by Helena Escalante | Creativity, Goals, Growth, Mindset, Miniseries, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 55 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: There are Seven Kinds of Intelligence – What’s Yours?
— From Aha!: 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas by Jordan Ayan
In the past post, we learned from Jordan Ayan about the most common misconceptions about creativity. In his book Aha!, the author points out that the misconceptions are simply the result of limiting beliefs, and urges us to analyze our thoughts to see whether there are any of these beliefs that we are clinging to, thus, hindering our creativity.
Ayan also says, “Related to the myth of the creative personality is a deep-seated belief that creativity is a reflection of intellectual ability. Too many of us think that ‘true’ creativity is the birthright of the gifted.”
However, this is another limiting belief. It’s simply a misaligned thought that, when correctly aligned, can do wonders for our creativity.
And how do we align it? That’s easy!
The author points to seven kinds of intelligence through which we can express our own creativity. He says, “Each of us is usually dominant in one or two of these intelligences, but each of us has a unique combination of all seven that we can explore and tap into throughout our lives.” And that wonderful, unique combination of your intelligences added to your curiosities and talents is what results in YOU being your fabulous and creative YOU.
Here are the seven kinds of intelligence:
- Verbal/linguistic: the ability to manipulate words in their oral or written form.
- Mathematical/logical: the ability to manipulate number systems and logical concepts.
- Spatial: the ability to see and manipulate patterns and designs.
- Musical: the ability to understand and manipulate musical concepts such as tone, rhythm and harmony.
- Bodily-kinesthetic: the ability to use one’s body and movement, such as in sports or dance.
- Intrapersonal: the ability to understand one’s feelings and to be reflective and philosophical.
- Interpersonal: the ability to understand other people and their thoughts and feelings.
Ayan emphasizes, “Whatever narrow visions you may have had in the past about your intelligence and creative potential, it is time to expand them and give yourself permission to experiment and find new ways to use your mind. […] Think in terms of your seven intelligences. Get up the courage to play on a much larger field and to pursue your inspiration wherever it may lie. If you are a scientist, you may very well… explore your desire to become a watercolor painter or musician. If you are an executive, you may find… how to tap into your intuition and become a stronger problem solver. There is ultimately no limit… to achieve a more creative lifestyle.”
ACTION
TODAY: The author asks us to think about the following questions: (1) How does your strongest intelligence relate to your job? Does your profession reflect your area of strength? (2) What hobbies or creative pursuits do you have and how do they relate to your intelligences? (3) If you could pick one of the intelligences [that you think is not one of your strengths] to develop, which would it be?
FUTURE: Whenever you get stuck trying to solve a problem or thinking about how to do something, come back to this list of seven kinds of intelligence. Maybe the one you are applying is not necessarily the best one for the job. Think about other ways to solve it or accomplish what you need to do using some other intelligence. You’ll be surprised at what you can achieve!
Know someone who would like to learn about the seven kinds of intelligence? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Creativity, Growth, Mindset, Miniseries
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 28 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Misconceptions About Creativity
— From Aha!: 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas by Jordan Ayan
There are so many misunderstandings and misconceptions about creativity and being a creative personality, that it occurred to me to write about this when I came across the topic in Jordan Ayan’s book Aha!
I used to believe that I was not creative. As a matter of fact, I remember when I first met with one of my mentors to determine whether we were a good fit for each other… He asked me if I was creative and I emphatically said no (#notproud). Back then, I really thought creativity was solely for artistic endeavors related to plastic or performing arts, and since I can’t draw, I can’t play an instrument for the life or mine, and I have two left feet when I dance, I sincerely thought I was not creative, period. It was thanks to my mentor that I understood that we are all creative, regardless of the field we are in or the problem we are trying to solve. Fast forward to today, I do consider myself a very creative person. #MentorsRock!
And just in case you’re doubting your creativity or know someone who is, Ayan says, “Creative people come in all sizes and shapes, and they are found in every profession. In fact, history is full of examples clearly demonstrating that brilliant ideas… emanate from a wide spectrum of individuals.”
However, there is a very common and “deep-seated belief that creativity is a reflection of intellectual ability. Too many of us think that ‘true’ creativity is the birthright of the gifted.” Nothing could be farther from the truth.
See if you identify with any of these misconceptions:
- Creativity cannot be learned, either you’re creative or you’re not.
- I’m a logical-type person; logic and creativity can’t coexist.
- I have never produced a “masterpiece,” therefore I am not creative.
Ayan comments, “All these views reflect preconceived notions and prejudices that can severely stifle your creative development. They are all ‘limiting beliefs’ that cause you to abandon learning and trying. In some cases, these limiting beliefs are based on doubts from childhood or early adulthood that continue to haunt you. In other cases, the limiting beliefs are based on our society’s strong ‘product’ orientation, which causes people to give up their creative work unless they can make something others will like or buy. The problem with any type of limiting belief is that it essentially puts the cart before the horse. It makes you think, before you even try to create, that your efforts will fail.”
