Are you ever at work and the task that you're handling just flows and gets done without much effort? It's almost as if your brain and creativity just explode and you slice through the task with ease. That feeling, the flow, is an awesome feeling but how often do you have it? Wouldn't it be great if you could somehow bottle that feeling and release it when you need it most? Easier said than done.
There are probably a lot of variables that go into achieving this feeling and like most things, they are totally different for everyone. However, with a little thought, most of us can most likely identify a handful of things that help promote their inner creativity. Here are 11 tips I've found to work. If you have other steps or rituals, let us know!
Are you using the right medium to communicate your work and message? Your medium is the outlet that you communicate with. This can be a nurse, writer, speaker, artist, etc. Maybe you have the message right but it's not being shared through the right medium. This happens to lots of super creative people who find themselves in jobs they don't like with lots of restrictions. Creativity knows no limits. Try a new outlet and see if your creativity improves.
Just go ahead and start writing. Know before you begin that this will be the worst thing you have ever created; it's then impossible to be disappointed. More often than not, as you get moving, creative ideas will come to you and it is nowhere near as bad as you first pictured. Sometimes you just need to have the courage to take that first step towards creating what you desire.
Say to yourself "I will work on this for 1 hour" or "I will write a minimum of 500 words before standing up". We can't always be creative but every single one of us can make ourselves work on something for a set period of time as short as one hour.
Start creating whatever is in your mind; writer's block is often overcome this way. If you sit there for 30 minutes and nothing is coming, you're not going to get anything. Get up and do something that you love. Go for a walk, calm and center yourself, play with your kids, meditate. There is always a way. As I read in a fortune cookie once, "Many a bad move is made by standing still". Those 30 minutes have at least been spent moving towards creating rather than stagnating doing nothing.
Whenever I feel like I'm in a creative rut I sing or dance. Take some time to just totally let yourself go. Put on a song that you love and sing and dance to it and you'll get yourself out of all those negative thought patterns and in a really positive place. Really let yourself go. One way to get to a new level is to sing louder than you ever have done before. It leaves you feeling amazing and creativity just flows after that. WARNING: You might want to vacuum your house while singing this loud. It saves other people's ears and is super productive too!
I find that your best ideas come will come to you when your mind is still. When you're too deep into a project struggling to get creative, it makes sense to have a mental reboot every 30-60 minutes. Just go for a walk. Get some fresh air into your lungs and a change of scenery.
Creativity comes in ebbs and flows. Some days you might just be so uptight and tense that you need to take the day off. It's not unproductive because rest is essential to gear yourself up for the days when you really exert yourself. If you have the opportunity spend time with friends, family or doing something you love just for the sake of it. You'll come back to it tomorrow with a fresh mind and fresh ideas.
Do you sometimes find it tough to get creative because you feel like you just don't have enough hours in the day? I get it all the time. Truly deep creative thoughts don't usually come to you within the first 30 minutes of creating something, they come as you dive deeper into it after spending at least one hour there. It's tough to get that deep without the time.
What would benefit you is to set aside a few hours to become a master of your time. Batch similar tasks all in one, start reducing pointless internet browsing, etc. Then you'll be able to experience deep creative flow once again.
I see babies as naturally creative. They know no limits and no fears. Watch a baby for a while and see how they just do things. They are totally focused in this moment, not at all held prisoner by their past. Imitate their aliveness by spending time with them and you will find beautiful ideas flowing through you that you never thought you could access before. This leads me to the next tip ...
Being in the moment is without question the best thing you can do for creativity. If you are thinking about the past, you are limited by it. By being here and present you have access to all the precious gifts that you have now. This is a process of concentrating the mind and the best way for this is through meditation.
You hear meditation defined a lot of ways but it is really just concentrating, which is concentrating your mind on this moment. Practice concentrating 100% on reading this article until the end or the feeling of the keys you are typing. Life is a meditation practice and opportunities are everywhere. The creative benefits can only really be experienced, they're fantastic that's all I can say. It's a whole new level of living.
Sometimes, we spend too much time indoors between the four walls of our homes and at our desk and lose touch with our natural roots. Long spells in natural environments refresh the spirit. Nature is the ultimate creative inspiration. Have you ever looked out across a still river or up at the skies on a dark night and just been awe-struck? They're the beautiful experiences that life is made of. Doing this will invigorate your spirit, body and mind so they are all fresh and aligned towards creativity once again.
Written on 5/6/2010 by Richard Shelmerdine. Richard writes passionately about his love of spirituality and self improvement over at RichardShelmerdine.com.
