The Hidden Habits of Genius

Take, for example, the entries on Leonardo’s to-do list for a single day in Milan. His tasks included calculating the area of the city and its suburbs; finding a book describing the area’s churches; learning how to square a triangle mathematically; examining a crossbow; finding out how to repair a canal lock; and asking a man about the measurement of the sun.

Be curious in everything you see around you. What is the house made of?the towels? This device? What are you made of? Why are you feeling sleepy?

Many of the greatest geniuses go to great lengths to minimize disruptions while they work.

The Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy made a habit of locking the door while he wrote. Vladimir Nabokov wrote Lolita in the back seat of his parked car, declaring it the only place in the world with no drafts and no pesky noises. 

But you can use the superpower (if you have one) to concentrate anywhere.

There are some rules which need to be broken. Dare to break them. Dare to face the opposition.

There is no genius without a touch of madness. In fact, genius people are 20 to 30 times more possible to have a mental disease. But they don't fear this, they look for the good in these situations. They turn them into a new 'pipeline's of creativity.

The opposite of hard work and concentration is needed to be done too. Relax could mean taking a shower, lying on a couch, cycling, leisurely walk. That's where the ideas 'kick' in.

Walking played a key role in the creative routines in lives of geniuses but if you are going for a stroll in search of inspiration, be sure to stick to a moderate pace. Scientists say that if you raise the speed of your walks from a leisurely pace to a more exerting one, you break the spell. That’s because if you move too quickly, you lose the creative benefits a walk can bring.