Projects

Do you want people to agree with you?

Would you like to avoid changes? Would you like everything to stay the same? Probably if you dare to admit it! Your brain is programmed that way, but as we all know, “the only thing that is constant is change.” So the normal scenario is that you know there is a need to do something that is not to everybody’s liking. Or someone told you to do something that is not to everyone’s liking, which is everything! There is not a single case where everyone will like your suggestions. Even if you plan a party, there will be different opinions. So you always need to crack the code of getting everybody to at least accept what needs to be done and how. What is the secret code? You will not be surprised - it’s communication!

Here are some simple ways to present the problem you need to solve or the challenge you see in front of you, how to solve it, and how to implement the solution.

Ask questions!

Make sure you get a few different views of the problem you need to solve. You might need to change your systems, product range or organization, Or the authorities decided some new regulations.

Visualize!

Make a presentation of the current situation. Pictures always make people more engaged. When you have a couple of possible solutions - visualize them! Don’t spend too much time trying to present the perfect picture. People love to find ways to improve it. Let them! If you let others be better than you, your team will grow which will benefit the organization - and you! Win-win. It’s right to be wrong!

Good enough - decide!

When you have a solution that is good enough, it’s time to make a decision and implement it. Change is so fast that there is no time for perfect solutions if you don’t work as a brain surgeon or at a nuclear power plant.

Dare to be wrong!

If it turns out you were wrong, dare to make a new decision and change path. When you dare to admit you were wrong, more people will dare to admit they were wrong, and you will make better decisions, and implement better solutions.

If you want to be the best in your field you have to now and then go outside your comfort zone to try new solutions, walk the unknown paths, and you also need to be prepared to admit you chose the wrong path.

Good luck! Remember that there is seldom dangerous to try an unknown path even though your brain tries to make you believe it.

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Passion for improvement?

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What is your passion? You have probably, as I, several things you are passionate about. One of my passions is to travel off the beaten tracks with a light packing. But this blog is about my other passion - tackle change, improvement possibilities, the best possible way! 

The only thing that is certain is that life is constantly changing! It doesn’t matter how hard we try to stop the world from spinning we will only get worn out while the world continues to spin. Do we like change? Absolutely! If it affects others! Who doesn’t want others to change? You might want to change the colleague that is too detailed, too lazy, or too sloppy! And what about your partner? There are probably a few areas in which you like him or her to change. But do you want to change yourself? Only if you are the one that decided to change! You don’t like people to impose change on you!

One of the significant changes that is affecting all of us and will continue to do so is digitalization. All my projects since I started my carrier has had to do with digitalization. Mostly as a possibility to make business more efficient due to new tools and systems. It’s not a new phenomenon, but digitalization 1985 that was a major change by then is a story to laugh at today. The digital change is going faster the more it’s affecting more areas and more parts of daily life. I can assure you that much more can be done to keep up with change in almost all big companies and organizations. Most of you know that there are still too many old models, processes, and systems around. Why are they not replaced? They function good enough (at least according to all of those that don’t like someone to impose a change on them), and it’s expensive (so we rather wait until the world stops spinning and see what we need to do by then…). I could give you more examples but let us continue with how to implement change faster and smoother. 

I love to keep my eyes and ears open to see and understand trends and use that understanding to implement necessary changes. Since change is inevitable, you might just as well do the best you can to adapt smoothly. Is it possible? Absolutely, and it’s not even that difficult, but you have to deal with it consciously. And please don’t wait for things to settle - they will not!

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The 4-step model to handle change and other challenges

Understanding is the most tricky step. We have to admit that we face change whether we like it or not. The sooner we accept that change is here, the sooner we can start making the best of the situation.

Analyzing is to find the possible ways to adapt to the change we face. When you skip denial, you can concentrate on collecting the best information from the best sources, and present at least 2 possible solutions, preferably 3. One could be - we refuse to change.

Then it’s time to decide how you want to tackle the change you face. You might feel you have no choice, but that is never true. You can always walk away. It might be costly but is always possible even though that seldom is my suggested solution.