Unique Ways To Access Your Natural Creativity
Posted by SoMeOnE at 8:31 AM Labels: Business, Entrepreneur, How To, Writing
The Golden Rules of Great Leadership
Posted by SoMeOnE at 10:29 PM Labels: Business, Leadership, Relationships
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. ~Lao Tzu
Leadership isn’t just for CEOs, coaches and managers. Throughout your life, your ability to perform as a leader can make all the difference between an experience of success and ease, and a feeling of frustration and powerlessness.
Many of you are true leaders without knowing it! If you’re a parent, then you’re a leader. If you’re married, you’re a leader. If you have to teach a class or manage a family budget, you’re a leader.
Thousands of Books
have been written about leadership and management. Companies spend millions training their leadership teams, and rightly so – leadership in specific areas can be a skillful and demanding role. But, as with everything else in life, the key to it all is very simple. The golden rules of leadership can be expressed in many ways, and here are some of them and no, this is not an inclusive list - simply a handful of what I view as the most important.
- They are good role models
Great leaders lead by example. They don’t ask other people to do something they wouldn’t be prepared to do themselves. They model the kind of behavior they want to see in other people – risk taking, proactivity, self-reflection, honesty. - They empathize
A good leader will put herself in the other person’s shoes. She understands that nobody is trying to do a bad job, that everyone is doing what they think best. It might not be what the leader herself thinks is best, of course, but this recognition that there are other perspectives and a genuine willingness to understand another point of view sets good leaders apart. - They are flexible
There are usually many different ways to get a job done well, and a good leader will recognize this. He will seek the views of others and change his own ideas accordingly. A great leader is always learning from others, always adapting and ready to try something new. - They embrace contrast
Everyone is different, and a good leader will use this diversity to his advantage. Contrast and diversity leads to innovation. A poor leader will try to impose uniformity, but a good leader will encourage new kinds of thinking, originally and fresh perspectives. - They communicate
A good leaders doesn’t expect people to read her mind, and she knows that good communication is very difficult. It requires a lot of care and a lot of patience. She will spend time and energy trying to communicate in a genuine way. Meetings and conversations will be interactive and not just on person lecturing another. She will genuinely be open to what is said and will look under the surface to see what other people are really trying to say. - They give praise
There is always good stuff happening, and even when he has to make a criticism, the good leader will find something good to say first. He will always focus on the success, the good qualities, the things going right. He is positive and knows that the future is bright. - They trust people
I’m sure we’ve all worked with bosses who (sometimes literally) peer over your shoulder to see what you’re doing. A good boss will be clear about expectations and then let you get on with the job, giving support and encouragement when necessary. - They empower others
We all need to feel that we are able to make a difference, and a good leader recognizes this. She will not hold on too tightly, but will give away power, distributing it to others and so enabling individuals to learn and grow as they add value to the situation. - They have a light touch
Holding on too tight, being inflexible – these are sure ways to failure. A poor leader will try to control everything, but a great leader will know when to act and whan to leave well alone. Lao Tzu wrote, ‘Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it.’
 | Written on 4/20/2010 by Mark Harrison. Mark Harrison writes about personal growth, communication, and increasing personal wealth. Check out his new book, Thirty Days to Change Your Life. |
7 Profound Lessons From 7 of our Historical Leaders
Posted by SoMeOnE at 2:32 AM Labels: Business, Entrepreneur, Goals, Leadership, Motivation
Leaders aren’t necessarily special. They don’t wear a halo and they certainly don’t glow in the dark. Leaders are just the individuals who are further along the path that you’re traveling. Because leaders have traveled the path successfully, they are able to provide insights into the journey so by absorbing the lessons they have learned, one would think that with application, your path may be simpler.
Today I want to take a look at seven amazing lessons from seven amazing leaders. These lessons are intended to give us insight into our journey, as well as provide us with some much needed motivation. As you will see, these seven leaders are from differing backgrounds, but their message is similar.
As a sidenote, there are hundreds of leaders out there so if your favorite isn't listed, add it in the comment section below this post. With that, let’s get right to it.
Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along!"Every artist was first an amateur." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
As the Scripture says, “Despise not the day of small beginnings...Although thy beginning be small, thy latter end shall greatly increase.” It’s important that we remember that Rome was not built in a day. There are no overnight successes.
Success happens over years, and only to those who are consistently consistent.
Every “somebody” was once a “nobody;” everyone starts “small,” but if you’re focused, and if you’re steady, one day, you will be “big.”"Just do what you do best."- Red Auerbach
Learn what you do best, and focus on that! If you wrote a book that only sold one copy after five years, then maybe writing’s not your "thing." Discover your true passion and dedicate your life to doing that task to the very best of your ability. That’s what success is. Success is not buying a Rolls Royce; success is doing the best with the talents that you’ve been given. It's playing the card you've been dealt to the very best of your ability."Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."- Thomas Jefferson
I know its cliché but your attitude really does determine your altitude. Having a negative perspective is like walking through life with dark shades on; you don’t see as clearly and you miss opportunities that are right in front of you. In essence, you are your own worst enemy.
It’s critical that you keep a positive mental attitude, it’s critical that you believe in your possibilities. Frank Loyd Wright said, “The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” So always believe that you will succeed."We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."-Aristotle
Your life is a collection of your habits. If you succeed, it will be because over the course of your life you’ve collected habits that cause success. Your habits will take you further than your education. Robert Collier said, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”"Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true."-Napoleon Hill
What you constantly ponder you will eventually become. You must see where you want to be. The clear vision of your desire gives you the motivation to make it happen. This works positively or negatively. If you consistently think about gambling, you’ll eventually try it. If you consistently think about providing value, you will eventually provide it.
It all starts with the vision that you glorify in your mind."A goal properly set is halfway reached."-Abraham Lincoln
Are you working towards your goals? A person without a goal is like a car without an engine; it ain’t going nowhere. You must have a goal, and you must constantly work towards the achievement of that goal. You must constantly move in the direction of that goal. Conrad Hilton said “Success…seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”-Mark Twain
You only live once, you only get one bite at the apple, I suggest you go after your dreams. Helen Keller said life is either a daring adventure or nothing! So live the life you’ve always imagined, explore, follow your passion, and in the end, you will have no regrets.
Written on 4/15/2010 by Mr. Self Development who is a motivational author that offers a practical guide to success and wealth; support him by visiting his blog at mrselfdevelopment.com or by subscribing to his feed.
5 Effective Tips on Removing The Obstacles to Your Success
Posted by SoMeOnE at 3:40 AM Labels: Business
One of the fastest ways to success is to remove the obstacles in front of you. These obstacles can be anything from mental roadblocks to office politics and making them move in the direction you want is not always easy and it certainly isn't fast.
I am not here to tell you exactly what to do because that won't work; your world is much different than mine. I am, however, here to share my experiences with you so you can take what I have learned and apply portions of it where it makes sense in your life. Going in, understand that reading is never enough to achieve success. If you're going to skim this article and then do nothing, your life won't change. You have to take action and you have to fail an incredible amount of times until something happens. There are exceptions of course, but I think you catch my drift.
If you only learn one thing from this article, that alone is enough and it will have an impact on your life. With all that said, here are my five effective tips on removing obstacles to success:
The simpler you can make something, the easier it will be for you to succeed. If you buy a course that has been proven to work for thousands of people, you will succeed, if you follow the instructions.
I know I’m supposed to say you should break the rules and be remarkable, but I'm not going to do that. Following instructions when you have no clue what you’re doing is the fastest way to success, at least for me. You might be different, so don’t take what I say as gospel.
First learn the rules, play by the rules and only break them once you understand them. In the end what I’m trying to say is to find your own way of doing things.
Ever since I paid someone money to criticize my poker game, I’ve been in love with coaching. It’s just such an effective way to reduce your learning curve. If you’re not getting the results you want, you can ask your coach what he or she thinks is wrong and what you can do to improve.
Not only did I use coaching to improve my poker game to such a stage that I was able to make a living at it for almost five years, but I’ve also used it to learn blogging. I knew what I wanted, so I went out and found someone who was already successful. I then joined their coaching program.
If you want to get something done online, you’ll naturally run into a lot of hurdles especially when it comes to design and the technical side of things. I realize you may not always have the money to throw on outsourcing, but if you do, it’s an effective way to save time and eliminate possible frustration.
Want to get a blog up but don’t know how? Outsource it. Want to edit an audio file but don’t have the tools? Outsource it. Some things you want to outsource, others not so much. Think about where it makes sense.
Don’t know how to do the technical stuff? Don’t have money to outsource? Still feel like you can provide? Partner with someone whose strengths are your weaknesses and split the profits.
Another restricting belief you may have is sharing the profit with someone. I had that too. Still have it to some extent, but working with the right partner is a lot of fun. I’m not out to make millions of dollars.
I live a simple life, so I don’t need a lot of money. I’ve realized that I can do what I want to do with a relatively small income. It’s a common trap we fall into. We think we need all this money to do something, when instead we can just do it right away.
When you think about success, it’s easy to associate it with competition. We have been taught to believe that success means stomping on other people to get higher up on the ladder, but does it really have to be that way?
What you believe determines your reality. But remember, you do not have to be perfect to be successful. It’s easy to put successful people on a pedestal and think that they are above you when they aren’t.
They are human beings just like everyone else. They have feelings, fears and worries. Think about what’s holding you back and why. You may begin to uncover some uncomfortable stuff, but if you want to become successful and do what you love, that’s one of the fastest way to get there.
Written on 3/28/2010 by Henri Junttila. Henri is addicted to living a free and passionate life. He runs the Wake Up Cloud, where he shows you how you can learn how to find your passion and live consciously.
The Hidden Business Lessons Of March Madness
Posted by SoMeOnE at 7:49 AM Labels: Business, Relationships
The NCAA basketball tournament is right around the corner, one of the most over-commercialized, bloated, melodramatic monstrosities on the sports calendar. Right? I mean, nothing shows the exploitation of the college “student-athlete” more than CBS’ billion-dollar baby. Right?
Wrong. For all the headaches and hype associated with the Field of 64, there are some important lessons the rest of the month can teach us. Between upsets and cutting down the net, keep these thoughts in your mind and think about how they relate to your life, career and even your relationships.
One of the first lessons of the tournament is getting in. Behind closed doors, the NCAA tournament committee decides who makes the field and who doesn’t. One of the key parts to their formula is the strength of your opponents. Think about that as you measure the successes of your business life. Have you built up your ego and by piling up easy victories? Do you know what it’s like to win hard, against someone just as smart or as talented as you, if not better? This is how the selection committees in our life (bosses, professors, recruiters) measure success. They are going to look at not just you, but who you beat. If you are cruising along with no challenges, who knows what you will do when you make it out of the first round?
For many students, the first round of the NCAA Tournament comes the same week as spring break, giving them a reason to pack up the car and take a road-trip for first-round games in Boise, Oklahoma City and Dayton. Just because you are a working person now doesn’t mean that you have to save all of your vacation up for the summer. You body needs to recharge every few months. Go ahead and take a few days, park it on your couch and watch the first two days of the tournament. Turn off your computer and your phone and watch the updates come in, late into the night.
Sure, it’s easy to root for the 16th-seeds of the world. Scrappy, small-school ballers who get everyone to cheer for them if they keep it close. But don’t make the mistake of always empathizing with the underdog. If you are doing business right, you will have smaller competitors looking to find your weakness and topple you. Don’t underestimate anyone who you may be squaring off with for a client or a contract. Stick with your strengths and don’t let up until the buzzer sounds – every time.
One-year wonders come and go these days in the NCAA Tournament. Kevin Durant spent a season at Texas, John Wall will be one-and-done this year at Kentucky. So if your school is in the field of 64, don’t fall too deeply in love with your superstar. Instead, root for the uniform, the colors and the tradition that make you a proud alum. The loyalty to those things are what unites everyone across the country who are tuned in to see your team tip off.
Two great plays you’ll see during March Madness are the buzzer-beating shot and the player diving out of bounds for a loose ball. How would you like to have members of your team at work who could deliver with everything on the line? Or someone who will throw their whole self into a project just to keep you from losing your momentum? You can’t teach those things, but you can look for the qualities when you decide who to surround yourself with at work.
It’s guaranteed that the person to win your basketball bracket pool isn’t going to be the office’s resident basketball expert. It may be a co-worker who picks the winners based on cute mascots or your friend who picks all the lower seeds or a rabid fanboy who thinks his school will win the title – and they do. Everyone has a system that works for them and sometimes they strike gold. Find your own system and don't rely on mimicking others success.
North Carolina and Oklahoma both had rosters filled with high school All-Americans this season. One thing they have in common? Neither is going to make the tournament. If your team is made up of a bunch of people who think they should be the star, no one is going to want to share the spot light. A team works best when everyone knows their roles. Who is your point guard? Who is your defender? Clearly defined positions, including a superstar, work best.
When you’re all finished with a huge undertaking, like crowning an NCAA champion, it always helps to reflect back on the emotions that everyone went through. That’s why CBS ends with “One Shining Moment”, the teary-eyed music video who shows the highs and lows of the entire tournament experiment. It gives even the most jaded of fan a chance to say – “hey, this is a great thing. And I’m glad I was a part of it.” Celebrate wins.
Written on 3/15/2010 by Mike Koehler. Mike Koehler is a public relations strategist and new media director at Schnake Turnbo Frank | PR. He works out of his offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, teaching businesses how to use the web. He spends his spare time with his wife and three kids. Read his blog at www.stfpr.com/newmedia.
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