divergent thinker Archives

Harry Donald

Productivity Tip:

Draw the Problem

Ever thought of drawing your way through a problem instead of writing it out?

Harry Donald, who shares his “thinking routine” below, sets aside time once or twice a week to work through ideas visually. “There are lots of ideas that are easy to articulate on pen and paper, but there are some that aren’t ready formed in your head,” he says. “Writing them down is not always the best way to get clarity on what those ideas actually are.”

Whether on paper or digitally, he says you can draw the tension around a problem, or sketch out flows or journeys. “Something about working visually allows you to see where the issue / tension really is and sometimes even helps you with the size of it.”

There’s some science behind this. A 2023 review describes drawing as a cognitive tool that can help make visible the otherwise invisible contents of our minds — giving us another way to explore and make sense of an idea.

Try it this week: Pick one problem that’s been circling your brain and spend 10 minutes drawing it. Boxes, arrows, stick figures, scribbles, whatever! Don’t try to make it look good; just try to make the problem visible.

Routine Breakdown

Harry Donald, Founder of Hugo Date

Walk, Draw, Talk: A Founder’s Thinking Routine

Got a lot of thoughts bouncing around? Entrepreneur and founder Harry Donald does, so rather than your usual morning routine, he shared with us his “thinking routine” — a set of steps and tools he uses to stay creative and mentally flexible.

The Routine:

Start every week with one question: what is the single problem that, if solved, would make all other problems go away? “Obviously no single problem makes everything else disappear. But asking myself the question forces me to isolate the thing that actually ‘moves the needle’ and put everything else to the side for a bit.”
Go for a walk or a drive twice a day, every day, for 30 minutes. “I have ADHD therefore struggle heavily at desks, sitting in cubicles, etc. However I also need to spend 12 hours a day on my laptop. Walking around or even driving gives me something light to focus on, and this allows me to focus in a way that staring at a screen doesn’t. I do this twice a day, scheduled, and whenever I hit a wall on something. 99% of the best ideas I’ve had have come on these ‘wanders’.”
Talk to five strangers a day. “I don’t do this for networking or serendipity but purely because you have to acknowledge your own perspective is narrow and always will be. Even if it takes 100 conversations, you will find one that fundamentally changes how you think about a problem and either gives you the solution or triggers a thought that leads you there. These strangers should be either found online or in the street. Throw things at the wall, the success rate will be low but it gets you there. It’s simply good for your soul and expands your brain.”
Do 1–2 creative exercises per week that aren’t writing. See “Draw the Problem” above!

Why it works:

Walking, talking to new people, thinking visually… This routine is really about getting your brain out of its usual grooves so you can stay creative, find solutions, and get a change of perspective. All of that is powerful. Research supports some of these habits: walking can boost creative idea generation, while mind-wandering may help with creative problem-solving by giving ideas time to incubate. Interacting with people with different perspectives can also encourage more flexible thinking.

The common thread? Sometimes the best way to think harder is to stop staring at the problem quite so hard.

Kate Hughes

Wellness Tip:

Cultivate Resilience

How well can you bounce back from difficult experiences? That ability is what we call resilience, and the good news is it’s something you can build. 💪

One way to do that is through mindfulness.

When she shared her routine with us (below), mindfulness expert Kate Hughes told us how her meditation practice has helped her navigate some incredibly tough times.

“I can honestly say that my baseline level of contentment is unshakeable, and in recent months I have lost my father and my partner’s cancer came back,” says Kate. “In recent years I have had other bereavements through suicide that I do not know how I would have navigated without my practice.”

There’s no single mindfulness practice you need to follow. PsychCentral suggests several techniques that can help you manage stress and build resilience:

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding techniques, where you notice things in your surroundings.
Mindfulness meditation or a body scan meditation.
Progressive muscle relaxation to release tension in the body.
Various mindful breathing or deep breathing exercises.

If, like us, you’re inspired by Kate to flex your resilience muscles, pick one and give it a try. Let us know how it works for you.

