Stuck in Traffic? Think Like a Child and Find a New Way
- Simon Robson
- Sep 29
- 4 min read
The dreaded announcement: "All trains are cancelled due to signal failure."
The endless sea of red tail lights on the motorway.
The road ahead blocked by an unexpected accident.
For most adults, these moments are a source of instant stress, anger, and a feeling of being utterly trapped.
Our brains lock onto the single, blocked path, and we fume about the injustice of it all.
But what if, in that moment of frustration, you could access a superpower you’ve had since you were five years old?
The superpower of limitless imagination.
At Refresh Coaching, we encourage you to live ‘your life, your work, your way’ by breaking free from rigid, adult thinking. And there's no better way to do that than by learning to think like a child again.
The Adult Brain vs. The Child's Imagination
As adults, our thinking becomes incredibly efficient and, as a result, incredibly lazy. We create mental shortcuts and default pathways.
For the daily commute, we have Path A. If Path A is blocked, we might have a Path B. If Path B is also blocked, the system crashes. Cue the frustration. We see roadblocks.
A child, however, doesn't see roadblocks; they see an obstacle course. They see a game. Their world isn't governed by the same rigid rules of 'should' and 'must'. Their thinking is divergent, playful, and wonderfully impractical—which is precisely where the most innovative solutions are born.
Let’s take the commute problem. The adult brain thinks: Car, Train, Bus. That's it.
The Game: How Many Ways?
Let's play. First, let’s think like a practical adult. Sit down with a pen and paper (or just in your mind) and list as many sensible ways to get to your destination as you can.
My car (the main route).
My car (the back roads).
The train.
The bus.
A taxi/Uber.
Cycle.
Work from home.
This is a good, logical list. But you still feel constrained by reality.
Now, for the fun part. Think like a child with no limits. The only rule is that there are no rules.
How many ways can you get there now? Let your imagination run wild.
8. Helicopter.
9. Zip wire from building to building.
10. A giant catapult.
11. Bouncing on a space hopper.
12. Riding on the back of a friendly giant eagle.
13. Tunnelling underground like a mole.
14. Using a teleportation device.
15. Shrinking down and sending yourself via carrier pigeon.
Finding the Genius in the 'Silly'
This seems absurd, right? But stay with it. This isn't about actually finding an eagle to ride. It’s about breaking the mental chains that limit your problem-solving abilities. When you allow yourself to think of the impossible, you often stumble upon the unconventional but possible.
Let's look at your 'silly' list and see what real-world solutions might be hiding there:
Zip wire / Helicopter: This is about verticality and directness. Is there a train line (an overground) that you dismissed? Could you get a scooter or city bike (a modern zip wire) that can weave through traffic more directly than a car or bus?
Tunnelling underground: This immediately brings to mind the Tube or Metro system. Had you considered it? Is there a station a little further away that would bypass the main traffic?
Bouncing / Space Hopper: This is about agility and smallness. Could you drive to an outer station and park, then take public transport the rest of the way (a 'bounce' into the city)? Can you carpool with a colleague who lives nearby?
Teleportation: This is the ultimate shortcut. What is the modern-day teleportation for your work? A video conference call. Can you ask your boss if you can join the first meeting of the day remotely and travel in after the rush hour has passed?
Suddenly, by starting with the ridiculous, you have generated practical, innovative solutions that your stressed, logical adult brain completely missed.
This is Not Just About Traffic
This "Think Like a Child" model is a powerful tool for innovation in every corner of your life.
At Work: You’ve been tasked with cutting your department's budget by 10%. The adult brain thinks: "Fire someone or cut the training budget." The child's brain thinks: "What if we made our own electricity with a giant hamster wheel? What if our office furniture was edible?" The silly ideas break the tension and might lead to a genuinely innovative thought: "What if we gamified energy saving in the office? What if we swapped our expensive software subscription for a cheaper, more creative open-source alternative?"
In Your Personal Life: You want to get fit, but you hate the gym. The adult brain thinks: "I have to run or lift weights." The child's brain thinks: "I want to join the circus! I want to have a sword fight! I want to climb trees!" This could lead you to take up a rock-climbing class, a fencing course, or a dance class—activities that are so much fun you forget you’re exercising.
Living your life, your way, means refusing to be trapped by conventional thinking. By giving yourself permission to be playful, imaginative, and a little bit silly, you unlock a universe of possibilities.
The next time you feel stuck, don't try to think harder. Try to think younger.
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