Archives For change

Are You Pursuing the Past?

May 23, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Feeling unique is no indication of uniqueness. | Doug Coupland

Uniqueness is a characteristic many people and organizations claim, yet few exhibit. We see it all the time. Companies release products they claim are new and improved. However, the only thing new is the redesigned label. Organizational leaders discuss tired, ineffective strategies year after year. Rather than changing strategies, they changes leaders who, as you might expect, bring the same tired, ineffective strategies to the table.

In reality, individuals and leaders often resort to doing the same things they’ve always done. Though we live in a nation that celebrates personal freedom, we function with a herd mentality. We pursue acceptance rather than effectiveness. We choose familiarity over ingenuity. We declare our creativity while pursuing sameness. We become imitations of someone or something else.

We often live far below our potentials because we embrace the limits of popular thinking rather than asserting our creativity. Yet, we know that strategies of the past aren’t transferable. What worked in 1970 won’t have the same effectiveness today. We must free our minds to think differently.

Thinking differently doesn’t guarantee success. New ideas often are unsuccessful initially. However, the refined ideas that result from new strategies might produce results we never thought possible. Thinking differently is a way of life, not an event.

Don’t expect everyone to celebrate your creative thinking. After all, thinking differently requires us to analyze past thought processes. We might be forced to admit that our past success was really well-spun futility. When you challenge mediocre people to change their thought processes, they will look for ways to end the conversation. Some people simply refuse to change.

Change isn’t easy, but it is necessary. If we go through life copying what others are doing, one of us is unnecessary. Think about it.

What can you do to bring your creativity to life this week?

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How to Change Your Mind

May 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

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The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. | William James

Few things are as foundational to our existence, yet as misunderstood as our thinking processes. How we think affects everything. Therefore, changing our minds can, in fact, change our lives. So, how do we do it?

Over the past few decades, researchers have concluded that adults and children learn differently. Most of us wonder why it took so long to validate something so obvious. The resistance was a collective effort of educators who were very well-established in their teaching methodologies. The suggestion that children, adolescents, and adults learn in different ways put their classroom practices at risk. Those responsible for teaching people to think were, in fact, reluctant to embrace a new way of thinking. Ironic, huh?

What we know about how adults learn helps us guide adults who want to change their minds. Though the process is far more involved than this post will allow, here are the basic steps to changing your mind.

  • Identify what you know. When you lay aside speculation, second-hand information, and personal opinion, you’ll quickly discover that what you know about most subjects is limited. What do you know about a new job opportunity? Focus on verifiable facts only.
  • Identify three to five things you need or want to know. Listing what you know will reveal some holes in your knowledge base. Highlight three to five key pieces of information you need to know.
  • Research the things you need or want to know. Finding accurate information can be tricky, so learn how to validate information. The Internet is a great source of truth and myth.
  • Connect new information to existing information. This linking process is foundational to adult learning. As new information mingles with existing information, your baseline knowledge shifts and your mind changes.

Changing your mind about anything can be hard. That’s why so many adults refuse to learn. Laziness is the enemy of knowledge. Think about it.

Why do you need to change your mind?

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Don’t Be a Settler

May 9, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Age wrinkles the body; quitting wrinkles the soul. | Douglas MacArthur

Our nation was founded by brave men and women who faced the unknown with confidence. They moved across the land uncertain about what was on the other side of the next ridge. When conditions seemed favorable or the uncertainty grew too great, they settled. What they knew was good enough.

It’s easy for individuals and organizations to settle for what they know rather than stretching for what could be ahead. We rely on old strategies that produced acceptable results rather than working hard to develop strategies that might produce exceptional results. In our thinking, we settle for good enough.

Mediocre efforts yield no better than mediocre results. We will never experience extraordinary results by doing what we’ve always done. I’ve worked with organizations led by intelligent people who never understood this truth. They wanted a dramatic change in their effectiveness but they didn’t want to change anything. How did these people get to be in charge?

Settling is quitting. When that happens, our conversation is more about the past than the future. Our strategies look like those that everyone else is using. Our best days are behind us. This is the birth of organizational (or personal) decay. We might as well go sit in one of the rocking chairs in front of Cracker Barrel and watch the world go by.

We don’t have to settle. We can keep looking for new ways to do familiar things. We should ask “Why?”… a lot! We don’t have to do what we’ve always done. We don’t have to replicate the past. We can be original, unique, and innovative. Or, we can settle. You get to choose. Think about it.

In what areas of life do you need to resist the urge to settle?

In how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking , ,
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Are You Stuck In the Frustration Cycle?

May 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning to do afterward. | Kurt Vonnegut

Does it feel like your life is going in circles? Welcome to the club. Researchers tell us that the average American adult changes jobs every 27 months. Why? Take a look at the diagram above and you’ll understand.

