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Creating Options

4 March 2012

Here is a extract from Bouncing Back, which is due to be published in the Summer:

Often people come up with an idea and then work hard to make it fit their world even when it becomes obvious the idea isn’t fully thought through and is going to get them into trouble. When it is their only idea they have to make it work, because if it doesn’t they don’t have anything else to fall back on. Clearly, this is a hazardous way to live our lives, so it makes sense to create more options, in order to reduce the risk.

Creating options is often easiest when working with a supporter, coach, mentor, partner, friend – anyone who will listen to us and give us the space to develop our ideas and who will prod us by asking:

• What else could we do?
• What are all the options available to us, however silly they might sound at first?
• What do other people already do?
• What is our secret wish, dream or ambition?
• If we stared with a blank piece of paper what else might we come up with?

We don’t have to be seated in an office to created options – often the most creative meetings I’ve been involved with have taken place standing up next to a flipchart, walking round a park, or sitting in a café watching the world go by.

• Where do you like to do your creating thinking?
• What can you do to make thinking a fun experience?

Creativity flows from the environment we place ourselves into and the questions we use to prod our thinking.

What can you do this week to help yourself create more options for your own personal development?

 

Bouncing Back follows on from Job Hunting 3.0 and How To Keep Your Job – both of which are available now on Amazon in book and Kindle formats.

 

Tags: options