Change Makers

Recently, I’ve been reading a book entitled The Change Makers by Maury Klein. The book describes many of the great entrepreneurs of the 20th century and explains common attributes that made them successful. One particularly interesting chapter is on the subject of creativity. Little has been written on the subject of creativity, yet it has produced more momentous results than any other activity that humans do.

Unfortunately, many people go through their entire lives without really learning to think creatively. Creative thinking is too often associated with artistic people only, but the truth is that creative thinkers are needed in just about every field of endeavor. Often, the problem is that as people grow up and gain more understanding, habits and routines begin to form in their lives. These routines make life so much easier by placing much of what we do on autopilot. Think about the last time you drove home from work. Did you actually think about all the turns necessary to get from the office to home? No, because it becomes such a routine in your life. The same thing can actually happen in your career. We develop comfortable habits or routines at work that start to form boundaries around our thinking.

Einstein once said that insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different result. People who get stuck in jobs that they hate often want different results, but are afraid to step out and change because of the comfort of their environment. People who are comfortable in their situation don’t want to think creatively about how to change. For example, many people are desperately looking to find other alternatives to what they are doing, but when when asked to sit down and think about creative income alternatives, they quickly reply that there just isn't anything else out there that they can do.

Escaping habit in your thinking requires freeing your mind from the usual way of doing things. Many of the great inventors and entrepreneurs of the 20th century had to think “outside the box” of complacency and pride. Charles F. Kettering, the great engineer of General Motors, once stated, “ Slowly but surely, habit dulls the blade of awareness." Remember, creative thinking is not just for those “creative people.” It should be practiced by all those who are looking to change their situation or continue growing in their profession. Don’t wake up at the age of 80 and realize you’ve built your career on autopilot. Read more of Jonathan's articles at www.careercalling.com/Archives.htm