Do you ever have a lightbulb moment? Help!

I will describe the last 24 hours or so to you and then you can decide what to make of me! I was working away yesterday morning and then some WhatsApp messages started to appear on my Mac from one of the main product development guys at Savage Gear. He wanted to show me some stuff they have been working on recently and ask me what I thought of it in relation to our bass fishing market……….

Looks interesting, but it wasn’t the main products so much as something contained within one of the samples which suddenly gave me such a big lightbulb moment. I have had a bunch of specific ideas for a while now, but I have been struggling to connect the dots as such. I know what I want to end up with, but because I am not very good at the technical side of design, I haven’t quite been able to work out how to make it all come together. I can kinda see the end product and what it can do for my fishing if that makes sense, but the technical stuff hasn’t come together yet in my head. Until yesterday morning’s lightbulb moment.

Thanks to Dave from Labrax Mafia for the use of these photos today

At one point yesterday morning a short video came through of a specific product in development. You know how we all do some things naturally and perhaps without thinking yet there might be something contained within those actions which comes across as unique to another person? So in this WhatsApp video there is a component within the product which jumped out at me like a classic jump-scare in a good horror film. A simple part of a potentially new product which suddenly gave me THE answer to what I have been thinking about and how to complete it. The Savage Gear product bloke will have had no idea that what he was showing me very suddenly crystallised a hell of a lot in my brain - he does now though! - but now I was sitting in my office, the lightbulb has gone off, and my brain is starting to race with further ideas.

Early yesterday morning I had not been planning to go for a run after my dog walk because I had a gym session in the afternoon. I know it sounds silly, but I am that addicted to what running does for me I was feeling really guilty that I hadn’t been for a run. But I literally had to go for a run around lunchtime yesterday because I needed to get out of the house and really think - and running is really good thinking time. So I took Storm for a walk then went for a run, and then later on I went to the gym and did my stuff and went to bed fairly early because I was physically pretty tired. I then woke up around 1am with my brain racing about product development, plus I was also wondering how our youngest girl was getting on with her flight from Australia to Thailand. I managed to get back to sleep after about an hour of tossing and turning, then I woke up at 4am with a start and went downstairs. With my brain still seriously bouncing away I might add.

Then my wife comes downstairs at about 6am. She is the love of my life and I am so glad I survived my heart attack and continue to be with her, but she doesn’t really do mornings. But I do! I went out for a dog walk just after 6am and then without realising I started to really offload when I got back. Not so much about the fishing side of things because my wife has no interest in it, rather I just needed to talk. Or rather, talk at someone! Stream of consciousness thing, try and clear my head. My poor wife looked at me like I was quite mad and asked me what the hell I was on about. I am pretty sure her going to work was also an escape from me and my offloading! I am a 53 year old father of two awesome girls and fishing related stuff can still make me literally hyperventilate with excitement and creative drive. Do I need help or are loads of you a bit like me?