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, 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 | Accountability, Celebration, Collaboration, Creativity, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries
Links to other parts of this miniseries:
Everyday Leadership – Part 1
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 57 seconds
TODAY’S IDEA: Everyday Leadership-Part 2 
— From This Is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters by Drew Dudley
In yesterday’s post, we learned about the influence and impact that someone can have on us–and that we can have on others. It’s not difficult. On one hand, it’s simply a matter of doing our jobs with excellence. On the other, it’s a matter of noticing and acknowledging a job done right.
In his book This is Day One, author Drew Dudley focuses on the actions we can take to become leaders. Not heads of state, or corporations, or larger-than-life leaders (which is how most people perceive the concept of leadership, and that is indeed one way to see it); but instead, simply the very best version of ourselves to influence and impact our communities for the better.
And for this, he tells another remarkable story about one of his students named Aaron:
“Aaron had waited at his old bus stop for the man who had driven him to elementary school when he was a kid. When the bus pulled up, Aaron waited for the children to board and then stepped on the bus himself.
‘What are you doing?’ the elementary school bus driver naturally asked a 22-year-old.
‘Sir, you drove me to school for nine years,’ Aaron told him. ‘Back then, I was incredibly fat and really, really smart… I was bullied so badly [that I’d cry every day before leaving my house] … You’d pull up, and I’d sit up in the front because all the cool kids sat in the back.
And you’d sing Disney songs all the way to school, every day. And you were terrible, and the kids in the back mocked you constantly. You heard them and you never seemed to care. What those kids thought was so important to me and watching you not care about what they said about you–watching you just keep smiling and singing–on so many days, is what convinced me I could get through just one more day of their crap…
I go to Harvard for grad school next year. You’re as big a part of that as any person in my life. I never said thank you. I never told you you’re one of the greatest leaders I know’.”
While this story is absolutely beautiful and very moving, the most important lesson that Dudley derives is this (I left it verbatim since he writes it so eloquently and on point):
“We recognized [those leaders] in our lives once, but we did so because they had impacted us many, many times, and most of those times went unrecognized. Until we looked for those moments of leadership, we didn’t see them. Until we recognized they were moments of leadership, neither did the people who created them.
Most of the leadership on the planet comes from people who don’t see themselves as leaders. Aaron’s bus driver and the cashier I spoke with are examples of the world’s most abundant type of leader: people who impact others by doing more than what is expected. Those in this group often feel the jobs they do and the positions they hold don’t qualify for the title of a leader.
Leaders aren’t identified by their jobs, they’re identified by how they choose to do them. When you do your job and live your life in a way that impacts others positively, you’re a leader–whether your job is commanding an aircraft carrier or getting someone’s child home safely after school. Many people don’t believe that, so we need to tell them. In doing so we live our own leadership. The cycle continues–but we must be consistent at reinforcing it.”
Leadership, as most of us have been taught, is very narrowly defined and only reserved for those at the top. I love Dudley’s definition because it helps us see ourselves and others in a new, very positive light, and recognize that we can all make a change and impact in our corner of the universe.
Who has had an impact or influence on you? How have you recognized it? Has someone recognized your efforts? I’d love to know your thoughts! Please let me know in the comments here.
ACTION
TODAY: Take a moment to rethink your vision of leadership to include everyday leadership. Recognize and acknowledge yourself as a leader and recognize and acknowledge others as well.
FUTURE: Keep reinforcing the cycle of everyday leadership with acknowledgment and gratitude. We will build better families, better communities, and better businesses by doing an excellent job at what we do, and recognizing others for doing so as well!
Know someone who would like to read this great story of everyday leadership or the one from yesterday? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Celebration, Collaboration, Creativity, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries
Links to other parts of this miniseries:
Everyday Leadership – Part 2
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 22 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Everyday Leadership-Part 1
— From This Is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters by Drew Dudley
As I was reading Drew Dudley’s wonderful book This is Day One, I had an a-ha! moment on the meaning of “everyday leadership” that the author explains throughout the book, and also in his TEDx Talk in Toronto called Leading with Lollipops.
John C. Maxwell, renowned leadership guru, says that leadership is influence. Everyday leadership, then, as Dudley describes it, is about us and everyday people–those who surround us–influencing others for the better. And while we will never know the extent of our influence, we should not underestimate how profound and lasting that impact can be.
Dudley recalls a time when he was at a packed grocery store. While he was standing in the shortest line to pay, it was still about 20 people long, and he couldn’t just leave to return at another time. Here’s the story as the author tells it:
“Glancing up for a moment, I caught a glimpse of the young woman operating the cash register. She was quite simply the greatest cashier I had ever seen. Her arms were a blur as she fired items across the scanner at breakneck speed. Everything beeped, everything found its way into a bag in an instant. This woman was a checkout ninja.
