Questions for you:
- What mental routines am I following that might be preventing me from seeing new solutions?
- When did I last deliberately change my physical environment or approach to disrupt my thinking patterns?
- Do I recognise when I’m stuck in a cognitive rut, and what techniques do I use to break out?
Questions for your organisation:
- Do we have practical tools and techniques to help people break out of habitual thinking when they’re stuck?
- Are our workspaces and processes designed to occasionally disrupt familiar patterns?
- How do we balance the efficiency of routine with the need for occasional cognitive disruption?
Further reading
The story of how the colour palettes for the images in this book were generated: https://mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/01/disposable-applications/
Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit is a great exploration of our habitual selves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Habit
Random the Book 