A thought that’s stuck at your desk sometimes comes loose halfway down the driveway with the dog.

Hard staring narrows your attention, which helps for grinding and not at all for a problem that needs a new angle. When you move, the part of your mind that was waiting for the floor to clear finally gets a turn. The answer feels like it came from nowhere, though it was assembling while you were not watching.

Give the next stuck assignment twenty minutes of real effort, then take a walk around the block. Leave the headphones inside so there is room for your own thinking. Bring a scrap of paper, since the good idea shows up two minutes from home.