Finally, the author encourages us to leave those limiting beliefs and narrow visions of our creativity aside and to give ourselves permission “to experiment and find new ways to use [our] mind.”
He points out to seven kinds of intelligence that I will share in the next post, so please stay tuned as we will learn about these channels through which to express our creativity. No matter who we are or what our profession is, we are all creative.
In the meantime, tell me in the comments here, have you ever thought you were not creative? Have you ever thought creativity was in the realm of someone else’s profession? Aren’t you glad we are clearing up those misconceptions? I know I am!
ACTION
TODAY: Think about the misconceptions that you have about your own creativity. Do you feel you were creative as a child and then it simply went away? Do you think you do not live/work in a creative realm? Ayan asks us to “Reflect on any doubts that block your ability to develop and expand your creative spirit. Abandon these fears and let yourself begin with a clean slate.”
FUTURE: Whenever you get stuck or find yourself falling into a negative or limiting belief about your creativity, remember that you can always wipe out the past and start anew. The concept of a clean slate is something that we all have at our disposal to wipe our thoughts clean and start again with more positive beliefs that take us in the direction of our goals.
Know someone who would like this post? Please share it with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Creativity, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 55 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: On Batman and Perfectionism…
— From Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong by Eric Barker
Have you ever tried something once, failed, and given up? Or have you ever wanted to try something but got lost in the planning, analysis paralysis, or some other logistical problem that impeded you from even starting out? If so, you are not alone.
A lot of us have a perfectionist streak that wreaks havoc when it rears its ugly head. We want to be like superheroes: do everything right from the start and get the biggest, highest, and best result possible while we’re at it, the first time–of course–and then move on to the next success. But, how well has that perfectionism served us? (Ugh, don’t get me started…)
In his wonderful book, Barking Up the Wrong Tree, author Eric Barker takes a look at Batman from a perfectionism and success perspective. I liked this passage so much that I’m leaving it here intact for you:
“The Caped Crusader is among the most relatable of superheroes. He doesn’t possess any superpowers. Being a billionaire and having a collection of cool gadgets helps, but it doesn’t change the one overriding problem with staying Batman: he can never lose a fight. While a professional boxer with a record of thirty wins and one loss is very impressive, for the Dark Knight it means death. The villains of Gotham don’t let referees stop the bouts. So to be Batman means never losing. Ever. You cannot afford to fail. So if you did everything it takes to become the Dark Knight, how long could you maintain that perfect record? Luckily, we can draw on research, Yes, this has been studied. (God, I love science.)
Paul Zehr, a professor at the University of Victoria, looked at comparable athletes to get a rough idea. He studied the records of top boxers, MMA fighters, and NFL running backs. How long could they stay undefeated and without a crippling injury? How long could you stay Batman?
Three years. Yup, that’s it.
Let’s hope Gotham’s criminal element consists of more jaywalkers and fewer evil masterminds, because… you’re not going to have a lot of time to clean up the city.
Luckily, you’re not trying to be Batman. But too often you and I act like we are. We think we always have to be perfect. One failure and it’s all over. But you’re not Batman. You can fail and quit and learn. In fact, that’s the only way you can learn.”
How do you manage to keep your perfectionism in check? Let me know in the comments here.
ACTION
TODAY: Figure out where you are trying to become Batman. Ask yourself why 5 times. This will uncover the real reason behind you trying to act like a superhero on this project. Once the core issue is revealed, you can allow yourself to try to do it and not be devastated or quit altogether if you fail.
FUTURE: Give yourself permission to test or play with situations or projects to familiarize yourself with them. This way, will you be able to try, try, and try again, and accumulate knowledge about small and big failures, so that you can either continue down that path or find a better one. Don’t pin the failure on you, treat each project as an experiment and it will be easier to see yourself in “testing mode.”
Know someone who sometimes acts like Batman? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Creativity, Goals, Growth, Habits, Mindset, Miniseries, Planning, Resolutions, Tools, Wellbeing, Willpower
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 59 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Only 19% of People Keep Their New Year’s Resolutions. How Do They Do It?
–From Careful: A User’s Guide to Our Injury-Prone Minds by Steve Casner
In the past post we learned the things that do not work to keep our New Year’s resolutions alive: thinking that it’s just a matter or commitment or willpower, deluding ourselves with wishful thinking, and flooding our minds with negative thoughts.
In this post we will learn the things that work well to be among the 19% of folks who were successful in keeping their resolutions going after 2 years.
But don’t expect something grandiose accompanied with great fanfare. According to Steve Casner, author of Careful, “It’s the little stuff that matters.”