The implementation phase is, of course, the most challenging. When finally faced with the fact that change will affect each person, resistance and questioning grow strong, but you can’t easily detect it. People unconsciously hide it behind arguments and facts. Through good leadership and clear goals you will succeed, but not if you don’t stay focused and conscious. 

I will continue to inspire you to dare to handle the effects of coming changes earlier. The next blogs will cover communication and people which is what you need to manage to succeed in implementing change and staying ahead of your competitors.

Happy New Year Dreams!

This is the first blog I publish on my new website. It’s still under construction so please give me your suggestions for improvement! I have transferred some of the blogs from www.blogg.ybj.se to the new blog.

How do you feel about 2017 now when it is about to end? Was it your best year? Or do you look forward to 2018? I admit I will miss parts of 2017 but not all of it. I have had some experiences that have been among the best of my life. I have traveled to Thailand and Cambodia with my youngest daughter and published a book about the amazing trip to Angkor Wat and the most fantastic islands. I also traveled to Bosnia, Croatia, and Venice with her and will soon publish a book about that gorgeous journey too. I have also published “Leadership & Wisdom – How to Motivate Yourself and Others,” and the Swedish e-book “Ledarskap & Klokskap – konsten att få dig själv och andra att vilja.” Seen in this perspective, it was a good year. As a finale, I had family, relatives, and friends for one of the most loving Christmases ever although I am rather tired of food and doing dishes now it is over, and I will miss it. One of the major findings of most research is that it's when you work hard and manage to accomplish what you intended you are happiest. I choose to not focus on the less good things but let's summarise it with "a lot of work for too little money" so the wish for 2018 is that I get more money. I am who I am so I will continue to work as hard as I always have.

How will you and I make our dreams for 2018 come through? I suggest a few simple steps that I will take:

  1. Make a wishlist. Don't aim to be realistic. Be crazy and dream big! In big dreams, you will find a pattern that shows what you love doing. You are always better at what you love so the success potential is much greater when you do what you love.
  2. Make a vision board with pictures that visualize your dreams. Keep it where you see it often. It will make your brain look for opportunities that support your dreams. You have a very cooperative brain so make sure you tell it what to do for you. 
  3. Set clear goals that are in line with your dream so you always can see the contours of your dreams when you work to reach your more, but hopefully not too, realistic goals. Dare to aim high also when setting goals!
  4. Take the first step towards your goals, and your dreams, immediately. No matter how small step you take you have started the journey. 
  5. Celebrate every progress you make! If not with Champagne due to health goals, celebrate with whatever you appreciate. Yoga, sauna, or maybe a good book.

I look forward to following your journey through 2018 and am always here to support you.

Happy New Year!

This picture is from a New Years Eve with my daughters in Samara, Costa Rica

This picture is from a New Years Eve with my daughters in Samara, Costa Rica

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Projects - shortcut to success!

What is the status of your projects when you are back on track at work again? Did you find it easy to recap the latest achievements? Are everybody fully up and running? Or maybe you had to have several catch-up meetings to recover where you are and what you have achieved and even more common - some of the decisions from May and June might be revised or reversed!

To lead and manage projects is a profession! And not an easy one. So you have to be on your toes and let new thoughts into your brain each and every day! Your role is to manage change so of course you need to know a lot about what is going on. You are not the one to talk about “the good old days”. It is quite easy to administrate project tools, fill in the necessary parts, send out the material and even make a summary and a presentation. The challenge is to keep the project moving in the right direction at the right pace and be able to have enough documentation so people read it and at the same time keep track on why different decisions were made so they are not questioned again, and again, and again delaying the project.

The single most important factor in a project is to not over analyze! Do you agree?

If you agree you are definitely on the right track. You dare to admit that you might spend too much time on the analysis which has a negative impact on the solution and the implementation.

If you don’t agree you are still in denial! You don’t admit that you don’t dare to skip details and trust that you will take care of them in the later phases. I promise you that even with less time spent on the analysis the important details will come up - they always do - trust me!

