Build | Create Field Guide #2: All Ideas Welcome
At work and in our personal lives, we often feel there is a gap between where we are and where we would like to be. It can be a soft whisper or a load roar… but we know something needs to change. Sometimes we aren’t sure how to get there, other times, there are so many ideas, we have trouble choosing. The problem at hand can take the form of a big project, like developing a new product, a renovation, or career change; or smaller endeavor like purchasing a new car or starting a new hobby. In many cases, we often make quick decisions based on what seems at the time a brilliant idea. This can start us on a course of action that may not solve the underlying issue, which causes us to abandon it. Some causes of abandonment:
- The idea is a good one, but after trying it out, we realize it doesn’t solve the problem we want to solve.
- We underestimate the time it will take to achieve the idea or goal, and it seems too daunting to finish.
- It is someone else’s idea, and we are not really excited about it.
- We feel we “SHOULD” pursue what appears to be a great idea…which might in fact be…for someone else.
- We want to make a wholesale change but need to figure out the best way to do that for us and are unsure of the next step.
All of these types of abandonment, if not looked at clearly, can leave us with a sense of failure, which in turn can sap our energy to try something else. We need a process that allows us try ideas and then let them go when it becomes clear they are no longer serving the goal.
In the last post, I shared a bit about the “personal reckoning” that started in my early 40’s and continued for a few (long) years. This reckoning was actually more like a full-on Interior Renovation. Here’s what I mean by this: When you take on a project at home, say, putting in a new floor, you think you are clear on the scope of the project. However, once you pull up the floor, you realize that if you do that section of floor, you should do the one in the next room, which happens to be the kitchen. And if you are going to fix the kitchen floor, well, you really should also consider new cabinetry. Which means you should get new appliances, new sink, backsplash tiles, and paint. One thing leads to the next.
This is what happened to me while embarking on what I thought was a career update. It began with the idea that I wanted more from my career. At the time, I was underpaid and underutilized and very unsatisfied with the work I was doing. I knew I wanted more from my work, but I just wasn’t sure what that meant. What was the next step? No idea. It was at this time I was reading Covey’s 7 Habits, and I took his advice to begin with the end in mind – this framed my thinking. The scope of my quest became larger: when looking back on my life, what do I want to have accomplished? There began a long process of inquiry. In an effort to get clarity, a lot of research was done on multiple fronts. I took several career and personality assessments to better understand my own strengths and interests. Once that started coming into focus, it became clear that getting an advanced degree would be helpful, and there began the process of researching schools and programs. Once in school, the learning started opening new avenues of thought, which began to impact how I viewed myself and the significant roles and relationships in my life. Turns out, while the foundation of my being remained intact, several rooms within were rebuilt and fortified. Some were torn down. Others put up. It was a full on interior renovation, and, like a house, it is never fully finished. Also, like a good house, I am so happy to be home.
How does this relate to the topic of ideas?
The desire for a change became stronger than keeping the status quo. Many people I speak with feel similarly about some aspect of their lives. They want to pursue a new idea, hobby, or goal.
When taking on a new endeavor, beginning with the end in mind is a critical idea to put into practice. And then by asking, “What results you are trying to achieve?” you open a line of inquiry and ideation appropriate to the goal – not too wide in scope or too narrow. Once this scope is defined…all ideas that fit within are welcomed.
Generating Ideas – Ask Questions
When designers want to create spaces for their clients, they go through a process of inquiry. The client has already decided that they want to make a change and has done some research on designers to interview. There is an initial consultation in which the designer and client decide if they are compatible and want to work together. If the initial consultation goes well and a contract gets signed, the ideation process now begins. It includes inquiry, questions, generation of ideas, research, reflection, review, discussion, more inquiry. Some clients start out knowing exactly what they want, others aren’t sure and must go through this iterative process that will lead them to achieve the goal.
Now, any architect or designer knows that it is rarely this easy or straightforward. We humans are emotional, mercurial, easily influenced, and we often don’t take the time to know our own minds. Defining the scope, asking questions and allowing for all ideas to be considered – this is a powerful process that is energizing, fun and dislodges us from those times when we feel stuck.
Next Sunday: Better Ways of Brainstorming
What are you wanting to create? Is there something on your mind that won’t leave you alone? What one thing can you do today or this week to explore or take action?
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Also…Check back on Wednesdays for The Workbench’s Mid-Week Kick…some ideas and tools to keep the creative juices and joy flowing!
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About the Field Guide Series
So many people I talk with have things they want to do, build, or create but find themselves unsure of how to make it happen within their already full and busy lives. And many of us have never considered ourselves creative, which gets in the way of our taking the first step.
Here’s what I believe: Yes, we are all creative, and no, it’s not too late. You don’t have to be a painter or artist to possess creativity, and whatever season of life, there is still time. This new blog series has grown out of my own life experience and experimentation and is born from my desire to integrate my work and family life while finding fulfillment and joy during the process. Like each of us, this field guide will continue to evolve, and it will push and poke at the things we allow to become obstacles in our own pursuit of building and creating. Stories shared, ideas stumbled upon, hard lessons learned, inspiration from everywhere…you’ll find it here. EnJOY!