Buddha reached enlightenment precisely when he wasn’t focused on achieving it.

Of course he had been thinking about it in the build up to it. However, it came at a time of rest, or a time of absence of pure focus on the goal.

Often your best insights come when you aren’t focused on gaining them. They come when your mind is at rest or is focusing on something completely different.

This is why exercises such as meditation, walking (which Yamabushi count as meditation), or creative activities that you can get lost in, are so beneficial.

Some would even call this a flow state, although this depends on the purpose of the flow state. There shouldn’t really be an aim for it besides simply being in the moment.

Basically, if you want to gain good insights, or make progress on a creative endeavour, make the practice of simply being in the moment a regular part of your daily life. Turn off your phone or put it down for a while. Go for a walk in nature. Purposely stop and reflect on your senses.

If we can do this, who knows, we may even reach enlightenment. At the very least though, it’s a great way to gain insights.