Thinking Outside the Box

Thinking outside the box is more than just a business cliché. It means approaching problems in new, innovative ways; conceptualizing problems differently; and understanding your position in relation to any particular situation in a way you’d never thought of before. Ironically, it's a cliché that means to think of clichéd situations in ways that aren’t clichéd.

We’re told to “think outside the box” all the time, but how exactly do we do that? How do we develop the ability to confront problems in ways other than the ways we normally confront problems? How do we cultivate the ability to look at things differently from the way we typically look at things?

Thinking outside the box starts well before we’re “boxed in” – that is, well before we confront a unique situation and start forcing it into a familiar “box” that we already know how to deal with. Or at least think we know how to deal with.

Here are ways to beef up your out-of-the-box thinking skills. Make an effort to push your thinking up to and beyond its limit every now and again – the talents you develop may come in handy the next time you face a situation that “everybody knows” how to solve.

Career Ladder Mindset VS Breakthrough Career Mindset

                     

The first time I came across Adam Poswolsky’s book project was through his Indiegogo campaign where he explained what the book is about and more importantly why he was writing it. I was immediately hooked from the moment I watched the trailer video because I felt he was talking to me personally addressing questions like:

Have you ever felt stuck knowing you need to make a change in your life but you are too afraid to take the leap?

How do you know it’s time to quit from a mediocre job that no longer inspires you?

You are in your 30’s not knowing who you are and what you want from life?

Can you really spend your days doing something that inspires you allowing you to make an impact uniquely to your gifts?

After watching the video, I ordered for the book from Amazon.

How exciting!!!

Adam shares the lessons he has learned throughout his journey of intentional learning and experimentation with the purpose of inspiring and empowering young people to realize that career experimentation is not a waste of time when it’s done with the purpose of getting closer to your true self.

The book made me realize it’s ok to experiment with different things when you know you need to make a change in your life but feel stuck! Experimentation takes us one step closer to aligning our true self with our gifts.

At one point in my life, I felt stuck in a job I didn’t like and wasn’t true to my gifts and true self but I settled for mediocrity because I didn’t know any better. I was just checking off days waiting for something to happen only to realize that I had the power to change my reality at any point in my life.

Career ladder mindset VS breakthrough career mindset

Become a Hardworking Employee without Sacrificing Your Personal Life

Let’s be real for a second. These days, many of us live in a world of excess, where more is definitely better. We heap our plates full with seconds when we’re already full, overstuff a drawer with t-shirts we’ll never wear again, and ensure that we own at least 20 mugs. (I know, I know—each of those mugs serves a very specific purpose.)

Often, we apply this “more is more” principle to our professional lives, too. Clocking in at the crack of dawn and logging off only when our eyelids can’t stay open anymore are often heralded as hallmarks of star employees.

But, I have news for you: This type of lifestyle is not necessary for success, growth, or job satisfaction. In fact, I’d argue that it can actually hurt you(but that’s a story for a different day).

The main message here is: You can be the apple of your manager’s eye even if you don’t make working overtime a habit. Provided of course that when you’re in the office, you’re kicking ass, completing everything assigned, and turning it on time.

Ready to start leaving before dinner time? I recommend making these three things habits: