Oblique Strategies

In 1975, producer Brian Eno and artist Peter Schmidt published a set of 100 cards containing strategies that helped them overcome the pressure-packed moments that always accompany a deadline.

Called “Oblique Strategies”, each card contains a single, often inscrutable, question or statement to push you out of a mental rut. For example, you may get cards with questions like “What would your closest friend do” and “What is the simplest solution?” or with statements such as “Repetition is a form of change.” or “Your mistake was a hidden intention.”

So if you're working on a project and find yourself stymied, pull an Oblique card from the deck to keep your mind open despite constraints you can't control.