Love this concept! Not my own discovery but worth sharing. I first learned about it from Brian Johnson @ optimize.me. These two words have very different meanings. Yet, they are spelled with the same 8 letters. The difference? Mostly that one is far more productive than the other.
Ever find words coming out of your mouth that in retrospect were not aligned with your intent? Or “knee-jerk” react to something with a behavioral response you are less than proud of? Think grabbing a handful of junk food instead of eating a healthy meal, when your blood sugar got too low. Or cursing in front of your kids when someone pulled out in front of you while driving.
We all have experiences where we wish we had a “do-over.” And being creative before reactive won’t prevent them from ever happening. Yet a simple breath can buy you some time to have a better shot at not regretting your responses (both internal and external). Taking a few minutes early in the morning to be creative can further strengthen your “creative” muscles and give you more control over how you show up throughout the day.
Try this experiment: Wake up 5 minutes earlier than you are used to, for a few days in a row, or a week if you are so inspired. Spend that 5 minutes sitting quietly while being creative. Could be you let your imagination run wild as you create your upcoming awesome day in your mind. Or perhaps you write down one word that captures your intent or approach to the day (ie “Enthusiasm!”)
Tip: Most of us don’t get more creative as the day continues. The more inputs we receive from the world, the less likely we are to have brain storms or growth spurts that result in creation of something novel. Best way to see if there is anything “new” trying to show up in your creative mind? Sit still for the first few moments of the day, pre-external inputs, and see what arises.
You maybe pleasantly surprised at ideas that come to light. Or at the very least, notice that your days are less filled with “fight or flight” responses and more so comprised of the “pause and plan” response (see “Hold That Thought” post 3/9/21.) Since many of us go into pivot mode like pro-NBA players during our busy days, it can be a powerful practice to allow your creativity to manifest before muting it with all sorts of messages, buzz notifications, and agenda items that belong to others.