We crave innovation that’s buttoned up nice and neat. But the creative process rarely is. It is “non-linear.” But we often eliminate the variability which drives unexpected outcomes.

It’s an enormous mistake to wait for lightning to strike. Seinfeld’s relentless approach to developing new material — and his mindset in so doing — gives him an incredible advantage in the creative process.

Amidst the frenzied pace of life, it’s tempting to veg out whenever there’s a down moment. “Doomscrolling” is real! Instead of whittling away the hours, creative geniuses make good use of found time.

A critical priority in a productive, creative life is to make time to think, reflect, and synthesize. Here are a few examples of how spectacular innovators have carved out the necessary space.

When all of our time is spoken for, we dramatically reduce the odds of surprises, not to mention shortchanging the longer-duration gestation required for insight formation and creative thinking. How one great leader preserves time for serendipity.

A simple ritual powers Jeff Bezos’ effectiveness as a leader of innovation at Amazon. Every quarter, he conducts a simple audit — two simple tactics that every innovation-oriented-professional ought to leverage with regularity.