A pipe gives a wise man time to think and a fool something to stick in his mouth.
Unknown
With smartphones you are never alone and there are always distractions available. But what happens when you do not use it and are forced to wait. For example, in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, or at a laundromat? The later might actually be better, as it is hard to let one’s mind relax when you are waiting due to a medical problem.
Trying it out during the last weeks I was surprised just how many ideas just sprang to mind. Just sitting there, waiting for the washing to finish, and having a paper notepad with a pen in hand. Not waiting for idea, but being open if there are some.
It also puts a different spin on the waiting times. It is not wasted time from which you want to distract yourself, but time you can use to think. As a consequences, the time passes pretty quickly.
BTW, I really recommend paper. In contrast to smartphone, a tablet, or even an eInk tablet to jot down the ideas, paper is patient. There is no battery with decreasing percentage. No bright screen. Just some paper you can jot down anything that comes to mind.
Very, very useful. And look, clean clothes 😉