I have over and over again seen that the greatest project risk is that you don’t spend enough time to describe the solution, theoretically test the solution (this is when the details you might have missed come up), design and implement. You never get enough time and resources to do everything you want so in each step of the way you have to prioritize! And hand on heart - don’t you always have too little time for everything? Do you often hear people telling you they have too much time for work or private projects? if you know someone of that unique sort - please let me meet that person! After having interviewed him or her I will write a couple of good blogs or even a book about effective time management.

Shortcut to success:

  • Don’t over analyze!

  • Dare to trust that the most important details will be handled even if you don’t document each and every one of them.

  • It’s better to write 5 pages that will be read that 50 very detailed pages that no-one will read!!

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I did it! And I will do it again

Today I finally pushed the “publish button” for #Leadership and #Wisdom - How to #Motivate Yourself and others. Both the ebook and the paperback is now out there. You who have been close to me during this process know how relieved I feel right now but also nervous. Will the book be appreciated on the international market? Will it be visible among all good books out there? I will know soon enough but for the moment I am celebrating. As I say in the book - you should take every opportunity to celebrate - if it’s not a success you have at least had a good time celebrating. And if it’s a success you can celebrate again! 

What did I learn? Plenty! It was much more difficult than I expected. And yes - some people told me it would be - but I was, as always, an optimist. Without strong drive and a lot of motivation I would have given up months ago. So I learnt that it was possible. Next time it will be so much easier. I already look forward to publish my next book, probably “Mother and daughter travelling in Cambodia and Thailand”. Title to be decided and the manuscript is being reviewed right now.

I also learnt that a file that looks ok on your screen can show up in many different ways when uploaded. I am fortunate to have a good friend who is really good at these things. We learnt that processes can be so streamlined and automatic that they become almost impossible to master. But if you can’t master the process you have to buy support….

I learnt a lot about how to use Word to create a book. I had never even been close to setting headers and footers in different positions on even and odd pages and other, to me, advanced settings. But I learnt also that I can learn! I managed to create the ebook all by myself. But I also learnt that its better to know how pictures, bullet points and text boxes will appear in an ebook before you decide the layout in your book.

I learnt that the best way to self-publish is to first learn the publishing process on Amazon and Createworks - and then write the book. So if you want to follow my example test the process. Learn how your manuscript appears as a book, learn what different categories there are to put it in and what key words you can use. Check out books similar to yours. There are plenty of books about writing and publishing. I have read a few of them. You might get a bit depressed since most of them suppose you have thousands of followers and a substantial email list but my advice is GO GO GO. Take the obstacles as you run into them - you will be able to handle them as long as you stay motivated. Keep me posted!

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Pass the hurdle!

I have lately taken two projects as far as I can and have handed them over to others for action or respons. While I am waiting, I am not very good at waiting, I started a new project, a new book.

I don’t know about you but I love the feeling before I start! I can see and feel what I will achieve. It’s so clear in my mind. Fantastic feeling and I can wait to put it in writing! What happens? I almost drown in details and lack of structure.

Do I have a clear goal? Oh yes, check on that important factor.

Do I know why I do it? Oh yes, I have discovered an area that is in great need of my knowledge and since writing is easy for me I can’t find a better way than to write a book about it.

Am I a structured person? Do I find it easy to structure masses of data, material and steps? Oh yes! Any person that has ever worked with me will confirm that.

And anyway I find myself shuffling text from one place to another and back again. I find my main theme, and lose it again, find it, doubt it, lose it and find it again.

What is the message with this messy blog? Pass the hurdle! Don’t give up. Continue to shuffle things around until the best structure turns up. And be prepared to change it again when you come up with better ideas. The best way to solve your problem is to “just keep swimming”.

I have succeeded with loads of big projects so I never get scared by the feeling when I lose touch of ground since I know I will soon be back on track again and the track will be even better than the one I started with.

  • Set your goal!
  • Clarify your why!
  • Set a structure - anything you come up with is good enough to start with!
  • Keep swimming!
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Dare to share!

How brave are you? Do you dare to do something far outside the box among a lot of people you don’t know if it is for a good cause? 

Today we went to honor Olof Palme, the former Swedish Prime Minister. Today it was 30 years since he was shot dead in Stockholm City walking home from a movie, besides his wife. We still remember the shock and it’s so sad we never found the murderer. 