And I agree with him on this. If you look at our lives, they are made of moments, small moments and small actions that—when compounded—create the milestones and the successes that we envisioned as our goals.
So, what are these small things, you ask?
Social support. “[This] was named as a strong contributing factor by the successful 19%, especially after 6 months had gone by.” Social support usually takes the form of enrolling ourselves or other people with psychological contracts.
A psychological contract “is a promise to do this or not do that, with the exception that it isn’t written down.” These are very common. We may know them better as pinky swears or pinky promises. You promise to someone else that you will do something, and/or they promise you that they will do something, for instance, your best friend going with you to the gym every morning at 6 am.
You don’t have a written contract with your friend or with yourself, but the idea of your friend waiting for you at the gym in the morning makes you jump out of bed and get ready to go, instead of hitting the snooze button. These types of psychological contracts are nothing new. The key is that they are made not to be broken, and when there is a social bond they are much harder—if not almost impossible—to break.
“Apparently, when we promise someone that we are going to do something, it seems we are rather inclined to do it,” says Casner. So, go ahead and find a friend, and pinky swear over your goals.
The author also mentions an ingenious way to remind us to do/not do things: the nagging power of children. “Described as an awesome renewable resource… [we should] enlist our kids to become nagging machines programmed to keep their parents [resolutions].” So, if you have kids, enlist them to help you out, it will be very effective, albeit it may drive you a bit crazy…
Reminders. “The 19% who made it to the 2-year mark consistently reported that they used reminders, and they reported using them at every stage of their success. During the first week, after a month, after six months, after two years, they used reminders. Reminders can be little things left anywhere in your environment that prompt you [about your resolution]. You can even use reminders to help you remember pinky swears that you’ve made.”
Reminders can be anything: wearing one of those flat rubber bracelets with an inscription to remind you of your goals, tying a string, changing a ring or watch to the opposite hand, post it notes, an alarm on your phone… really, anything that helps you avoid deviating from your resolutions works!
Rewards. These were mentioned by the New Year’s resolvers as a very helpful tool as well, especially after the first few weeks and also after the two years had passed. Rewards can also be anything you want them to be, big or small, free or expensive… it all depends on you and the milestones you have to go through to reach your goals.
And finally, nothing like practice, practice, practice. Do what you need to do to accomplish your resolutions. Do it over, and over, and over again, until it becomes so ingrained that you don’t even think about it.
As you can see these things are rather simple, yet they are not easy, otherwise a much higher percentage of the New Year’s resolvers would fulfill their goals. Just remember what Casner said earlier: “It’s the little stuff that matters,” and keep focusing on taking one step at a time.
ACTION
TODAY: If you’ve given up on your resolutions, think about them again—it’s not too late. Find a friend to help you, or pinky swear over something. Set reminders and a schedule of rewards for every milestone you’ll go through. Then get started and practice, practice, practice.
FUTURE: These little things that help people stick to a goal are not exclusive to New Year’s resolutions—they work for any goal. Use them when you set goals to help you accomplish them.
Know someone who would like this post? Please share it via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Celebration, Collaboration, Creativity, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Tools, Wellbeing
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 48 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Leading is a Posture
— From Show Up Hard: A Road Map for Helpers in Crisis by Shannon Weber, MSW
I have enormous respect and admiration for Shannon Weber, author of the newly released book Show Up Hard. I am also immensely lucky to call her my friend.
She is one of 14 children and all her work and life can be described with one word: love. As an incredibly accomplished social worker (among other things and accolades, she used to run the crisis hotline in Houston, staffed by volunteers, and receiving 65,000 calls/year), she knows how important the role of love becomes in all our interactions, not just in times of crisis.
And in her book she also has a beautiful view on leading as a posture, which I’m excited to share with you today:
“Challenging times crave change,” says Shannon. Thus, she suggests we view ourselves as agents of change: “you are well equipped to reimagine yourself in a new role and create the lasting impact you seek to make. Switch from thinking about the job at hand to the role you can play. What if your job is not to be right or knowledgeable; what if your role is to create change?”
Then she goes on to say:
Leading is a posture of being in the world, a role we assume.
If you [i] have the potential to guide someone to a better place, or [ii] possess the ability to shine a light on a path ahead, or [iii] consider yourself a steward of the well-being of even one person—then you are a leader.
You are a steward of creating change. Leaders commit to the emotional labor of showing up to support change. Leaders commit to the long haul of seeing the process of change through.
Leading is both a privilege and a responsibility. Leading is also the responsibility of those with privilege.
A leader is not: a job title, a certain set of skills, a business card, an assignment, or an invitation from someone high up.
The posture of leadership can be adopted by anyone with the guts to believe that change is possible and with the courage to show up.
