Defining The Box
Environmental Blocks
When you are trying to be creative or innovative, there is a myriad of reasons, causes, and blocks that can prevent you. In addition to training your mind, you have to train the people around you to accept your quirkiness a necessity to act differently, say unusual things at inappropriate times, and respect your alone time to think.All this within reason of course. Don’t go acting insane and tell everyone I encouraged you to do that.
I have a hot tub. Most mornings I go to the tub just as the sun is coming up and think. I go over my tasks for the day. Write emails in my head. Design graphics. And, occasionally, solve big problems.
I also stay up late most nights and watch everything science. My wife makes a reference to the old movie “European Vacation”, by calling my shows, the “cheese channel”. I do have to admit, I have seen a show or two in the making of cheese.
I watch them at night after she goes to bed so she doesn’t have to hear all that science. She likes her sleep and I can summarize the show the following morning.
I get up early and go to bed late. We have an understanding, I don’t wake her up when I come to bed, I don’t wake her up when I get up, and she respects my quiet time.
If she was concerned about my sleep habits or didn’t understand why I sometimes just like to be alone with my thoughts, it would definitely be a problem for me to find the right environment to gather information and sort it out.
How many different Environmental Blocks can you think of that could prevent you from you from your quiet time to think?
Here are a few to get your brain heading in the right direction.
- Lack Of Cooperation And Trust Among Colleagues, Friends, & Family
- Bosses Value Only His Or Her Own Ideas
- Society Does Not Reward Creativity
- Ego & Insecurities
- Distractions from your Phone, Email, And other Intrusions
- Lack of time, money, expertise, and other resources
- Nowhere to work
Can you think of any other Environmental factors that could prevent you from being less creative and innovative? Write them down.
“Ideas must work through the brains and the arms of good and brave men, or they are no longer better than dreams.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lon Safko
Serial Innovator, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Innovative Thinking
Tags: innovative thinking, creative, creative thinking, Innovation, critical thinking definition, innovation definition, critical thinking skills, creative process
