Excelsior Learning

…are quite possibly the most stubborn and close to home Resistor of them all.  One that is quite personal don’t you think?  ‘If only I had gone for the gold…had the nerve and taken the risk…studied more…worked out more…been luckier and gotten the breaks’…and the beat goes on, the beat goes on.  These beats hit the nail right on the head because there is no one else to blame, no place to hide, no good excuses.  The Personal Resistors of Self-Doubt, Rationalization and Procrastination collaborate really well, taking us in the wrong direction.  Together they are a debilitating triple threat.

Their Personal Resistive Powers are:

• Self-Doubt, Rationalization and Procrastination

Take these actions this week to Get Creativity Fit, strengthen your creative thinking muscle, anchor the creative habit to be repeatable…and conquer the Personal Resistive Powers of The Delayers!

1. If you think you can fail, you’re more likely to – Nick Wallenda, acrobat, high wire aerialist and daredevil. One of the primary contributors to self-doubt in creative settings is the Internal Voice of Judgment (IVOC) – that voice in your head that says things like: ‘How could it be a good idea if I thought of it.  It it’s such a good idea, somebody else would have thought about it already.’  One technique to conquer the IVOC is to laugh at – to really laugh at it.  When it rears its’ ugly head, confront it and say:  ‘Well hello Yes Butter (who dismisses all ideas with a but) I have been waiting for you to show up, I thought you would have appeared earlier you tiny little twerp.’  And then laugh at it – pull the laughter up from your diaphragm and have a darn good belly laugh at the expense of the IVOC.  After all, it is funny (not) that we allow the pipsqueak of the IVOC to cause self- doubt and slow us down.  The use of humor is a great equalizer.         

 

2. Not only can we rationalize just about anything, but we can also rationalize why we rationalize. So, if I rationalize that I am not creative, I can come up with a whole host of reasons that support this thinking, and it becomes a closed loop self-fulfilling prophecy.  One technique to break this pattern, is to think and act efficaciously.  Self-efficacy is an expectation, a belief, a trust in yourself that you are competent, and you can perform at high levels.  First, affirm your ability to think and act creatively in situations.  Second, actively engage in situations that demand creative thinking – out of the fire and into the frying pan.  Third, do not view potential barriers as threats – channel natural anxiousness into positive action-oriented energy.  Fourth, set aggressive yet achievable goals.  And fifth, measure your results and make real-time adjustments.  Use these steps to pursue positive outcomes, expect to achieve results…and tip rationalization upside down and leave it there!              

 

3. Procrastination may be the most insidious resistor of them all and in a class all by itself. Not only do we procrastinate our creative work until tomorrow or next week, but some people also procrastinate it over their lifetime.  One basic reason we procrastinate is to avoid or postpone some form of pain – e.g., pain of rejection, pain of not being accepted, etc.  Might as well put that off for now.  One technique to combat procrastination is to develop the thinking frame of making  multiple $2 bets.  In horse racing, $2 bets are the smallest amount you can wager.  If your horse does not finish in the money, so what – you only lost $2.  And if I bet on three horses, I am only out $6 if one of the horses do not finish in the money.  This way of thinking gets me off the sidelines and into the game.  Conversely, if I think about making a $50 wager, I may not get into the game, because that is a lot of money to lose.  Implement a handful of small $2 bets, run multiple tests, be in the race…and look at procrastination in the rear-view mirror.