[…] We do our work of showing up for others within existing structures, institutions, and cultures. Even values-driven organizations can create unhealthy work environments…
Leading is often the work of the everyday and the mundane. Leaders are the people who give the very best part of themselves without expectation. Imagining oneself as a hero is easy: Fly in and save the day. Showing up when no one is watching, when the stakes are less high, when the task at hand is not as attractive—this is the work of creating change. Showing up is what it takes to lead, to be stewards.
Leaders choose to Show Up Hard. Leaders choose to go first.
And Shannon is a leader herself who has decide to change the world, starting right where she is, one love note at a time. She is the founder of LoveYou2.org where she has started a movement to spread love around the world. Here’s a mini-documentary about her project (2:43 min long) and her TEDx Talk where she talks about how it started and the enormous impact it has had. Also, Seth Godin, renowned author and marketing guru, mentioned another one of Shannon’s projects—giving capes to unsung heroes—in his blog asking, “What kind of impact does one act of kindness make? It can last for years.”
There will definitely be more posts about this book, so stay tuned! In the meantime, please let me know in the comments, how has your vision of leadership changed with this post? Do you see yourself as a leader now? You certainly are one! Are you ready to Show Up Hard? I’m cheering for you. 🙂 And in case you need some reminders, here are some beautiful ones that you can print from Shannon’s site.
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu
ACTION
TODAY: Reimagine yourself in the role of an agent of change. What lasting impact are you seeking to make? Then commit to showing up hard.
FUTURE: Remind yourself that leading is a posture and that having a lasting impact is a daily job. You have to work consistently on the change you seek to make: you have to show up hard both when others are watching and when they are not—especially when no one is watching.
Know someone who would like this post? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Collaboration, Creativity, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Planning, Productivity
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 33 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: 7 Principles of Leadership
— From No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline: 21 Ways to Achieve Happiness and Success by Brian Tracy
Leadership and business guru, Brian Tracy, refers to 3,300 studies of leaders done by James MacPherson where the latter states that the first quality of leadership is vision.
“You become a leader when you accept responsibility for results,” says Tracy. “You become a leader when you begin to think, act and talk like a leader. You become a leader when you develop a vision for yourself and for your company, your life, or your area of responsibility […] and then share this vision with others and gain others’ commitment to make this vision a reality.”
And while there are hundreds of books written about leadership and vision, Tracy boils them down to one single word: success in the leader’s field. For instance, “a military leader has a vision of victory, from which he never deviates. A business leader has a vision of success for the business based on excellent performance, to which he or she is completely committed.”
But that’s not all. The author also points to the fact that in addition to a clear vision, “the leader must have a set of values and organizing principles that guide behavior and decision making.” Thus, he shares the following seven principles of leadership as a starting point:
1. Clarity: “This is perhaps your most important responsibility. You must be absolutely clear about who you are and what you stand for. You must be absolutely clear about your vision and where you want to lead your people.”
2. Competence: “You must set a standard of excellent performance for the organization [or project] as well as for every person and function [involved].”
3. Commitment: “The leader is absolutely committed to the success of the organization… This passionate commitment to the organization–—and to success and achievement—motivates and inspires people to do their best work and put their whole heart into [whatever they’re doing].
4. Constraints: “The job of the leader is to identify the constraints or limiting factors that set the speed at which the [organization achieves its goals]. The leader then allocates people and resources to alleviate those constraints and remove obstacles.”
And I would add to this one that leaders not just alleviate constraints, but help the team work creatively within the constraints to come out ahead. When how can we get rid of this constraint?, is no longer working or simply not feasible, the leader changes the mindset to how can we achieve our goal within or despite this constraint?
This reminds me of a quote by George Bernard Shaw that I love:
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, while the unreasonable man persists in adapting the world to himself….therefore all progress belongs to the unreasonable man”.
5. Creativity: “The leader is open to new ideas of all kinds and from all sources.”
6. Continuous learning: “The leader is personally committed to reading, listening, and upgrading his or hers personal knowledge and skills… and encourages everyone in the organization to learn and grow as a normal and natural part of business life.” Hint: I know of a blog that can help you with that… 😉
7. Consistency: “The leader has the self-discipline to be consistent, dependable, reliable, calm, and predictable in all situations. One of the great comforts of business life is… to know that the leader is completely consistent and reliable… calm, positive, and confident—especially under pressure.”
As you can see, these seven principles of leadership are rather simple, yet not easy. While they are obvious and should be a given in leaders, they aren’t always! Have you ever met someone who embodied these seven principles in their leadership? Let me know in the comments here, I’d love to know.
ACTION
TODAY: Create your list of values and principles, the ones that you hold dear, live for, and fully believe in. What are they? Pour your heart into it.
FUTURE: Share your list with the people that surround you so that they can be aware of your principles. Ask them to do the same. You’ll have the most wonderful conversations about this and will get to know each other so well!
Know someone who would like to read these seven values of leadership? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
