Genius does not come to you when it's convenient.

Photo by Roman Mager on Unsplash

We have this idea that with an extra cup of coffee and with a little more effort, we'll come up with the one easy-button bright idea that will resolve all the world's problems - or at least our own personal problems - in one fell swoop.

We have grossly misunderstood what WILL means: we think it means effort and force, but actually what it means is FOCUS.

The reality is, you can't force creative genius. You must foster it, and your capacity for attention and focus. You must cultivate a landscape in your life and environment that supports it to grow, and you must live your life in a way that has you open and available to receiving it at any moment.

This is a law of the universe. And the universe does not work within your time schedule.

So when you're living your life jam-packed, going from one thing to another, and you don't give yourself the chance to receive, to listen, and to take action on opportunities that avail themselves to you, when they avail themselves to you (even if that's in the middle of the night!), you set yourself up to stay stuck doing exactly what you're doing.

Genius does not come to you when it's convenient, and you can't plan and control innovation.