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Hey there, innovation champions!
What if I told you that one of my most innovative breakthroughs started with me being too lazy to get out of bed?
It’s true. And there’s a powerful lesson here for any tech leader looking to drive consistent innovation.
Picture this: I’m sitting at my desk, my art table literally two feet behind me. I want to create. I know I should create. The research is clear that creative activities recharge our brains and improve productivity.
But the gravitational pull of my monitor is too strong. Emails need answering. Meetings need scheduling. Documents need reviewing. Sound familiar?
Day after day, my creative practice took a back seat to the urgent. Until I had a realization that changed everything:
The thing you do first is the thing that gets done.
This led to an embarrassingly simple solution: What if I just started doodling in bed each morning?
I couldn’t bring paintbrushes and canvases into bed with me – for obvious reasons. But I could spend fifteen minutes with a marker and sketchbook before my feet hit the floor.
It seemed almost too simple to matter. But here’s where it gets interesting…
Months later, I was working on a long-time bucket list project – writing a book. And suddenly it hit me: those “pointless” doodles I’d been creating? They were perfect as “coloring book” illustrations all throughout the pages!
This is how innovation often works in practice. Not through grand initiatives or elaborate processes, but through the three steps of my Create the Impossible™ framework:
1. Play Hard:
Starting small and simple. My bed-bound doodling practice wasn’t impressive, but it was playful and doable.
In tech, we often think innovation requires elaborate hackathons or dedicated innovation labs. But what if it could start with something as simple as a daily 15-minute practice?
2. Make Crap:
Letting go of perfect conditions. If I’d waited until I had the “right” setup – for example, great big chunks of free time to play with paint and canvas at my art table – I’d still be waiting.
Instead, I worked with what I had: a marker, a sketchbook, and 15 minutes in bed.
3. Learn Fast:
Staying open to unexpected connections. Those doodles weren’t created with any purpose beyond the practice itself. But because I was consistently creating, I had a reservoir of work to draw from when an unexpected need arose.
Think about your own innovation challenges. Are you:
– Waiting for the perfect conditions before starting?
– Dismissing simple solutions because they seem too basic?
– Missing opportunities because you’re too focused on the end goal?
Here’s what I’ve learned: Innovation isn’t about making giant leaps. It’s about taking tiny steps consistently and staying open to where they might lead.
In fact, my Create the Impossible™ framework emerged from this exact principle. What started as personal creative practices evolved into tools that now help tech giants drive breakthrough innovation.
So here’s your challenge for this week: What’s your equivalent of “doodling in bed”? What small, consistent practice could you start tomorrow morning?
Maybe it’s:
– Five minutes of freewriting before opening your email
– A quick sketch of a problem you’re trying to solve
– One wild idea captured before your first meeting
Remember: The breakthrough that transforms your organization might start with something so simple, you almost dismiss it.
Stay curious, stay playful, and keep creating the impossible!
I’d love to hear from you. What small practice could you start tomorrow? Click here to share your thoughts!
Senior Leaders: Ready to help your team rediscover their natural creativity? Here are three ways I can help:
1) Download my FREE Innovation Culture Assessment to evaluate where your team stands.
2) Download the first 50 pages of my book, The Creative Sandbox Way™, to reconnect with your creativity.
3) Book your complimentary Innovation Strategy Session to discover how to empower your team to Create the Impossible™. We’ll explore custom strategies to unleash creativity, foster breakthrough innovation, and transform your organizational culture.
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