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The Death of Daydreaming

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707 points isolli | 3 comments | 05 May 25 12:22 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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bhouston ◴[05 May 25 15:27 UTC] No.43896107[source]▶
I find that daydreaming is absolutely critical for coming up with good strategies. Otherwise I can default to just do the next obvious thing, which isn't always the most strategic if you can take in the full picture, or at least consider alternatives well.

The two ways I get to strategic reflection are really:

- Doing lego. I find thhat doing lego is actually really good at helping me consolidate thoughts and ideas. It takes up just enough mental energy to not get bored, but it lets me think about things with an unstressed mind.

- Walks. The other way to generate new perspectives is to take a walk at lunch though non-interesting territory. I really do not find walks in a busy downtown to be relaxing, too much activity intruding on me to actually be low stress, but if it is in a forest or even just a long parkway that works for me.

The absolute worst way to come up with new ideas is in front of my computer trying to work. Good for doing the next obvious thing, but really hard to think outside of the box.

You really do need a mix of the two, otherwise you are either doing the obvious or never actually doing anything.

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1. munificent ◴[05 May 25 16:12 UTC] No.43896600[source]▶
> It takes up just enough mental energy to not get bored, but it lets me think about things with an unstressed mind.

This is a really good observation.

Lately, knitting has been scratching this itch for me.

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2. ryanchants ◴[05 May 25 16:27 UTC] No.43896791[source]▶
Weaving for me. I've even picked up a small "pocket" loom, that's about A5 paper size that allows me to practice tapestry techniques on the move. This summer I plan on taking it to parks, brewery patios, etc.
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3. munificent ◴[05 May 25 20:14 UTC] No.43898993[source]▶
Weaving looks like fun!

One of the things I appreciate about knitting is how accommodating it is as a hobby. If I want to really focus on knitting, I can choose a project that uses a lot of complex stitches, cables, etc. If I just want to zone out and feel like I'm making progress, I can choose a simpler pattern that just does the same stitches over and over.

If I want to make something large and intricate, I can pick a pattern that uses multiple colors. But if I want something portable, I can pick a pattern that just needs a single ball of yarn and a single circular needle.