This is a wonderful day!
Getting your brain in shape for creative thinking (Image by brgfx on Freepik)
I’ve had these two quotes on my board for a few weeks. Today I suddenly realized how similar the message is:
“This is a wonderful day! I’ve never seen this one before”
“The opposite of poverty isn’t wealth. The opposite of poverty is justice”
From completely different angles, they represent how changing the mindset through which we view things changes our perception of it.
If every day is the same, then we already know what to expect from the day and there is nothing new to strive for.
If the opposite of poverty is defined as wealth, that sets the expectation that it’s extremely hard to attain, available only to the lucky, those inherit, or those who work 23-hour days.
Instead, having a positive mindset for the day provides a blank slate for anything being possible.
In fact, your brain needs this mindset! Its natural state is to fall back on what it already knows since that’s where it feels the most comfortable and safe. Brainstorming is a gentle way to shake up the brain. It’s like taking the brain by the hand and saying, “There we are, everything is fine even if it looks unfamiliar.”
Shifting to a mindset of creativity and innovation is actually pretty easy with practice, by doing some simple exercises… think of it as going to a brain gym. Here are some simple ones you can try:
Read this
Print out this quote, put it on your mirror, and read it every morning.
2. See this
As you walk through your home, office, community, challenge yourself to look for the opposite – not just any opposite, but a positive opposite.
3. Say this
Think about the words you use when you speak, and replace negative words with positive words. For example, when someone says “Don’t forget to buy…”, the brain ignores ‘don’t’ and follows the [negative] instruction ‘forget’. Saying “Remember to buy…” gives the brain something positive to work towards.
4. Daydream this
When you’re reading an article or watching a documentary, let your mind wander and wonder what else that ‘thing’ could be used for, or how it could be adapted for a different purpose. Mind wandering has an important function in creative problem-solving… Einstein discovered the theory of relativity while daydreaming what it would be like to ride at the end of a beam of light in space.
Coming soon!
I’m kicking off the small group coaching program, “The Manager’s Hothouse,” in a few weeks. This will be a transformative 4-month journey of growth in a safe and unbiased environment where managers develop as leaders and creative problem-solvers. And it really is a small group – max 8 participants. The online meetups are flexible to meet your needs – a space to learn, discuss challenges, share ideas, brainstorm, ask questions, and practice new techniques. Expect to laugh together and enjoy the experience! Enrollment is by application only. By reading this post you show that you could easily be in my network, so I’m giving you, or someone you know, the opportunity to get the jump on everyone else. Book a call asap to discover whether this would be a good fit for you. Closing date is Feb 22nd.
New podcast guest appearance!
I had a fabulous conversation with John Chen, host of The Engaging Virtual Meetings podcast. We talked about developing rapport in virtual meetings, the importance of knowing the problem you're trying to solve, why silly ideas work, the silver lining to the pandemic, and the use of VR in training. You can be a fly on the wall here.