Thinking Better »

We often look for ideas on how to be successful. Where do we look? To those who have had great success. Yet studies have observed that the only common factor in success stories is that each person had an idea that came from a unique source within them. They had an idea that was born from their unique set of experiences as a human being.

 Creativity and innovation must come from within you. We may ask why so few are able to do this. After all there are an infinite number of great ideas out there. All people have a unique set of experiences. Each and every one has that "next great idea" somewhere within them.

Then why are there so few great success stories? The answer: Reactivity.

Individuals and businesses live out their lives reacting to events. Who then is in control? The events are. This because reactivity boils down to one of three event strategies: An obstacle to overcome, An opportunity to advance or as an outright enemy to be defeated. By taking any of these actions you are playing into a primary game patterns of business. Nearly everyone is blindly following this pattern. Some going to great links to beat out others in their ability to react. Your only achievement will be strengthening the hold of these patterns on you and your business.

Think of all the time you spend, monitoring, planning, discussions on reactivity, executing on your event triggers. Simply following the same event-response path as everyone else. A path that rules you. Yes, your mind is crafting new ideas for reactivity. But it is the event reactivity that is controlling you and your business.

The bigger your desire to gain advantage through this pattern, the stronger you solidify its hold on you. Reactivity is simply your habitual reliance on reacting in this way.

The more reactive you are, the more you are being controlled to react like almost everyone else does. Millions of business people running this crowded track, maintaining this sameness. The same mediocrity. Battling everyday for tiny scraps that naturally get flung off by the carnage.

Not thinking about how your own creativity and innovation are blocked or has becomes barely perceptible.

There is a much better way.

Be bold. Shift away from reactivity. Stop listening to those thoughts. Begin to listen to your own tune with your world of business. Let the real you shine. Do not let those conventional thoughts in your head mask your brilliant ideas. Start listening more to yourself. Eventually your unique creativity and sense of innovation will break out and so will you. That is how it is done.

This happens if you step out from playing everyone else in the game of reactivity. Be smart. Be aware. Get your own read of what business is doing. How you would handle it. You will find less and less need to ride the event roller coaster.

There are many useful tools to help you. Use business modeling to understand all areas of your business. How well is each area functioning. How would change affects other areas and the overall business.  Look at strengths and weaknesses. Assess market opportunities and threats. Now innovate with your business model to take over market segments. Taylor your value proposition into value streams communicated through your customer relationship channels

Be great at your business. As you work through it, brilliance will pour out from what is inside you. Not from patterned reacting like everyone else. Be you. Let your own brilliant inspiration Rule! Dig in.

Your business is great because of that special insight you posses Learn to let it rule. Not the common business mind-think ruling you.

Stop reacting. Just stop it. Play your game. You tune in and take your business where only you can.

This will take some getting used to. So will spending the profits, over and over again. This is not a one trick pony. It will become your lifelong friend. Smile, enjoy the ride. Let others copy and model what you are doing.

Let’s see if they can figure it out.

- Arthur