Let time work for you

Sometimes the best thing you can do for an idea is to not touch it for a while, giving it a chance to simmer or ferment. When stuck, a solution might appear once you've given yourself enough distance and perhaps focused on other things—similar to 'shower thoughts', but in this context the timeframe can be over days, weeks, or months.

Practically speaking, this can be a useful strategy to allow something already clear to refine itself. For example, when publishing an announcement or sending correspondence, it's common to wait until the moment of publishing to both write and send. But scribbling scraps down before the idea is complete, way back at the moment of realizing it needs to be done (even if it's just random words or fragments), can trigger a capture mechanism to perceive related ideas; Capturing creates a space for 'the answer to go'. The earlier you jot down notes, the more opportunities you'll have to glance it over and notice improvements and ways to tie everything together. Counter to the stressful approach of an accelerated culture that does things as fast as possible: the longer it takes here, the more flavourful the result.

If you've published your idea, the rest of the world needs time to become aware that it exists. You can help the process by promoting it, but at a certain point it's in the hands of other people to try it out and share via word of mouth. While that's happening, a popular habit is to keep grinding away, but it can also be enough to leave the idea as it is and let time pass: you might avoid burning out while also returning with a fresh perspective that helps you work smarter instead of harder.

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