When we came there we found to our surprise a painting standing on the street behind all the flowers. It was a beautiful painting from a photo of Olof Palme and Anna Lind. It took me a few seconds before I realized that my good friend Nikos #LaonicosIcons put his painting there. Suddenly all people paying their respects had the picture to refresh their memory. They could also tell their children “you can see him in the painting" and perhaps they also told their children about Anna Lind and her tragic death? 
 

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Such a brave and nice initiative! We spent hours walking around Stockholm, visiting a museum, having lunch and the painting was still there to refresh people’s memory when we came back in the afternoon. Nikos talked to people and I can assure you that none of Nikos’ paintings has gotten this much attention ever and he did it to honor another person. I hope that Nikos somehow will benefit from the attention but I think that the fact that he gave some people a more positive moment today might be exactly what he wanted to achieve. That he got his painting on the news he can see as an extra bonus. 

I know we all could do with a few more, a little crazy, initiatives like that. What is there actually to lose? Not much compared to how much there is to gain. You can open eyes, get reactions or give others something good to remember.

Sliding doors?

Facebook can be annoying when you are reminded about things you posted 1, 2 or 4 years ago. But sometimes I can, in retrospect, see that it was a moment which led to a change or a moment when I didn’t have a clue what lay ahead of me. Sometimes I choose to share such a memory but more often it makes me think or it can even be a reminder I did not need. Some time ago I was reminded about a change in one of my projects that led to me taking on a totally different project which led me into taking a step away from the stream in which I had been swimming for many years. Good or bad?

You might once in a while think back on episodes that you now know made a difference and think you would have made another decision if you had known the outcome. But is that really true? If you are really true to yourself there are in most cases good parts among the less good ones and you did want the good ones? Very few stories of your life are all good or all bad. The same goes for job changes or carrier moves.

In my case the result so far is a successful renovation project, a book (soon in English too), more books in pipeline, several trips around the world but not as many interesting business projects as I would like to have had. And less money! I asked myself whether I would have made another decision if I had known and I still haven’t been able to find an answer. It is not easy to know even when you look in the rear mirror so why worry?

Some years ago I worked in a company that aimed high, almost succeeded but failed and went into bankruptcy instead of becoming a mayor player in the industry. Was that all bad? I can say that the players that made it were better suited and as far as I know the owners made good new carriers in other industries.

Since you probably wouldn’t make another decision even if you knew the outcome, you would not want to miss out on the good things in front of you and you will not know what lays ahead of you no matter how long you shilly-shally you might just as well make a decision and GO! Good luck on your journey! I always love to hear your good and less good stories so give me a call or send me an email and tell me all about it!

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Too much is just about right?

Is less more? Or is more better? Or is too much just about right? That could be an interesting discussion at your next party or staff meeting. Almost every time I talk about my model for handling problems and project activities someone tells me how important it is to get all details right. I can understand the scary feeling when “less is more” is discussed.

Why is “too much” a dangerous way even if most people feel secure when they can have everything? Time and other resources are limited. Focus on the right things will therefore always lead to a better result. So what is the best - but not most convenient - way to manage your projects?

  1. Focus on the 80 % that really matter and since it normally only takes 20 % of the time to get those 80 % sorted out you will have plenty of time for pedagogical presentations and quality assurance of the important issues.
  2. Do not dig into details until they are to be solved which normally comes later in the implementation phase when the solution and circumstances have changed. Or have you worked in any project that did not change before or during implementation? The details that matter are very seldom the same in the beginning of the project as at the end of a project.
  3. Your documentation should not be longer than that people actually read and comment on every part of it. Hand on heart - how often do people read and comment on your 40/60/100 pages report? Do you get much more comments when you present a short summary and pictures? I know the answer after having delivered good results in many challenging projects.

To follow a “less is more” approach is more demanding. The Project Leader or Program Manager has to understand what is important and not and make the presentation clear and easily understandable. He will need people who know their reality who he can trust to be sure to present the right 80 %. But on the other hand that is what he is being paid for! And it feels much better to get paid for making a difference. By using this approach you will deliver just as good results at a lower cost and in much less time.

