There is an old saying that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade.  Last year, a new job opportunity resulted in my having to make a fairly significant daily commute. For someone whose previous “commute” was less than four miles and took about ten minutes, this could be considered a “lemon”.

My new commute from the north end of Santa Rosa to St. Helena takes around forty-five minutes. It is a route with minimal traffic but one that requires a driver’s attention and focus. Fortunately, I have always enjoyed driving the two-lane back roads with their spectacular vistas and overall serenity.

One morning, I had forgotten to recharge my MP3 player and as a result was faced with a music-free drive. Like most folks, my first (printable) thought was “what a drag not having music to listen to”. Strangely enough, I discovered an interesting thing about being focused on driving while in a “noise free zone”.

My innovative side began to occupy available mind space as all sorts of ideas began popping into my head. Mind you (no pun intended), none of these ideas was “huge”, but I enjoyed the feeling of free-floating spontaneous creativity so much that I no longer listen to music during my commute time. Most of the ideas for my blogs have been developed during this drive time (no, I will not put the music back on).

Now when I arrive at the office, I quickly put my thoughts into writing before they vanish like the mists that hang  over the landscape in the morning. At that point I can fashion them into a blog as time and energy permits. What this experience has taught me is that, like most people, I get so busy dealing with life (work, chores, pets, family, friendships, e-mail, to tweet or not to tweet, etc.) that the noise and drama tends to drown out that joyous little creative voice.

Thanks to my  two forty-five minute “quiet times” each day, that voice has started to sing and I find that I am really enjoying my own music. The “lemon” of having to spend time commuting has been converted into “lemonade” and it is truly delicious.

Imagine the new ideas that you might generate for your company or business in a noise-free zone…