January 13

We are learning a fundamentally new way of being human. Our technological development is quickly outpacing our biological adaptation to that technology. The net result is that we spend much of our time glued to our devices, responding to emails and messages the moment they come in and glancing to see if something new is more important than the task at hand.

Creative intuition requires deep thought. This may not seem to be the case, because many ideas apparently come from nowhere in a moment of sudden breakthrough, but those ideas are more often than not being forged for longer than we perceive just beneath the surface of consciousness. If you want to hone your intuition, you must dedicate some time to being still, alone with your thoughts, off the grid, and without distraction. This is so effective because you begin to “hear” things that are often drowned out by the noise.

Creative intuition doesn’t shout; it whispers. And if it’s not heard, it doesn’t press the point. It fades. You must still yourself so that you don’t miss these moments.

Dedicate some time each day—in the morning, the evening, at lunch, or whenever works best for you—to simply being still and alone with your thoughts. Be off the grid. Ignore the ping of your technology.

To access deep, creative thought, you must occasionally disconnect.

When will you be off the grid and hone your intuition today?