why your best thinking happens when you stop trying
Christian Ray Flores here, back from beautiful Colorado mountains. Walking in the Garden of the God’s majestic beauty is what inspired this post. With a little help of Albert Einstein for validating my creative process.
why your best thinking happens when you stop trying
I’ve spent most of my career turning ideas into things—songs, campaigns, videos, content that’s generated millions and won awards. And here’s what I’ve learned: your best thinking doesn’t come from grinding harder or trying to be more creative.
It comes when you stop forcing it.
Most people feel insecure about whether they can create valuable content consistently. The problem isn’t your ideas. It’s that you don’t have a creative process that catches them, develops them, and communicates them with impact.
I built the 3-2-1 process.
1. Catch 3 best ideas
Create space for ideas to land instead of forcing them. Set aside time to think, journal, walk. I do 1-2 hours of thinking time daily, plus 30-45 minutes walking. Einstein developed breakthrough ideas while walking. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
When ideas come, write them down in their simplest form. I capture 3 solid ideas every week.
2. Develop 2 best concepts
Not everything exciting in the moment becomes good content. Take your best ideas and develop them into 2 concepts—ideas with more depth. Add sub-points, research, stories that validate the insight and make it valuable for your audience.
This week I worked on an important speech with a client. Over a million dollars in donations is raised every year at their gala, and the CEO had the expertise, stories, and passion—but it needed to be developed into a speech that moved people and called them to action. People at the event told me the CEO spoke with such presence, conviction, and emotional resonance that he seemed like a different person. He wasn’t—we just worked together to take his expertise, lived experiences, and insights and develop them into an experience for the audience.
That’s what concept development does. It takes what you know and shapes it into something that lands with impact.
3. Create 1 short script
Take one concept and turn it into a script for a video, newsletter, or podcast. Start with a short video under 90 seconds. It might take 30 minutes to write a 90-second script.
A consistent creative process doesn’t just produce content. It transforms you into a master communicator. Your thinking gets clearer. Your communication gets sharper. Your authority compounds week after week.
Which is why I want to walk one person through this process personally.
I’m opening up a Passion to Profit Lab this month—the 1 Subscriber Micro Challenge. I will coach you 1:1 for 45 minutes a day for 3 days as we build your creative process together. By the end, you’ll have written and produced 1 short video.
I will do this with only one person. Paid subscribers get first consideration, but a best fit will win.
To apply, respond to this email with “PPL” and I’ll send you the application.