Change is all around us, and its here to stay. Today, change is occurring at a rate unprecedented in human history, and many the changes are revolutionary, not just temporary adjustments in normal cycles. We are in the Information Age. Management guru and best selling author Tom Peters has said that he believes were in the midst of once-every 200 year economic, social, and political shift. Such rapid change is quickly rendering many of our tried and true solutions ineffective or less effective. At the same time, in nearly every market, competition in increasing. Put these two developments together and its easy to see why innovation and creativity are such important skills for succeeding in the 21st century. To succeed in the Information Age its important to regularly re-assess everything about your work and profession. Dont just randomly scrap all of your existing habits and practices just for the sake of change, rather do it intelligently and objectively. You should consistently review your work through new eyes, as an outsider or a stranger to your business or profession might do. Here are three questions you should always ask yourself that will help you deal with change: Why are we doing things this way? Whats not perfect yet? How could it be improved? Set aside a regular time to mentally dissect your lifes work. You should keep a small notebook with you at all time so you can write down new ideas that continually come into your mine. It is often the case that if you dont right an idea down immediately youll loose it. Ten new ideas a day add up to 300 per month or 3,650 each year! Dont get discouraged if many ideas seem impractical or ineffective. What youre after is a large quantity of ideas which you can later refine, combine and further develop into a handful of quality solutions. Continuous education is one of the best ways to foster idea generation. You should be reading every day in your field or profession. Read trade journals, business magazines, and business and self-development books. You should be listening to audio programs and regularly attend educational seminars. By continually educating yourself everyday it allows you to step outside your traditional thought patterns, similar to hanging a challenge or opportunity from a mental hook, walking around it and viewing it from many different angles. Think of your brain as an incredible untapped diamond mine. You are probably mining only a fraction of its vast potential. New paths of thinking can help you discover and extract the vast riches of your mind. As many entrepreneurs will tell you, all it takes is one great idea to revolutionize your life. Today, more than ever, we have the opportunity to lead or create change, instead of being carried along or overwhelmed by it. These tools can help you embrace change, cause it to happen and enrich your life in the process. Copyright2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. |