So what if things are not right when the solution is implemented? If there are details that will prove the solution wrong? That happens just as often if you have presented detailed reports since they are so seldom quality assured anyway and by a “less is more” approach you will have plenty of time to modify the solution. How often is it not necessary to modify the solution even when each and every detail have been discussed?

In my book (that will soon be available in English too) I write more about how to keep track of details so you have them readily available when you need them later on. If you want to know more right now I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

I would love to hear about you success with your project decluttering!

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Holidays are over?

Now holidays might be over for you and hopefully you are in such a good shape that you are prepared to move out of your comfort zone!

When you are back in business again after a couple of weeks off your problems and projects have probably also taken a holiday. Status is just as you left it or worse. If you feel relaxed you might like to stay in your comfort zone and not ask so many questions regarding progress and expected results. Rethink! Do the opposite. People are happier when they really stretch and accomplish more than themselves and others expected they could manage. 

A safe way to fail with your projects or other activities you perform to cope with the inevitable change that does not take a holiday is to set up a conventional project, make plans and hold extensive meetings. The more documentation you produce in form of reports and templates the better result? Nope! Projects succeed when the goals are clear and the project members are motivated. 

Get out of your comfort zone now when you hopefully are well rested and have gotten some new ideas from different surroundings or from meeting different people. I know I have spent time discussing questions I before this summer didn’t even know existed. I have learned that people I never expected (I know - prejudice) use their spare time to produce ceramics in forms I wouldn't dare to show at home. 

Skip the massive project plan! No research has shown that a detailed project plan presented in several different ways will lead to an outcome that will positively surprise you. The classic project models will lead to some results but the time and cost will be extensive. Time and money spent often end up 2-4 times higher than expected.

Make an alternative plan or if you are higher up on the ladder - ask the project leader to do it. You will probably get into arguments about this but you can handle it as long as you are sure about what your goal is.

  • Goals should be Clear, igniting and timed! Decide to be comfortable that details will be solved in due time.
  • Motivation is key! People will not be motivated by writing another long detailed report with more headings that substance. They will be motivated by being able to impact the outcome, to be able to influence how the work is performed and that they feel the job is meaningful.

Your mission is to set up the project and communicate so that all people are motivated. Now you will have no problem to achieve good results that will surprise you but it will not be comfortable. You will be outside your comfort zone - i.e. where things really grow!

More practical tips are found in “Leadership & Wisdom - How to Motivate Yourself and Others." Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need practical tips for communication, motivation, presentation or information gathering. I am always here for you!

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Projects - waste or investment?

Are you running, working in or planning a project? If so - do you consider it to be an investment or rather a waste of time and money? If it’s the latter you are unfortunately probably right. Most projects do not deliver anywhere close to the wanted result and definitely not on time within budget. The reasons are quite well known. Goals are not clear, communication is inferior, the administration takes too much time and energy and motivation is low. The keys to success are motivation, relations, and communication. How can you change your project from waste to investment? In a world where anticipating and handling change is the single most important key to having a competitive advantage you cannot avoid running “projects” but that does not mean the activities have to be set up as a traditional project!

Use the simple 4 step model: 

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  1. Start with focus on understanding the problem the project is supposed to solve. I joined a company in a role that after 6 weeks of improving processes and getting rid of the backlog wasn’t there anymore. It’s very common that projects are set up to solve the “wrong problem”. 
  2. Analyze what possible solutions there are to the problem. This is the second most common trap. Managers set up a directive based on the knowledge they have. You or another experienced person come in and should question the directive since it’s in most cases not very good. There are almost always better solutions available and they are seldom neither more expensive nor difficult but often more inconvenient, more different and nobody likes change! 
  3. Decision is an underestimated obstacle. The lack of ability to make decisions, communicate decisions, question decisions and be prepared to change a decision is often hidden behind very good excuses and rational reasons. Organisations overanalyze to postpone decision making, they avoid to communicate so they don’t risk to be questioned and they rather stick to a proven wrong decision than to admit they were wrong. So silly! Make quick decisions but communicate and let them be questioned. Most quick decisions are just as good as the slow ones but in the communication process the expertise in the organization can have a saying and when managers are prepared to change a decision the respect grows and people are prepared to take more responsibility next time.
  4. Implementation is the long but fairly easy part. The only very strong advice I have is to skip heavy administration. Focus on the 80 % that will take only 20 % of time and money. Everybody feel secure when they can dig into each tiny detail and investigate it thoroughly but what happens is that the team loses the overview. Suddenly everybody is discussing details and nobody the result they are going to achieve. Trust me I have seen it happen more times than even I would like to admit. 