Routine Breakdown

Kate Hughes, Mindfulness Expert & Founder of Kate Hughes Meditation

How a Mindfulness Expert Builds Resilience Every Day

“My morning routine involves meditation, which has been a key part in my emotional and physical health since I suffered burnout as a lawyer in 2014,” says Kate Hughes. “I know that this practice helps boost my resilience, ability to be calm in the moment, and to be far more present than I ever have been.”

The Routine:

Meditates. “I get up and brush my teeth. I have a glass of water and I sit and meditate for around 20 minutes. The meditation itself has not changed. It is mindful meditation rooted in the Rinzai Zen tradition; simple yet effective.”
Journals. “I then journal some set questions every day, although sometimes the questions change or I free-write.“
Moves. “Since I began this routine, I have worked open-water swimming and an online exercise class into it, but I very rarely miss my meditation.”

Why it works:

Mindfulness and gratitude both support resilience and wellbeing. As Kate says, “To be focused, grounded and positive means that a totally different version of me shows up for the day. I used to wake up and think, ‘How will I get through this?’ Now I am hopeful and far more positive thanks to my daily gratitudes. I am able to manage the stresses of everyday life, whereas previously I was flying by the seat of my pants in every area, and life was something that happened to me, not for me.”

While there’s no need to beat ourselves up if we miss a day (life happens), consistency can make a difference when it comes to meditation and mindfulness. You don’t need to start with 20 minutes, either. Start small, choose something that feels sustainable, and think about how you can turn your practice into a routine or ritual.

Aimie Freeston

Wellness Tip:

Practice Emotional Inquiry

Ever had a tiny comment, criticism or interaction bother you way more than you think it should?

Instead of telling yourself to get over it, try getting curious about it. Anne-Laure Le Cunff of Ness Labs calls this “emotional inquiry”: treating a strong emotional reaction as something to investigate rather than judge.

The idea is that what happened is only part of the equation: our interpretation of an event also shapes how we feel about it. So next time something gets under your skin, try three questions:

What am I actually feeling? Go beyond “bad” or “stressed”: embarrassed, disappointed, resentful, anxious?
What feels threatened? Perhaps certainty, autonomy, respect, fairness, belonging or recognition.
What does this situation actually require? Maybe you need to speak up or ask a question. Or maybe you just need 20 minutes before replying.

The goal isn’t to get rid of the emotion. It’s to work out what it’s telling you — and then decide what, if anything, you want to do about it. As Le Cunff puts it, “strong reactions can be useful clues.”

Read more here and see how it works out for you.

Routine Breakdown

Aimie Freeston, Owner of The Brownston Gallery

The Calm, Coastal Mornings of a Gallery Owner (& Her Dog)

For Aimie Freeston, owner of a leading contemporary fine art gallery in Modbury, Devon, mornings are about getting grounded before the working day begins. Her routine starts with meditation and movement at home, but the real highlight comes during her commute: an hour at the beach with her dog, Lhasa.

The Routine:

7am – Wake, hydrate and meditate. “Before I do anything, I always drink a glass of water and then meditate for 15 minutes.”
Move. After meditating, Aimie does some yoga stretches and lifts weights.
Breakfast – Coffee and porridge. “Then I sit down and have a cup of coffee, followed by a bowl of porridge.”
Get ready, then head to the beach. On her way to the gallery, Aimie stops at Bantham Beach with Lhasa. “We usually spend an hour there. Depending on the weather and the waves, I either surf or we go for a walk.”
Then, finally, work. “I feel very fortunate to live in a beautiful county with such a lovely coastline. By the time we get to the gallery, Lhasa and I feel energized and ready for the day ahead.”

Why it works:

There’s a lot packed into Aimie’s morning: meditation, movement, time outdoors, and a proper pause before work. But best of all is that none of it feels rushed. Instead of treating the journey to work as dead time, she’s built something she loves into it. And research has linked spending time in “blue spaces,” such as coastlines, to better well-being and mental restoration. Add some movement, fresh air, and a four-legged friend, and it’s a pretty appealing way to arrive at work!

Ever thought of deliberately putting something enjoyable or restorative between home and work?

Mickey Wilson

Productivity Tip:

Ask “Future Me”

When faced with a decision, here’s a simple question you can ask yourself: What would make tomorrow easier?

It’s tempting to optimize for what feels easiest right now. But taking a moment to picture the person who’ll have to deal with the consequences tomorrow can shift your perspective.

