Creative problem solving requires a delicate balance between effort and effortlessness. Content and space. Doing and non-doing.

On the “effort” side of the equation, you need to invest at least some amount of focused action in order to connect the dots in a new and useful way.

That also means you need enough dots to start working with. The raw material and conceptional building blocks from which new ideas can be formed. Those dots can come from your past experiences, books, expert advice, or even from more mysterious sources of inspiration (like the Muse or universal intelligence).

But all this effort and content only provides the POTENTIAL for breakthrough insights. Too much of either can actually block your most creative thinking.

On a day-to-day level, living up to your creative problem-solving potential usually isn’t about adding more.

It’s about removing what’s getting in the way.

It’s about:

• Creating space, stillness, and quiet.
• Ignoring the petty problems that distract you from what really matters.
• Learning to listen to the inner guidance that comes from your higher Self (capital “S”).

The world’s best thinkers and problem solvers don’t rely on force or sheer willpower in order to consistently come up with breakthrough ideas. Creativity doesn’t work that way.

Just like any great artist, they allow themselves the space they need to flow between “doing” and “not doing,” between conscious effort and relaxed effortlessness. Rather than rely on effort and force, they simply focus on creating the conditions necessary for breakthrough ideas to naturally emerge.

This is often harder than it sounds.

Most of us are so conditioned to “doing,” so quick to fill every second of every day with some kind of external stimulation, that it can be very challenging (and uncomfortable) to slow down and create this kind of space.

In order to hear your most wise and useful inner guidance, you also have to be willing to bring awareness to those anxious, insecure thoughts. The fear-based voice that you may have been spending your entire life trying to avoid.

But the better you get at listening, the easier it will be to home in on those helpful insights and breakthrough ideas.

What will you do today to make it easier to hear your inner guidance?

• Will you carve out a little “stillness and quiet” time?
• Will you pay more attention to your natural circadian rhythm—the times of day when your mind is operating at its highest capacity vs when it needs to recharge?
• Will you practice bringing your full attention to that inner, quiet voice that’s trying to whisper your next breakthrough idea—even if it means also experiencing your less pleasant thoughts and emotions?