view.
It would seem, what does all this have to do with you if you are not a representative of the so-called creative professions? The most direct. Entrepreneurs need to solve complex business problems and notice opportunities in time. And the best way to do this is to “load” the brain with a task, and then get distracted and let the mind wander.
We are used to quenching boredom with TV, social media, and podcasts, but we could do more and achieve more just by allowing ourselves to be immersed in this state for at least half an hour a day. Maybe worth a try? Set aside time to indulge in some monotonous activity while your thoughts wander and collide with each other, creating new curious connections.
Put things aside and go outside for at least thirty minutes. Or take the chair to the balcony to get some air. Allow boredom to enter your life and open access to your inner creative source.