We begin new adventures with optimism. We believe this job or situation will be better than the last. The commute is shorter, hours are better, pay is increased, or benefits are superior. Something about this opportunity leads us to a state of optimism.

The fires of optimism meet the cold water of reality. OK, so coworkers don’t welcome your ideas, supervisors really don’t need your input, the environment feels tense and oppressive. There is either a rash of alien abductions or your new employer doesn’t have a problem disposing of employees. This place is starting to look a lot like the last place.

Reality turns optimism into frustration. What were you thinking when you accepted this opportunity? How could you be so wrong? You start watching the clock, doing the bare minimum, and exclaiming, “It’s just a job.”

Long-term frustration leads to abandonment. You update your resume and begin looking for a new opportunity with an organization that will really be different. You try to hang on, but each day gets tougher. You wait to hear from someone at the “perfect” situation. Or, you quit. Either way, you abandon the dreams you had when you started and, if all goes as planned, you get the phone call and accept the new opportunity and…

The cycle starts all over!

Each cycle represents 24-30 months of your life. Do that five times and you will invest 10-12 years going in circles. Is this a recipe for a life that matters or are you getting dizzy?

The diagram above comes from my book, Live Your Why. Though it’s not a book designed to help you find a better job, your job search will be more focused when you understand your purpose as it is expressed through your personality, passions, and present reality. My goal is to help you discover your God-given purpose in life and then set you free to pursue it. When you do, the lines between work and play will blur. You’ll live a life that inspires others. Also available for Kindle.

Do you want to live your life waiting to quit doing something you hate or do you want to love your life? You get to choose. Think about it!

In twenty-five words or less, state your purpose in life. Are you loving life or living to quit?

Join the Creative Thinking Network now and save $100. Learn more.

In how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking , , ,
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Would You Like Fries With That?

April 29, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Some rules are nothing but old habits that people are afraid to change. | Therese Anne Fowler

Have you ever stopped to think about the number of things you habitually say or do? The workers at fast food restaurants are conditioned to upsell the fries, no matter what you order. One chain is famous for having employees say “my pleasure” in response to a customer’s “thank you.” Is it really their pleasure? Just wondering.

Habits are powerful forces and have the ability to short circuit our thinking processes. Habits remove the need for thinking and allow our minds to rest. That’s why we gravitate toward habitual activities and thoughts. It’s hard to change our habits because our minds keep telling us that the habit is the best way.

We can get our minds moving toward our dreams if we will learn to overcome debilitating habits. Here are some suggestions:

  • Pay attention to your habits. Learn to recognize when they are most present and/or powerful.
  • Write down you habit and your commitment to overcome it. This almost sounds like a 12-step idea, but it works.
  • Replace your habit. Now that you recognize your habit and are determined to overcome it, fill the void with one or more new thoughts or activities.

Overcoming habitual ways of thinking can be a challenge because how we think affects how we behave. It’s easy to change a behavior without changing your ways of thinking. This leads to inconsistencies in your character. Then you become one of those people who pander to the crowd. There already are too many of those people. Let’s not add to the supply. Think about it.

What habitual ways of thinking do you need to break?

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How to Escape Old Ideas

April 21, 2013 — Leave a comment

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The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones. | John Maynard Keynes

Most people don’t recognize the hold that old ways of thinking have on them. Old ideas are the lens through which we view reality. In fact, our views of reality are intricately connected to our traditional ideas. When we open our minds to new ideas, we put our view of reality at risk. Because that is scary, we push aside new ideas and settle for tweaking the old ideas.

So, how can we escape old ideas with confidence? Here are some things you can try.

  • View your ways of thinking from the perspective of others. Maybe you think you are relevant, cutting edge, or innovative. That might be inaccurate self-talk! You could be more stuck in 1990 than you are willing to admit.
  • Change one habit. You don’t have to change everything; but you must change something. Real change affects how you do your work or conduct daily business. If your change doesn’t affect your life, you haven’t changed anything.
  • Ask “Why?” a lot. We do a lot of things without giving much thought to our rationale. If your only reason for doing something is, “I’ve always done it this way,” you are more stuck in your thinking than you realize.

The world is full of people who recycle the past. I’d rather be an innovator than a curator. Think about it.

What old ideas do you need to escape?

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The Art of Ignorance

April 5, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. | Martin Luther King, Jr

According to a recent poll, more than one-quarter of Americans don’t know the answer to this question: Which country did the American colonists fight in the Revolutionary War? The number of incorrect answers was higher for 18-29 year olds (40 percent incorrect). Let’s be fair… historical information usually is committed to short-term memory for the purpose of passing a test. Because it seldom connects to real life, it doesn’t make the trip to long-term memory. We all have forgotten a lot of information we “learned” in school.

