1. How do you define daydreaming? Do you define daydreaming broadly as the author does—including mind wanderings, “practical” daydreams about real-life, and creative fantasies? Or do you only associate daydreaming with wishful thinking?

2. What is your attitude toward daydreaming? Were you taught it’s a “bad” or unproductive thing to do? Do you think you should be “present” and focused all the time? Is that possible? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of constant focus?

3. Prior to reading this book, did you associate the words “daydream” and “fantasy” with only pleasant mental visions? How has that changed? On the whole, do you enjoy your daydreams or do you find them distracting or problematic?

4. What kinds of prompts, events, or settings trigger a daydreaming state for you? For example, when are you most likely to daydream? In the morning, afternoon, or evening? At work or at home? While walking or driving or puttering about? An interesting way to look at this is to ask the question: When don’t you daydream? Is there ever a situation in which your mind doesn’t wander, at least somewhat?

5. Have your daydreams or mind wanderings ever led you to a solution that you were unable to find when you were struggling for answers in a more focused state?

6. How clearly do you envision things in your mind’s eye when daydreaming? Are the images vivid or hazy? Do other senses come into play? Do you hear sounds or music? Do you experience smells, taste, or touch? Think of the many ways in which daydreams provoke a very real physical response such as hunger, arousal, adrenalin, or relaxation.

7. Have you noticed any connections between certain triggers and certain types of daydreams? For example, the author says the little irritations of driving often spark “angry” daydreams for her.

8. Do you see the connection between your own energy levels and the energy produced by your daydreams? For example, if you have an exciting or inspiring daydream, does that energize you? Or the opposite, do you have anxiety-ridden daydreams that sap your energy?

9. Do you ever experience anger-related or cathartic revenge-type daydreams? Do you think these kinds of daydreams help or hurt?

10. How can you capitalize on the positive, energy-producing daydreams and cut down on those that drain your energy? Do you think it’s possible to increase your positive daydreaming and lessen your negative daydreaming? Do you think all negative daydreaming is inherently bad, or do you use it for planning and risk assessment?

11. Have you listened to or followed your daydreams in a way that has inspired you to develop a business product or plan, create a work of art, travel or volunteer, design a home or plan an event?

12. Do you keep your daydreams secret? Have you ever shared a daydream with anyone else the way you might share a nightdream? Do you think it’s a good idea to share your daydreams? Why or why not?

13. Do you agree with the theory that a person has to be a “big” dreamer to achieve “big” things in life, providing that they also follow through with the requisite actions? If so, do you think people nurture and refine those dreams in a daydreaming state?

14. In addition to daydreaming about the real people in your life, do you ever daydream about fictional or famous people? What could be the benefit? When might it become a problem?

15. Do you think your daydreams can provide direction for your life in a general sense? For example, do you believe your daydreams could be telling you where you might need to focus attention? Maybe you need a more exciting job? An emotional connection? In that sense, do you believe your daydreams serve as goal reminders?

16. Have you ever used visualization—purposely induced daydreams or visions—to get a specific result? If so, what? If not, would you ever consider trying it?

17. How have your daydreaming patterns and content changed throughout your life? What did you daydream about as a child? As an adolescent? As a young adult? Do you daydream as much or less as you age?

18. Do movies, books, television, or music ever launch any daydreams for you? Are these merely entertaining or have any inspired new ideas for a business, career, or project?

19. What do you think of the policies of companies such as Google and 3M that give employees a certain amount of time and space to conceptualize or daydream? Do you think that’s doable on some level for other businesses? How could businesses become more adept at getting creative input from all their employees?

20. What are you most likely to daydream about? Plans for the future? Creative projects? Escapist stress-release scenarios? What are your favorite daydreams?

2. What is your attitude toward daydreaming? Were you taught that daydreaming is not a productive use of your time? Do you think you should be “present” and focused all the time? Is that possible? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of constant focus?

3. Have your daydreams or mind wanderings ever led you to a solution that you were unable to find when you were struggling for answers in a more focused state? What were the circumstances that allowed your mind to relax and open to new ideas?

4. Do you use your daydreams for planning? If so, do you ever consciously carve out time to dream, to get into that creative state?

5. When and how do good ideas come to you? What do you do with these ideas? Write them down? Act upon them?

6. The ability to envision while daydreaming and to be in an uncensored state of mind are key reasons why daydreaming is such a creative mental state. How does the ability to envision without criticism or limitation lend itself to innovation?

7. The ability to free associate while daydreaming is also critical to innovation as it’s important to be able to link seemingly unrelated ideas to see new applications for products or processes. Does exposure to new ideas help you think more creatively? How can you incorporate that into your everyday work life?

8. Do you agree with the theory that a person has to be a “big” dreamer to achieve “big” things in life, providing that they also follow through with the requisite actions? If so, do you think people nurture and refine those dreams in a daydreaming state?

9. What do you think of the quote in Chapter Eight from leadership development expert André Martin that “a leader’s job is to create space for breakthroughs to occur . . . the primary skill is enabling daydreaming . . . the obstacle is banging the judge’s gavel . . .”? What do you think he meant by “enabling daydreaming” and “banging the judge’s gavel”? How are budding ideas nurtured at work and how are they crushed? What team behaviors create obstacles to nurturing new ideas?

10. What do you think of the policies of companies such as Google and 3M that give employees a certain amount of time and space to conceptualize or daydream? Do you think that’s doable on some level for all businesses?

11. What do you think of the prediction in Chapter Eight that states: “We will face the equivalent of all the milestones of the 20th century—world wars, creation of the automobile, sequencing of DNA, rise of the Internet, etc.—in a single week in the year 2025”? How can businesses and individuals best meet the challenges of rapid change?

12. What kind of changes would you like to see in your own business or field of work? Would you like more creative input? Would you like more time to conceptualize? What’s standing in the way? How could businesses become more adept at getting creative input from all their employees?

13. How do you assess creativity in an individual or in yourself? Can creativity be developed? Can this skill be identified in new applicants and used in recruiting?

14. Should all employees be encouraged to generate ideas and think creatively about work? In many places, creativity is reserved for the “upper levels” of management. Would it make a difference if everyone was encouraged to be creative? Is that realistic?

15. What kind of physical spaces inspire your own creative thinking? Do you find your office or work setting conducive to creative thought and “what if” speculation? How important is a sense of play? Time flexibility? Work-life balance? Casual dress?

16. Do you see the connection between your own energy levels and energy produced by your daydreams? For example, if you have an inspiring daydream, does that energize you? Or the opposite, do anxiety-ridden daydreams sap your energy?

17. How can you capitalize on the positive, energy-producing daydreams and cut down on those that drain your energy? Do you think it’s possible to increase your positive daydreaming and lessen your negative daydreaming? Is negative daydreaming always bad? How can it help in planning? How does it help or impair calculated risk-taking?

18. How do your various daydreams remind you of goals you might want or need to achieve? Think of short-term and long-term goals, professional and personal goals. Give some examples.

19. Do movies, books, television, news stories, or music ever launch any daydreams for you? If so, are these merely entertaining or have any inspired new ideas for a product, project, or interest? For example, mountain climber Ed Viesturs read a book about mountain climbing that fired his imagination and set him on his path to climbing the world’s fourteen highest peaks.

20. Have you ever used visualization—purposely induced daydreams or visions—to get a specific result? If so, can you cite examples? If not, would you ever consider trying it? How could it help improve work-related performance?