Accessing Your Creative Mindset

Connecting more regularly and effectively with your Creative Mindset will increase your chances of driving innovation into your organisation. By accessing this zone, you solve problems more effectively, difficult situations in business are approached objectively and options on how to progress a new project become considered and well thought through. Admission to this heightened state of awareness is only possible when we do away with pride, black and white thinking, and dominant beliefs that distort a forward thinking mindset. Such interference results from deep-rooted prejudices, however, when we quieten the mind we tune into our inner voice, this produces clarity of thinking that delivers inspired focus and guidance. We enter the Creative Mindset through absolute silence and stillness – creating a successful business means working ‘on it’ and not ‘in it’, this means time is needed to escape the noise that comes with the day-to-day grind.

Successful business people in my experience allocate a significant proportion of their time to uninterrupted thought. Whilst hustle and bustle is familiar territory for ambitious people, so is solitude. It helps to work out solutions to the challenges and opportunities growth presents. By making time for silent reflection we hear much louder our inner voice. You will be surprised how effective it is in navigating your actions in the right direction.

The flashes of inspiration and fantastic ideas that we enjoy from time to time come from a completely relaxed state of mind, they don’t present themselves when we are anxious or stressed. Often the harder we try the further what we want to achieve moves away. This noise resulting from unhealthy states of mind totally dampen the voice of reason that lies deep within us.

Don’t use the excuse that you don’t have time for silent contemplation, let go of being too busy and allow your Creative Mindset to speak. Here are some simple steps:

• Write down the challenge, opportunity or issue you need to resolve – be precise and specific
• Repeat three times what you need answers to
• Find your place of sanctuary – no telephone, radio or noise of any kind
• Use the slow breathing to meditate on the challenge
• Do this for 15 minutes and at the end of the session – write down any ideas

The answer will come to you at the right moment. Practice is vital, you must be consistent and you must commit to this activity. No one is too busy to find 10-15 minutes a day. It is these moments of planning that will deliver a lifetime of freedom.

 

For more advice around success mindset for business growth, visit Winning Pitch, Business Challenges page

 

Businesses often start with a personal calling

It never ceases to amaze me how passionate and animated entrepreneurs become when they talk about their business and what they do. To those listening it can come across as “in your face”, however, the reality is, most founders are just so proud of what they have achieved. Business and personal time are inextricably linked, feeding each off every minute of the day.

The successful high growth entrepreneurs I have worked with often started their business because of a “calling” – this means putting something right, fixing a problem, chasing a dream of freedom, pursue a passion, wanting to make a difference or proving to others they can achieve something quite amazing.

So many entrepreneurs often forget that their business is also an asset with value. The danger is when the founders view their company solely as an asset. This creates inward focused strategies, lack of customer focus, greed, ultimately this will lead to only one place  – a disconnection with the real world and decline. My advice is when the voice of the “calling” gets overshadowed by the asset, its time for a rethink. A danger zone is just around the corner. Its about balance, of course a business must generate wealth, however it works far better and in my view becomes more profitable when its game plan is linked to a purpose.

The feeling of doing what you do because it makes a difference to others is probably one of the best you can have in your career, long may it last!