There are, however, some people who choose to use ignorance like an artist uses a paint brush–it is a tool to accomplish a desired end. We see this in people who use phrases like, “I don’t know what you’re talking about” and “That’s news to me.” Why do people pretend to be ignorant of things we are certain they know?

  1. They prefer ignorance over change. People who don’t want to think differently will plead ignorance in order to protect their archaic habits. If they agree with new ways of thinking, they might have to do something they’ve never done before.
  2. They prefer ignorance over responsibility. If they don’t know what you’re talking about, they can’t be held accountable for doing anything about it. The problem is that their irresponsibility becomes someone else’s responsibility. When they bail on things they should do, someone else must do it.
  3. They prefer ignorance over thinking. Ignorance is a common strategy for backwards-focused people and organizations. I know people who are stuck in 1979 and organizations that are stuck in 1950. Until they stop making excuses and start thinking, their best days are behind them.

Some people might think ignorance is an art. I disagree. I believe ignorance is a defense mechanism people use to fend off creativity and ingenuity. You can hide behind your ignorance or you can be a creative force. You can’t, however, do both. Think about it!

What are you doing to unleash your creativity?

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Don’t Build It Again

March 21, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Healey’s First Law Of Holes: When in one, stop digging. ― Denis Healey

If you could go back in time and start all over again, would you build the life or the organization you have today? Few questions have paused conversations like that question does. It causes people and leaders to take stock of what they are doing and determine the value of their activities.

The bigger issue is this–if you would build a life or an organization that looks different, why haven’t you done it? Your life and your organization are your responsibilities. You already know that doing what you’ve always done won’t produce results you’ve not yet achieved. Most people nod in agreement with that statement and then go right back to doing what they’ve always done.

I’ve worked in organizations that practiced creative backwards thinking. That’s the art of putting a spin on old ideas so that they appear to be new ideas. I once heard a manager say, “We want things to be so radically different that no one notices.” Some people around the table wrote down his words as if they planned to repeat them. I asked a simple question, “What does that mean?” The explanation made as much sense as the statement!

People and organizations that refuse to reinvent themselves are destined for irrelevance. Reinventing is not the same as sprucing up. Reinventing requires us to revisit our vision for the future. If you aren’t headed toward your vision, you are certain to remain stuck in the past. Think about it.

If you could go back in time, would you build the life you now have? If so, keep going. If not, what is holding you back?

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Are you necessary?

March 14, 2013 — 1 Comment

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Uniqueness isn’t a virtue. It’s a responsibility. | Mark Batterson

Unique. The appearance of the word validates its meaning. Unfortunately, many people in our society seem to have forgotten that they have a responsibility to be unique. The same can be said about many organizations. We all have the tendency to identify someone who is achieving success and then attempt to imitate them.

They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. I disagree. Imitation is the greatest form of laziness. You weren’t created to be like someone else. You were created to be you… the best you possible. If we spend our lives trying to copy others, one of us is unnecessary. Yet, copying others is about as creative as some people get.

A coworker and I once talked about creating a fictitious organization that we controlled. We knew that the leaders of our organization were prone to copy what others did, so by creating and controlling the make-believe organization, we could control the place we worked. It was a genius plot that would make for great television or a comic strip!

When you pause to copy others, you stop short of your potential. It’s not that you desire to be better than someone else. The point is that life isn’t a competition. When I’m at my best, those around me are at their best. When you are at your best, you have the same effect on those around you.

Don’t squander your life becoming a cheap imitation of something or someone. Dare to explore your creativity. Don’t imitate, initiate. Create change. If you don’t become you, who will? Think about it!

In what ways are you expressing your uniqueness?

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Tomorrow will look like today unless…

March 7, 2013 — 2 Comments

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Though we like to complain about the way things are, we often are reluctant to make even the smallest changes. Navigators know that a one degree deviation at the onset of a voyage can take a vessel on an unintended path. Similarly, a slight shift in our approach to life today can make a radical difference in the future we experience. By choosing wisely today we can change the course of our lives.

Where you are today is a direct result of decisions made in previous days, months, and years. Your destiny tomorrow will be affected by the choices you make today. If where you’ve been determines where you are, then where you are determines where you will be. Your future will look like your past unless you choose to do something about it.

Will you be satisfied if tomorrow looks just like today? If nothing changes in the next few months will you feel like you’ve made significant progress toward discovering and living your why? Are you on the right path headed in the right direction or are the days beginning to look like repeats of the past?

You can be certain of one thing… it’s going to be the way it was unless YOU decide it’s going to be different. You aren’t a victim; you are a unique individual designed by a loving Creator for a specific purpose. Where you’ve been is just preparation for where you are going. If you want to pursue your dream, choose to do something differently today. Think about it!

What is one thing you can do differently today that will put you on the path toward discovering your dream?

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