The model can be found in my book "Leadership & Wisdom - How to Motivate Yourself and Others." 

A few useful keys that will guarantee success if you stick to them:

  • Ask questions - other people know more than you in many areas
  • Listen to what they have to say (don’t laugh - most people never listen to the reply they get)
  • Don’t be prejudiced - if someone was wrong last time does not mean they are wrong now
  • Be prepared to change - nothing will remain as it was, just admit it and be more positive to new ideas
  • Be visual! Draw pictures and let others do the same. A picture says more than a thousand words. The visual intelligence has increased several times more than our IQ the last decades.
  • Be short! Less is more! Use only 50 % of the material you planned. Let there be silence! The good ideas often need a bit of silence - air and room to grow.

Good luck in making your project the best investment you ever made! If you have questions or additions - you know where to find me!

Do you have what it takes?

Do you dream about making a big change in life? Maybe you think about selling everything you have and move to another country? Or you want to quit your administrative job and start a gardening firm? Or move to the country, to a lonely house in the forest by a lake or maybe in a small village where you can keep chicken, grow vegetables and perhaps even have a couple of sheep? Or your plans might be bigger - to work hard, make a fortune and buy an island or a jet? Most people I know have a dream or two that they nourish but most don't do much to realize them. Do you have what it takes to make your dream come true? Or do you even want it to become a reality? 

When you dream about moving to Thailand and live in a warm and friendly place you might realize that you would be rather bored after a few weeks not doing much more than reading, sunbathing and drinking beer. I sometimes dream about moving to the country house, by the lake, in the small village with the astonishing landscape. Do I have what it takes to make the change? I am not so sure.


I have a friend that made the change to totally change jobs, from being a successful IT Project Leader to gardening. Was it easy? I know it wasn't. She is now very successful and happy with her gardening business. Of course she had to work really hard and she did it with a fantastic smile. I know many that would have given up after a few months of pro bono work, worry, bills and no money. Now people might believe her change was easy - when the job is done you can no longer see the sweat.

I set up my own business many years ago. I quit a very well paid job, during a deep recession, with a baby daughter, no money and a big expensive house. How did I think? Actually I did not go “to” a business I went “from” a company I didn’t like to stay in and a very good friend came up with the suggestion. Many other friends tried to talk me out of it and pointed out all the risks. Well my business went well and after a few years I got comments like “it’s easy for you to run a business with your education and contacts”. I had what it took and I was willing to take the risk. But am I now? What is the dream that I am prepared to take the same risks for? 

You might, as I do, have dreams that continue to be “under development” year after year. Maybe you dream of the perfect combination of intellectual stimulation, big challenges, many new contacts in an international environment in a perfectly peaceful country village…. Do you have what it takes to make a dream come true or are you more the kind that dream about winning the lottery but never buy a lottery ticket?

Creativity

Are you creative? Or do you want to be? I am convinced that creativity is the most important ability to nurture these days. Why? All information (too much…?) is available and the attention span is coming down to a level where it is measured in seconds. To be able to catch people’s attention in seconds we need to be different. But it is also fun to be creative! We live and laugh when we make up crazy, or just very innovative, new ideas. In a party a few weeks ago a friend of mine and my husband decided to launch “sweat pads” for men to avoid the large wet circles that are so obvious in most meetings. We said “yes” and had great fun discussion product name and marketing strategy. To our surprise, my friend found out that the product already exists! There are more creative people out there! Now they only need to be creative enough to make sure these guys that need them also buy them…

Everybody can be creative now and then and most of us can be creative quite often. In most cases, we just don't dare to present our wild and crazy suggestions. Besides the risk of being treated as a bit silly, there are also several myths about creativity that might hinder you.

