We all do it, admit it. During meetings you pull out your notepad and take notes. But as the speaker goes on you begin doodling. You might start out with simple flowers and progress to silly portraits of others in the room. Did you know this may actually help you to focus and retain information? People are finally starting to understand—when you have something to do with your hands you can improve your focus and learn faster.
As children, we learned to sit still in school and listen quietly. Teachers would sometimes go so far as to instruct especially fidgety students to sit on their hands. This was actually counterproductive. When children are allowed to feel and play with objects, that little bit of stimulation allows their brains to focus on the task at hand and pay better attention. The same is true for adults when they play with LEGO® bricks.
So think about it, fidgeting may actually help you come up with that next great innovation. If you run into a problem on a project, absentmindedly grab some LEGO bricks. Start to play around with it as you ponder the issue. At some point, you might have a breakthrough and a great idea. Who knew seemingly mindless play could be so powerful?
Become a LEGO Serious Play facilitator - check one of the upcoming training events!