It’s easy to be so consumed in following your dream that you become oblivious to the world around you. However, by closing the door to your surroundings or those around you, you are blocking out a potential source of inspiration.
New possibilities can be presented when you open your mind to and tap into your environment. Ask yourself how aware you are during the day? Is your head down and are you so engrossed in what you do that it leaves no space for lateral thinking? Our creative capital can become the ultimate source of competitive advantage and accelerate us to success – it’s often what differentiates the good from the great. Opening your mind to the world helps to nurture your creative spirit.
While it is impractical to spend a large portion of your day in a contemplative state in search of that groundbreaking idea, you must aim to become more conscious of where you are and what you are seeing. This could involve tapping into and contributing to the
conversations and discussions of your friends, family, team, colleagues and community. You could make this more formal with brainstorming or ideas sessions with your support group or team. You should also make sure you keep abreast of news in your key subject area and the media in general.
You must keep reminding yourself of the need to be aware. Creativity occurs when two or more things come together to generate something new. By observing more and keeping your antennae switched on, the ideas you pick up settle into your subconscious. Over time, your mind starts to connect the unconnected and it delivers fantastic new possibilities that can help you leapfrog to success. This fusion of ideas helps to keep you ahead of the pack.