One myth is that creativity takes place in the right part of the brain so you are either “right-brained” and creative or “left brained” and not. That’s wrong so you can be both logical and creative. In fact, most things we use our brains for, require that we use both halves. 

Another myth is that creativity is instant. That is probably not true in most cases. We think about many things, we put them together and then suddenly when we hear or see the “missing link” our idea pops up but the seeds were planted a while ago. Therefore you don't need to worry about not being creative when you are supposed to be brainstorming and your brain has gone to sleep. Tomorrow or a week from now when you are out walking your idea might visualise. 

Whether you are most creative in group or on your own is discussed a lot. Some are pro one and others the other. The most probable answer it the boring “you need a mix of both”. Use your walks or doing the dishes as your creative moments. And don't set any limits on your creativity - I can assure you that when you think you are totally crazy you can probably find that someone else has already done it or at least tried it. 

Go bananas and I will support you!

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Overestimate future benefits!

No matter what goals you have the output you expect has to be greater than the effort you have to make in order to get there. It has to be worth trying hard enough. What happens with many of the health goals we set up is that we can’t see the real value that we will get from our effort. Often we don’t want to admit that we don’t feel all that good at the moment. We convince ourselves that we are “rather fit”, “don’t weigh too much”, “that our high blood pressure is inherited and will not be effected by a healthier life” etc. Those thoughts help us to feel a bit happier and more relaxed in our daily life. The thoughts are a kind of cheap and not too unhealthy drug. 

What we feel today always weighs over what we believe we might feel tomorrow! 

The same goes for carrier goals and financial goals but in this blog I stick to health since that is a common new year’s resolution. 

As soon as you get aware of how you function you can work your way around it and talk yourself out of bad habits. The result is that you can reach the goals that will benefit you in the long run.

  • Clarify the benefits from your goals 
  • Overestimate the benefits from your goals (since they are in the future they look smaller)
  • Make the goals real by creating a movie you can play inside your head, over and over 
  • Underestimate the good of how it is today (since it is now it seems better than it actually is)
  • Be realistic when you do this exercise so you don’t get depressed by seeing the situation today a bit worse that you thought of it yesterday – nothing has changed!
  • If you slip – get back on track by refreshing your view of your current situation and your goals.

It is quite common that people at this stage start to argue that they don’t really need to set health goals. For you that might be true but if you look at statistics it’s pretty obvious that most people underestimate the risk they take by not losing weight or not changing bad habits. If we saw the current situation as it really is and the future we are facing we would definitely not continue as we do. I communicate a couple of times every week with people that I can see are heading towards a not very good future and I am surprised by the creativity people show when it comes to find excuses for not changing tracks! So please be honest to yourself! It will be worth all the effort just for a slight health increase. As always – if you have questions or doubts – don’t hesitate to contact me!

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Christmas is over!

Today is the day we clear out Christmas!

In the northern parts of the world winter is dark and many find the winter slow and depressing. In such times we need change – something has to happen to keep us focused and alert. So in November, or beginning of December at the latest we decorate our homes, our offices and our cities. We introduce plenty of lights and funny decorations. We even dress colorful and funny. Are there any other times men wear ties with reindeers or Santa Claus? We even amuse ourselves with underwear and socks with Christmas motives. And we party! Thanksgiving and Christmas are reasons for all sorts of small and large gatherings.

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And today we remove all signs of Christmas. We clean and minimize again. Just as big change as setting it up! And another reason to party – we arrange “throw out Christmas parties”. Suddenly we have managed to get ourselves in a good mood, alert and focused once again.

I believe we have set up traditions around many occasions through the year to introduce changes and variation since, although we hate change (our brains do everything they can to protect us from the new and less known), we instinctively know that we need to force ourselves to be more alert, see new angles and that way exercise new parts of our brains. So accept some of the silly traditions and reasons to party as reasons to exercise your brain but you need more reasons so you still need to encourage yourself to talk to other people than you usually do about different subjects. Read different books that you usually do. See different movies that you usually do and take another way or use another mode of transportation to work that you usually do.

Good luck with your new good intentions for 2016!