I’ve noticed that some times and places are better than others for letting my mind-wander. I’ve learned to have pencil and paper on hand after any of these activities, because I will almost certainly have an idea or a solution to a plot problem by the time I finish. 

Running: It’s hard to give up 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted podcast listening, but it’s also hard to find 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted mind-wandering. Add the benefit of increased heart rate and getting out of my house and the world of creative possibilities opens up.

Folding Clothes: If running is about duration of mind-wandering, folding clothes is about frequency. I have time set aside almost every day. This month I’ve used it as a break in my writing time. When I get stuck or I’ve been sitting at my desk too long (45 minutes is usually my productive max), I get clothes out of the drier and start folding. When I finish 10 minutes later, I’m ready to sit back down, usually with a way out of the problem I’d written myself into.

Shooting Baskets: At least twice a week, I shoot baskets at the YMCA. I haven’t played a competitive game in over twenty years, and I’m not expecting to encounter a pick-up game on my block. I do it because it’s fun. It’s also very nostalgic. The muscle memories for basketball are apparently associated with all sorts of other memories. It brings back childhood, high school, faces, and events I haven’t thought of in years. It’s a very specific sort of mind wandering. If I ever write a memoir, it will be because I shoot baskets.