There’s actually some psychology behind this. Research on “future self-continuity” has found that when we feel more connected to our future selves, we’re more likely to make decisions that benefit us later rather than prioritizing immediate rewards.

So… wash the dishes before bed. Prep your lunch while you’re already in the kitchen. Write down the next step before closing your laptop. Put your gym clothes somewhere you’ll trip over them in the morning.

It doesn’t mean you have to choose the harder option every time. But what if you do Future You a favor more often?

Routine Breakdown

Mickey Wilson, CEO and Co-founder of Firestarter

How a CEO Uses Mornings to “Become Herself”

“I haven’t always been a morning person,” says Mickey Wilson. “In my twenties and thirties, I’d hit snooze about 14 times, get up at the last possible minute, get ready in ten minutes flat and fly out of the house.” These days, she’s the complete opposite. “Even if I have to be somewhere obscenely early, I’ll build in a full 90 minutes just to ‘become myself first’.”

The Routine:

5.30am – Wakes without an alarm (which she suspects “has less to do with impeccable discipline and more to do with age”), drinks a large glass of water with lime and checks her phone. “I know checking your phone first thing is probably against every piece of morning-routine advice ever written, but I still do it. I’m curious about what I’ve missed… and at least I hydrate while I’m committing the offence 😉.”
5.45am – Coffee and half an hour of reading. “This is probably my favourite part of the day. It’s the only completely uninterrupted ‘me’ time I get. I read all sorts, but usually fiction – it gets my creative brain going before anyone else gets access to it.”
6.15am – Decaf coffee and journalling. “Writing helps me work out what I’m actually thinking and feeling. I’m a creative strategist, and I’m also writing a book, so there are generally far too many ideas rattling around in my head. Journalling gives them a place to go.”
6.45am – Shower and get ready. “By now, I feel like I’ve actually elegantly arrived in the day rather than being catapulted into it. I shower, get dressed and get ready to head out.”
7.15am – Dog walk and biz-partner download. “I take my whippet, Loki, out for his morning walk and often speak to Chris, my business partner, at the same time. We talk through the day ahead, work through anything that’s bothering us, solve problems and, at the moment, debate whatever part of BRANDFIRE – the book we’re writing together – is occupying our brains. Walking seems to make conversations flow differently too.”
8.15am – Work time. “I get home, feed Loki and start my working day. By the time I sit down with my laptop, I’ve already read something, written something, spoken to someone, done about 7000 steps, and planned the day. For me, those first few hours aren’t really about productivity – they’re just about being me.”

Why it works:

She’s right – experts do say checking your phone first thing can cause stress and anxiety. That said, how and what you engage with makes a difference, so it comes down to what works for you.
Reading fiction may boost creativity and make us more empathetic, while journaling can be super beneficial for mental health.
Walking really does get your thoughts moving. One study found that a person’s creative output increased by an average of 60% when walking. Not to mention that it’s great for your health!

Mickey’s last point is really key, here: it’s not about productivity – in other words, it’s not about checking things off a list to do everything “right” – it’s about doing what makes her feel like herself. Isn’t that ultimately what any routine is about? 😌

Dr Rana Al-Falaki

Wellness Tip:

Something Wellness

Smell and memory are closely connected, so why not put that connection to work? Try pairing a particular scent with a habit you want to make more automatic. Perhaps lighting the same candle when you meditate, using a particular essential oil when you stretch, or brewing the same herbal tea before bed.

There’s some science behind the idea: research shows that scents can become powerful contextual cues, helping us recall what we learned or experienced when we encountered that same smell.

This week, why not pick one habit and give it a signature scent? It might become a trigger that makes those healthy habits easier to remember.

Routine Breakdown

Dr Rana Al-Falaki, Leadership Coach, Author & Specialist Periodontist

A Doctor’s Routine of Visualization, Tea, and Dancing

Dr Rana Al-Falaki is an award-winning leadership coach, author, speaker, and Specialist Periodontist who helps people achieve high performance without sacrificing their wellbeing. Her own mornings combine visualization, gratitude, movement, and a few habits you might not have tried before.