It occurred to me how unusual it was to think to myself, ‘That woman is the greatest cashier I’ve ever seen.’ Unfortunately, the more people in our society we believe capable of doing a job, the less likely we are to recognize excellence in that job. There are magazines and websites dedicated to debating the Top 50 athletes/musicians/business titans of all time, but with cashiers, serving staff, bus drivers, janitors, and even (inexplicably in my mind) teachers and nurses, there’s too often the perception that ‘anyone can do those jobs.’ As such, it seems we treat high performance in those jobs as somehow a lower class of excellence.”
As his turn approached, Dudley watched people treat the cashier poorly–when they noticed her. Some of the patrons didn’t even acknowledge her presence. She never stopped doing her excellent work.
When the author reached the front of the line, he asked her what candy she liked from the shelves next to the checkout, and when he paid for them, he gave them to the cashier. He said, “I got those for you. I have to tell you you’re the very best at this job I’ve ever seen. My job is to teach leadership and the way you’re approaching your job is exactly the type of example I use for what real leadership looks like. […] I’ve been watching and I’ve seen no one has really given you the credit you deserve for it, so I thought you deserved some chocolates.”
The cashier was so moved, she started to cry. Then Dudley realized what a profound impact that interaction had on both of them. Regarding the cashier, he says, “Up until that point, had her family asked how her day was when she got home, it’s quite possible she would have snapped at them and passed along that lack of consideration and respect she’d experienced time and time again from those of us in line. Now… even if not a single positive thing happened to her all day, she was going to lead with ‘This guy did the nicest thing for me today!’”
As per the realization of the impact on himself, he says, “I had been letting a lot of similar opportunities for impact pass me by. I had identified a small percentage of my daily interactions as important and, outside of those interactions, tended to let my focus rest on my phone, my to-do list and the things I felt I had to do to excel at my job. That moment was a reminder that every interaction was a chance to model [leadership].”
And Dudley closes with a beautiful thought: “If you want to model your leadership more consistently, be more conscious about looking for and recognizing the leadership of others. Look for leaders like that cashier: those whose behavior goes beyond what is expected and reminds you of what is possible. Leadership recognized is leadership created.”
And I would append to this last phrase two simple words at the end: Leadership recognized is leadership created and repeated.
Who has had an impact or influence on you and whose leadership have you recognized, thus creating an impact on that person? Let me know in the comments here. It’s a beautiful cycle, isn’t it? Come back tomorrow for another wonderful and moving story about everyday leadership.
ACTION
TODAY: Notice all those everyday leaders who surround you. Recognize and acknowledge their impact on you and your surroundings. Let them know. They will be grateful and you will be positively impacted as well for creating an impact on that person. Keep the cycle going.
FUTURE: Dudley makes a point of recognizing everyday leadership on a daily basis. Give it a shot: you’ll start to see that you can impact lives in a very positive way and, as a result, your life will be impacted too.
Know someone who would like to read this great story of everyday leadership? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Productivity, Resources, Time
TODAY’S IDEA: 12 Books of Greatness – Day 12 & Bonus
The 12 days of Christmas refers to the period of celebration (secular and religious) from December 25 through January 5. And because it coincides with the period of time that I’m going to be out on vacation visiting my family, I thought I’d make a miniseries for you during this time with posts from 12 Books of Greatness.
I strongly believe that greatness starts within us, so all of the posts that I chose for these 12 days come from books that are tremendously insightful. My hope is that reading these posts will give you plenty of ideas and “a-ha!” moments to start 2019 on a high note!
Today is Day 12 of this miniseries, which means we’ve come to the end: I hope you’ve enjoyed it! Tomorrow we’ll get back to our regular posts. However, because some of you occasionally ask me for a non-business and non-fiction book recommendation, I’ve included one as a bonus in here today too.
Happy New Year and happy reading!
12 Books of Greatness – Day 12
From The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business
By Josh Kaufman
Bonus Book Recommendation
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from A Secret World
By Peter Wohlleben
This is probably one of the most beautiful and eye-opening non-business, non-fiction books that I read this past year. I liked it so much that I read it again a few months after the first time to learn more about the life of trees. It’s a fascinating account of how trees live, communicate, and help each other. After reading this you’ll never see another tree the same way again.
From the publisher: “Are trees social beings? In this international bestseller, forester and author Peter Wohlleben convincingly makes the case that, yes, the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in his woodland.”
Links to other posts in this miniseries: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11.
Know someone who would like this book or this miniseries on 12 Books of Greatness? Please share it with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
