The choices you make now can impact you for years … so choose wisely.
I think I was in my late 20’s when someone I looked up to as an authority told me: “You have choices.”
At the time, I didn’t want to hear it, because I thought she was hinting at a decision she thought I should make … which conflicted with some of my personal values.
In my mind, the word “choice” meant “either / or” … basically, “black & white” thinking. A few weeks after I heard that, I was driving to work and started to think: “Hmm, what if I DO have a choice? Maybe I DO have choices.”
Almost immediately, I felt like blinders had dropped from my eyes. I began seeing the beauty of the landscape around me – trees and acres of rice fields in the rural area near where I lived. That heightened awareness continued into the evening, when I noticed the amazing colors in my long-haired calico cat’s fur.
When I was younger, spending time outdoors and enjoying “all things nature” had been one of the most important things in my life. So I was surprised that I’d become “blind” to all of that by the time I had this experience. (Stress has a way of doing that to you, unfortunately.)
WHAT I LEARNED
Over the coming months and years, I came to understand a lot more about choices. I learned that choices are usually NOT “either/or” or “black & white.” They usually involve a myriad of options between those two extremes.
In my case, I decided to seek out alternatives to the “choice” I felt someone else was pushing me to make. Instead, I chose to explore subjects and take classes in things I was interested in.
I no longer felt trapped and discovered a “new lease on life” by exploring new things. Horticulture, natural history, watercolor painting and “one-minute drawing” (taught by famous local artist Robert Regis Dvořák) … just to mention a few.
CHOICES AND CREATIVITY
The “aha” moment I had a few decades ago led to a greater understanding of and appreciation for CREATIVITY. I came to realize that success in ANY area of life – whether in business or outside of business – is closely tied to how much we’re able to embrace the concept of creativity in the way we live our lives.
Embracing creativity in our lives can help us make better choices.
(Listed below are 6 “creativity tips” – both business and personal – that may help you with future choices of your own.)
BUSINESS
Creativity (aka “thinking outside the box”) in business can appear in many forms:
Willingness to stand back and re-evaluate the way you’ve been operating one or more parts of your business.
Finding a new way to reach out to others in your network – maybe with a personal note or scheduling an impromptu Zoom call “just because.”
Reading a book that opens your mind to new (and inspirational) ideas and concepts that can help “re-calibrate” your mindset. I’ve discovered several books by excellent authors in recent years, including Mel Robbins, James Clear, Seth Godin, and Jordan Raynor.
PERSONAL
Creativity in one’s personal life has a huge impact on success in business, as well. Making good choices here will rub off on everything else you do.
Keeping priorities straight … like taking time for family, even when things get hectic in your business … is a choice that needs to keep being re-evaluated.
Setting boundaries so you don’t get burned out is sometimes challenging, but SO worth it!
A willingness to resolve differences with friends and family (and co-workers) sometimes requires new approaches to handling conflicts … ones that may feel a little uncomfortable at times.
POOR CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES
The types of choices I’ve mentioned up to now relate to POSITIVE CHOICES. But I didn’t think it was right to ignore the flip side, so I’ve included 3 examples of choices that have the potential to impact your business (and life) in a negative way:
Deciding to shut down your business before exploring possible alternatives. (It may be that this really IS the best choice for you, but be sure to take a close look at your reasons for doing so first.)
Choosing to stop networking – whether in person or online – after just 2 or 3 visits. (Making connections leads to building trust … and sometimes new clients. But that takes time – sometimes longer than we think it should.)
Continuing to say “yes” when others ask if you can take on “just one more” responsibility or task … when you’re not sure you really can! (By building boundaries with others and learning to say “no” more often, you protect your energy and ability to remain productive. DO NOT allow anyone to make you feel guilty for saying “no”!)
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For a list of 7 ways to become more creative in your life – all of which involve making POSITIVE choices, take a look at my first newsletter: Learn to ‘Think Outside the Box’. Hopefully, the ideas listed there will start you thinking intentionally about areas of your OWN life and business that could benefit by taking a different approach.
