The Perfect Conditions for a Great Idea

An idle mind is not a lazy mind

Illustration: Justin Cassano

I’m not generally good at doing nothing. I’m a time-management and productivity expert, and I also have five children; I’m almost never idle. But I was recently reminded how sometimes you have to create a little idleness in order to let a new idea in. On a beach trip, I was technically “doing something” as I waded in the waves, but navigating…