We all have times when we are wrestling with a thorny problem or are desperate to generate new ideas but inspiration simply eludes us. We end up going around and around in circles and, instead of things becoming clearer, the waters just get murkier and murkier.
Something that is worth trying when you find yourself locked in your own head and unable to come up with answers is to seek out a new perspective — a new physical perspective. When we are constantly in the same physical environment, there is very little (if any) new stimulus to make us think differently. Looking at the same four walls or being around the same people does not do anything to spark new trains of thought or allow our imagination to run wild, and often the environment itself is full of distractions. Sit at home and try to come up with ideas for a new career direction, for example, and chances are that all you will be able to focus on is that you should be playing with the kids or attending to that dripping faucet in the kitchen. On the other hand, take yourself out for a walk in the countryside or sit yourself down on a beach and watch the waves roll in, and your thoughts can truly be free to take flight.
[Article first appeared in the June 2011 issue of Family Times published monthly by Play-a-Round Golf. To receive your own copy of our newsletter each month, send your mailing address to steve@playaroundgolf.net.]
