John Kounios, Neuropsychologia, and my little GeekSpeaker 2.0

Long week… It’s been a few months of crazy Synchronicity for me. I’d like to proudly say that if things turn out okay, chances are I’m going to be a father this year. I can’t say how much that’s changed me in the small amount of time I’ve found out. Many other things–changes–have happened in the last month with me too. I need a Tom-Tom for Life.

Getting ready to head back home from Menlo Park CA. Being outside has felt like a vacation and I feel horrible I didn’t get to see my wife on Valentine’s day for the first time in the 15 years I’ve known her.

Gotta finish packing up. I’ll do some blogging on my Chicago layover tomorrow. I found a cheap round trip but it’s got a 3 hour leg there. Not the best layover location if you like the Sun and live in Ohio.

I learned more in the last week than any previous week about the company in which I’ve spent the last ten years working.  I’m also learning more about my strengths and weaknesses. I’m learning to become a better researcher (slowly). I’ve always considered myself a thinker (I constantly think about everything) and now I’ve got take those cycles and make them more effective.  A bit like the Intel and AMD has done lately with their processors. I’m feeling a sense of failure that I’ve never felt before and it’s driving me a bit crazy.

I’ve always been a person who has done my best to put my company’s interests before my own in many regards and I’ve always tried to think about how best to help my company. I also want to change the world in a good way. I’ve always preached that everyone should do a similar thing. I’m trying to learn to solve problems quicker and I never knew it but I REALLY SUCK at solving problems quickly. I can solve problems, but it takes "Pondering" for me. My left brain can solve many problems quickly, but none that require creative thinking. Also, in my experience I am less effective at solving things creatively while under great stress.

I have to change that. I did a little searching around tonight and I’m trying to figure out why this occurs for me. The Jury is still out but I’d like to start looking into the work done by John Kounios–a neurophychologia expert–after reading this study excerpt. He seems to find that there is evidence between the way people solve problems and that there are logical differences between people who think and have an "aha moment" and those who are disciplined at solving problems logistically.

Most if not all of my greatest ideas have come after a useless day of trying to solve a problem and then when I’m half asleep the problem I’ve been working on all day hits me and I have to get up out of bed and write it down and then I can pick up on it, in the morning. Or at the very least when my brain starts to slow down or ramp down from that thinking session.

The more I think about something the I have these aha moments. I have to change, I have to learn to use the weaker (left) side of my brain so that I can solve problems more quickly. I don’t ever give up, so now I’m more determined than ever to learn the disciplines of a great researcher. I know I can do it, I’m a bit ambidextrous. I’ve learned to eat with my right hand in close quarters so that I don’t bump elbows with people who are sitting next to me for instance.