Think Outside the Box

“Some men look at things the way they are and ask why? I dream of things that are not and ask why not? -Robert Kennedy

READ IT

So last lesson, we spoke about BURNING THE SHIPS – having an all or nothing type of attitude. But we also spoke about having another plan of action – which to some might mean you are giving up on your plan. Not the case at all. Remember Thomas Edison when he was working to make the light bulb, his famous quote was, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” He never gave up on what he wanted to accomplish, he just kept taking another path, thinking outside the normal constraints, or “thinking outside the box”, as we say. I tell folks I consult with, don’t just think outside the box, THINK OUTSIDE A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONTAINER.

Many times that process is easier said than done. The thing we need to do is take on the thought process that just because it has always been that way, doesn’t mean that it has to continue to be done that way. In fact, by expecting things to go back to the old way and never really changing, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of pain and unhappiness. Here is the flip side. When things – and people – DO change around you, without taking you along – it can almost upset you. People are the same way when you are chasing your dreams and goals. There might be times where it is MORE comfortable for them, AND YOU to keep on the same pathway. At times, people might not be happy with the success path you are on. STAY ON THE PATH. You just need to keep pushing and keep finding ways to challenge your assumptions.

To think outside the box, keep a few things in mind. Doing the same thing, day in and day out, will dull even the smartest person’s mind. Find ways of minimizing routine in your life, while still embracing ritual – the two approaches are very different in result. Ritual is about daily or regular activities that center you, keep you well (such as exercise or yoga), and give you a sense of place and identity. Routine is about the things that cause you to fall into a rut, respond without thinking, and that often feel imposed upon you from elsewhere.

DO IT

This week we have 2 sections with different tasks to do. Here we go.

A. The First Part is to:

• Change it up, occasionally. Do things differently. Instead of photocopying all the documents first thing in the morning, email them around to everyone and tell them the copier is broken. Next morning, email everything again, telling everyone how well yesterday went and that you’ve decided to do it like this from now on. If you’re on an exercise routine, change what you are doing. Take a yoga class if you haven’t before, if you’re taking yoga, get a session with a trainer and do some weight training. THIS WEEK – DO SOMETHING OUT OF THE NORM. This helps with thinking outside the box and teaches you how to change and adapt, but still keep chasing your goals.
• Change your appearance and clothes. Many a rut is given a swift kick when you treat yourself to a new look. It’s a start, and a really fun one at that.
• Walk a different way to work, catch a bus instead of driving, bring your lunch in instead of eating out (or vice versa), go home early for a change.
• The Key is MAKE A CHANGE THIS WEEK – and spend a day “thinking outside the box” about how you’ll accomplish this but stay on your Steps to Peak Performance!

B. The Second Part is to:

• Ask questions. Don’t ignore your questions; give them free rein. The fears you wrote down – go over them and ask yourself questions that will help you get rid of them. Contact experts to find the answers that will help remove the fears.
• Stop jumping to hasty conclusions. Haste makes waste and can leave you in hot water. Reflect over things until the better answer arrives.
• Look at something a different way, literally. Perhaps you’ve been hammering out a new design for something at work. You’ve been looking at this design for weeks, always in the same position. Try shifting it. Turn the design upside down, or take it out into the sunshine under the trees, or project it onto the ceiling and have all of your co-workers lie in the floor to observe it. You’ll be amazed at what a position change can do for assumptions and perspective. We do this with organizations as they come into a meeting room. We have everyone change where they normally sit. (We once had a CEO that wouldn’t move from his “head chair” position. That told us a lot about the company and the people – who had a hard time “thinking outside the box”. They couldn’t even think about moving from their normal seating arrangement at a short meeting.) CHANGE THIS WEEK TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Write down what you did to change.