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Happy Monday 🌞

Can you think of a challenge you have in your work or life right now?

If you’re like me, you have a number of challenges that range from big to small. Some things on my mind include iterating on Buffer’s blog content, spending more time reading the books on my 2024 reading list, and getting more sleep.

Over the years, I’ve developed a simple method for tackling these sorts of questions. (Except for that last one — that is in the hands of my 7-month-old.)

Here’s what I do when I bump into a new challenge or opportunity:

1. I write it down as a question. (I use Notion for this, but use whatever works for you.)

2. I jot down any immediate thoughts on the topic.

3. I leave it alone.

The third step is critical!

I am allowing the question to simmer in the back of my mind.

This is tapping into what psychologists call the “incubation effect” - your brain keeps working on the problem unconsciously. Eventually, often, while I’m doing something unrelated, like washing dishes, an idea pops up.

4. I quickly add the new ideas I have to my note.

5. Rinse and repeat.

More ideas emerge over time.

I’ve found that framing challenges as open questions and letting them “incubate” helps my brain shift from problem-fixation to creative solution mode.

It’s like giving your subconscious a task and letting it work its magic. ✨

​When I posted about this method on LinkedIn, it was something a lot of others had experienced. One connection of mine called it “letting my back brain do the work.” Which I loved!

Has anyone else experienced this? What’s your go-to method for tackling tough problems or brainstorming new ideas?

I hope you have a lovely week ahead. As always, feel free to reply if this sparks any thoughts or questions.

See you soon,

Hailley

P.S. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe here to get new systems I'm using at work and in my life.

• ​Authority, by Nathan Barry
• ​Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be, by Dr. Becky Kennedy

• I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of alive time vs. dead time, which I learned about from Ryan Holiday. He describes it as: “Dead Time is when you’re sitting around waiting for things to happen to you, and Alive Time is when you’re in control, making every second count, improving, learning, and growing.”
• At Buffer, we have an AI Assistant built into our tool and we recently compared 1.2 Million posts that were written with AI assistance vs. without. The results were fascinating.
• Come with me to co-work with some of my teammates in Nashville in this Instagram video.

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