The Routine:

Morning visualization meditation. “When you’re just waking up and your brain waves are in theta state, so you tap into your subconscious. I spend the time visualizing my dream life, of all the things that I want, then I let go of those things and just hold onto that feeling.”
Gratitude journal (2 pages). “Gratitude manifestation should be more about engaging in the feeling, so I will write free flow without reading back on what I’ve written.”
Brush teeth standing on one leg and closing eyes. “Something healthy to engage your core and improve your balance, improve your coordination, and your longevity while improving your oral health at the same time.”
Tea, her must-have. “I still love a good cup of English breakfast tea. The highlight of my morning is always a wonderful hot cup of tea that I savor along with mindfulness practice, being completely in the moment, aware of the smell, the taste, and the texture of every sip.”
Workout. “My warmup is putting on fun dance-style music that I can sing along to, and I literally dance around jumping up and down.” As she moves, she visualizes what she wants and uses the practice to get into a positive mindset. “The benefit of this is that as you raise your vibration, combined with visualization and what you want it can really clear you for manifestation. I also feel amazing and it’s so much fun, and then I’ll go on to do strength work which is brilliant for core, muscle, bone, metabolism and general health.”

Why it works:

There is some science behind visualization: research suggests that mentally picturing desired outcomes can encourage goal-directed behavior, particularly when you also imagine the steps needed to make them happen.
Making space for gratitude can help shift your focus towards the positives and boost your mood.
Good balance becomes increasingly important as we age, and research has even linked standing on one leg for 10 seconds with longevity. It doesn’t prove that balancing helps you live longer, but better balance can help reduce your risk of falls.
Good news for black tea lovers: you don’t necessarily need to switch to green. Research has linked tea drinking with cardiovascular and longevity benefits.
Starting a workout with music and dancing gets the body moving and can give your mood a boost.

The takeaway? Build a morning routine that makes you feel good enough to actually want to get out of bed for it.

Alex Franklin

Productivity Tip:

Don’t Type It, Talk It

We all spend a lot of our lives typing. But there may be a more efficient way to answer all those emails and capture the ideas floating around in your head.

Research from Stanford found that speech recognition is about three times faster than typing on a smartphone, with a lower error rate too.

These days, AI dictation tools like Willow Voice and Wispr Flow can save you even more effort. Instead of typing out an email or Slack message, you speak it, and the tool cleans up filler words, adds punctuation, and formats it into something ready to send. They work across your inbox, docs, notes, and chat apps.

Give it a try this week: pick one message a day you’d normally type, and say it instead. Let us know how it goes for you!

Routine Breakdown

Alex Franklin, Managing Director at First Principles Consulting

The Morning Routine That Starts at the Beach

Alex Franklin is the Managing Director of a mining operations consultancy in Australia, as well as a speaker and author of Mining For Value. His morning routine isn’t complete unless it includes nature, movement, and his dog Benson.

The Routine:

Wakes naturally. “I’m fortunate to live near the beach in a tropical climate, so most mornings I wake up naturally before sunrise and head down to the beach with my golden retriever, Benson.”
Avoids screens. “I try to avoid looking at screens as much as I can in bed before going out.”
Does a beach walk and swim. “We do a 2km return walk, which always feels longer on sand, as the sun comes up. Benson runs, swims and digs along the way, trying to get as much sand in his coat as possible. At the end of the walk, I join him for a swim in the ocean (it’s a convenient way to get most of the sand out of his fur).”
Showers and has breakfast. “I follow this up with an outdoor shower and then breakfast. Breakfast is typically something high in protein and fiber. I’m not a coffee drinker but enjoy tea, so I take a cup with me as I start work.”

Why it works:

Waking naturally reduces that groggy feeling of sleep inertia, while morning light exposure helps regulate our circadian rhythms.
Avoiding screens in the morning can create a calmer start to the day and prevent news and notifications from hijacking your attention.
Morning walks have a bunch of benefits for both physical and mental health — and combining his walk with time outdoors gives Alex movement, fresh air, and morning light all in one.

Not all of us are lucky enough to live by a beautiful beach, but the formula of movement + nature is one worth borrowing — even if it’s as simple as taking a short walk or doing a few stretches on a patch of grass.