aha! moment—the sense of discovery, an epiphany or a brainstorm. It feels qualitatively different from the typical thinking process and usually occurs quite suddenly.

chunking—organizing a lot of information into meaningful groups for better short-term memory retention.

cognitive map—a set of habits and beliefs that influence how we per ceive and interpret our environment and experience. It helps us to move easily through our world but can also limit us from discovery unless we keep expanding it.

data mining—searching for new patterns in a grouping of data.

dopamine—the neurotransmitter that floods the brain with pleasure during the experience of anticipation.

entanglement—the idea that we rub shoulders with so many people and partake of their ideas that we absorb influences that feed a eureka discovery.

entelechy—Aristotle's notion that our life's purpose is already con tained within us.

flow—the experience of being so attuned with a project or activity that you fail to perceive the passage of time or other external clues. Often, we produce our best work during flow.

long-term memory—enduring memories that are stored for later retrieval, whether minutes or years later.

mental flexibility—the ability to see things from different angles, which can be developed and strengthened with practice.

perceptual shift—the experience of seeing something differently from your first impression due to new information that changes the context.

scan—the automatic habit of watching for opportunities or ideas.

snap—a flash of inspirational brilliance, a brainstorm, the “aha! moment,” or a “eureka” experience, which launches a sense of direction and a desire or need for action.

vigilance advantage—what people gain who mindfully scan infor mation for opportunities or new ideas.

working memory—short-term memory that allows us to process information quickly and retain a small number of items for a brief time.