Managing the Covid19 and the financial downturn, without a doubt demands some conscious New Thinking from everyone. To catapult this New Thinking individuals, governments and organisations need to tap into creativity more than ever before.

Perfect Time

Even though the globe is deep in the middle of the crisis, many are starting to wake-up to the post-Covid time. That is great, but the gift is staying in the present now. As most are in lockdown, circuit breaker or the different ways to say isolation, many struggle with isolation as they are not used to being with themselves or family members or without friends.

Yet this is a tremendous learning period that can propel you to greater awareness that is crucial for your personal development and efficacy as an human being.  May I suggest you consider the following.

Three New Thinks

There are three behaviours that can assist in this New Thinking and they are to settle in and ‘idle’ a bit; go Nomadic Wandering (or daydreaming); and ‘Think Vastly, Act Narrowly’. All allow free mind space for Aha Moments to occur!  Your mind might be saying, how odd is this, how does this open up to creativity.  Read on …

What is an Aha Moment? Let’s Explore

Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence), shares that the Aha Moment is when ‘something new is coming together that has never been done before.’ Aha Moments are what some may say are the ‘lightbulb moments’ or ‘moments of realization’.

Aha Moments, I have found to be gifts and I have captured 27 short stories of these moments, in my first book, Aha, Mother’s Pearls. What I am sharing in my stories is, that everyone has Aha Moments and they are happening throughout the day. You just may not be aware or conscious enough to register on them when they appear. Why because your too busy in the mind and spirit and rarely take time to observe, listen and be still.  This is why this space of ‘isolation’ or the idle time you have and nomadic wandering are important.  https://bit.ly/3aUGmil.

In my recent leadership book, The Nomadic Mindset: Never Settle…for Too Long, Binderiya a millennial student from Mongolia said to me that nomads ‘Think Vastly, Act Narrowly’.  When you combine this quote and the scientific evidence from what Daniel Goleman says on how creativity happens, the combination lends fascinating credence and value for the power of Aha Moment and the nomadic mindset.

The Attributes of the Idle State and Nomadic Wandering

Goleman says, that ‘when your mind goes into an ‘idling state or rest state, you are then open to the Aha appearing’. This appears when you are quiet, meditative, silent, or allowing free mind space and exploration to happen. This state, supports you and opens you up to go ‘nomadic wandering’ or ‘day-dreaming.’

How many times have you been reprimanded by teachers, leaders, sports coaches, or family or friends to stop day-dreaming and come back to the present moment? Get on with your work, stay focused!!! You may even feel guilty, uncomfortable or even fearful at the moment for having too many moments of an ‘idle mind’. Let this notion fly away.

This is the perfect time to experience and embrace the ‘idling’ time that is needed to New Think your life and behaviours and allow Aha’s to appear.

The Scientific Explanation

Goleman’s scientific explanation allows you to realize ‘idling’ and the nomadic wandering are vital for your creativity as well as other skills such as critical thinking and cognitive flexibility. I believe this is all related to tapping into your nomadic mindset.

Goleman, shares ‘idling’ and nomadic wandering ‘leads to the counter-intuitive moment’! He shares three things that need to happen –

  1. Frame the Problem  (e.g. shutting down your company temporarily)
  2. Dig Deep   (e.g. what is happening, possibilities/opportunities, what can you do)
  3. Let it all go  (idle – and let the free space in your mind for answers to appear)

He further explains in his video, what happens just before an Aha Moment appears.  Here is where ‘Thinking Vastly, Act Narrowly’ jumps in.

  1. The mind goes into an alpha relaxed state – allowing ‘Think Vastly’ (exploration) to happen
  2. Followed by a gama spike – when ‘Act Narrowly’ (solution/answer) and the Aha results.

He says, ‘this is when congruence comes together and the creative moment or Aha Moment or counter-intuitive moment appears’ with clarity. This Aha Moment is ‘when something new is coming together that has never been done before’.

Experience the Rest State

One of my Maasai Warriors told me that we in the west have ‘congested minds’.  Meaning not enough free mind space (i.e. when your computer or phone hard drive has no more space) which is congested by too much ‘stuff’.  This again lends great credence to allowing the mind to pause on ‘idle or in the rest state’ which gives you time to breath and let go of the ‘stuff’ while encouraging the gama spike to happen.

If you have a lot of time on our hands at home in ‘lockdown’ or ‘circuit breaker’, you can now experience and realize the incredible value of the ‘rest state’ and go nomadic wandering. Even if you don’t have time and say this is too theoretical or not possible, then this is perfect time to pause and New Think what is stopping you. Do yourself a favour – idle, go nomadic wandering and think vastly, act narrowly.  Even after the crisis keep this practice.

Use your Time Wisely

Use this time wisely as an individual, leader, organisation by tapping into your nomadic mindset and find new ways forward whether it be how you treat humanity; support others; need for a new business model and more …

One way you can expand your mindset is to ‘Think Vastly, Act Narrowly’ as a practice which allows you to have an Aha Moment and be more creative. What nomadic wandering and the Aha Moment can bring, are creative moments that you may resist or fight – give yourself a chance, let go, and explore a New Land of what can be. It is the same rush when you get to travel to somewhere new, or have a new relationship or find the job of your dreams or create an amazing start-up which is changing lives.

This is your moment to Let go and let the Gama Spike appear. Be that person or organisation, family or society you want to truly be.

Practices
  1. Idle, rest, let go
  2. ‘Think Vastly, Act Narrowly’
  3. Go nomadic wandering
  4. Meditate
  5. Experience the vastness of nature
  6. Journal or write random thoughts and whatever comes into your mind
  7. Speak and share them with trusted others
  8. Give gratitude for this gift
  9. Take action and implement the Aha
Gratefulness

What I am grateful for in this period, is that there are truly amazing things happening socially around the coming together of humanity, plus the climate has been given a ‘temporary’ time to breath freely. That is to be applauded, big time.

My Gift to you. 

Here is the link to my mega discounted e-book Aha, Mother’s Pearls https://bit.ly/3aUGmil – there are three free chapters to download as well at https://bit.ly/34oICvS –

Support for Maasai Villages in Kenya

The proceeds of the complete e-book (.99 cents) goes to supporting some Maasai Villages of the Maasai Mara in Southern Kenya that have helped me in my research. During this Covid19 Crisis, they are in dire need of support as they are unable to take their cows, their financial currency, to market and sell them. Please share. In deep gratitude.

Kevin Cottam, Canadian, Global Nomad is a Professional Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach and Author of two books and the Nomadic Mindset Podcast. He believes we have become too narrow in our thinking and behaviours and we need to expand our innate global thinking to create a new now and future that brings humanity, economic practices, healthy democratic governances and nature/climate together. He says to do this, we need to tap into our nomadic mindset.  www.thenomadicmindset.com