Monday, August 19, 2019

What I did on my holiday: tapping into your problem-solving mind without even trying

You’re finally on holiday and have truly switched off.



But did you know that this is a great time to do some work without actually making any real effort? Here’s what I mean.

Even when you’re on holiday and not thinking at all about choirs or singing, your subconscious is working away behind the scenes.

As a singer, when you get back to choir, you’ll find that songs you struggled with last season will magically have sorted themselves out in your brain. Even if you’ve not consciously sung them or thought about them.

As a choir leader, any knotty problems you’ve had as an organiser, song teacher or conductor will have solved themselves. All without you giving them a moment’s conscious thought.

While you’re lying on the beach and daydreaming about nothing in particular, great ideas will often appear or solutions to difficult issues that have been bothering you for a while.

Ideas will come from unexpected sources. Whilst out walking or visiting a local museum or checking out the local nightlife. You might get ideas for concert themes, choir costumes, staging solutions, rehearsal techniques.

Without paying attention you may well hear new songs over the hotel sound system or in a club or a local traditional band. These will give you ideas for repertoire and ways to structure and arrange songs. Even though you might not realise at the time.

And if you do have a spare moment when your attention turns to your choir, this is a great opportunity to do some ‘blue sky’ thinking.

No pressures, just riff away with your maddest ideas. Dream your biggest dreams and realise your greatest fantasies in your mind. They don’t have to be practical or even realistic. Who knows, some of them may excite you enough to actually put them in practice.

The secret to a productive holiday like this is to not try, but to just let ideas and solutions come to you. They might, but they might not. However, the fact that you’re relaxed and away from work means there’s a good chance that it will be a productive time.

Have a great holiday!



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Chris Rowbury


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