Were you that kid who was constantly getting called out for daydreaming?
"Pay attention."
"Stop daydreaming."
"Is anybody in there?"
Me too.
But the funny thing is I never stopped.
Some people feel daydreaming is all about wasting time, zoning out, or simply not wanting to be present for whatever is happening in the now. But that's not necessarily the case.
Research shows that more than one third of our waking hours is spent daydreaming. One in three! And when MRI scans are performed on people when they are daydreaming, the results show a very active and very dynamic brain function, which has to mean that daydreaming serves some vitally important function, right?
People who daydream demonstrate more creativity. And when you learn to daydream in a controlled way, these mental wanderings can cause you to be much more prolific and productive in all that you take on.
Daydreams have benefits. And with a little focus, you can turn them into a creative task that will help you get more done and be more inventive with everything you do.
Daydream more ... with a little direction.
Daydream about a perfect day at some point in the future. Where would you live? What would you have around you? Who would you have around you? What would you be doing? The richer the details, the more it will help you align your actions with what will help you make that daydream a reality.
Daydream about a perfect day at work. What would you be doing? What would your job title be? Who would be around you? How would you be interacting with customers? How much would you make?
Daydream about new relationships. Who would it be? How would you meet them? What would you ask them? What would you hope to learn? How would they influence you?
Daydream about traveling. Where would you go? What would you do? How long would you be there? Who would you take with you?
Daydream about making a change in the world. What's missing? It can be something simple or something complex; something in your hometown, or something that would impact the entire world.
Daydream with unlimited resources. We tend to confine our daydreams to things we already have or have easy access to. What if money and resources were endless? What if you could do anything?
Daydream about being famous. What could you do that would make you famous? What would you invent? What would you create? What would they write in a biography about you long after you are gone?
Learning to control your daydreams is only half of the exercise; from there take action. You'll be amazed at all you can achieve, simply from a little daydreaming.