The business world generally values those who look like they are working hard. Those who spend plenty of hours in meetings, on phone calls, or just generally being busy. Their thinking goes as follows, if you are busy than you must be doing something of value. In other words, doing something that looks like work is better than doing nothing at all. But is that true?

Being busy with “work” doesn’t mean you are contributing anything of value. What it does do however, is keep your brain busy with constant thinking, thus not giving your brain the time and space, it needs to create unique solutions to problems.

For the purpose of this blog, and an obvious simplification of how our brains work, let’s consider two different aspects of the brain. The Executive Network and the Default Network.

The Executive Network is something we use all the time. This is the area of your brain that you use when you are working. It allows you to crunch numbers, write emails, read blogs, give speeches, and hold conversations. When you are actively trying to solve a problem, your Executive Network is in charge.

The Default Network is the part of the brain that works in the background, when you are not using your Executive Network. For example, the Default Network comes into play when you day dream. It is also the part of your brain that pulls together your thoughts, stored information and experiences, and combines it in unique ways. The Default Network has access to your subconscious mind and can find information that you are not conscious of knowing. The Default Network is the reason, you get Eureka moments in the shower, or Ah Ha moments when you wake up from a nap or find solutions that come like a flash of lightening to problems.

The key thing to remember about the Executive and Default Network is that when the Executive Network is working and busy thinking, the Default Network turns off, and vice versa.

So, let me ask again, is doing something at work always, better than doing nothing?

Not if you want to become a more insightful thinker or find creative solutions to hard problems. To become more insightful, we must do less, and allow our brain’s Default Network to think for us.

Here’s an exercise you can try that will show you the power of your Default Network:

Start with a problem that you can’t seem to solve.
During the day, research and gather as much information about the topic as you can. It’s best if you take notes or build mind maps to link the information.
After you complete your research, stop working on and thinking about the problem for the rest of the day.
Before bed, as you fall as sleep, restate to yourself the problem statement you are trying to solve. Or better yet, write it down on a piece of paper beside your bed.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Upon waking up the next morning, use pen and paper to start to formulate the answer to your problem statement.

What you should find is that the answer you write down, is more creative and more unique than any other solution you thought of the day before.

Personally, I have used this method on many occasions and the results are astounding. When I see the solution I have created, it always makes me wonder, “Why didn’t I think about that before?”

For me, it is important that I constantly create the right conditions to be able to come up with creative, unique, and insightful solutions to problems. Here are three other ways you can activate your Default Network that doesn’t require you to go to sleep:

Go for a long walk without any electronics with you. Bring a pen and journal to write down your ideas.
Do an activity that you can do on autopilot and without any added distractions such as music:
- Wash the dishes by hand.
- Fold the laundry.
- Doodle on paper.
- Work on a jigsaw puzzle.
- Stare out a window on a bus ride or as a car passenger.
Sit still and do nothing at all but pay attention to your thoughts. When you do this, your Default Network kicks into high gear because it tries to entertain you, while you are bored.

The idea that doing more work brings more value to your business is false. Busy work is replaceable work. What brings more value to your business is being able to come up with unique solutions to problems that no one else can solve. Being able to connect dots and see the big picture when everyone else is heads down. Ultimately, becoming more insightful in the world where machines and automation is taking over, is what will make you irreplaceable.