The Futility of Sameness

Uniqueness is a characteristic many people and organizations claim, yet few exhibit. We see it all the time. Companies release products they claim are new and improved. However, the only thing new is the redesigned label. Organizational leaders discuss tired, ineffective strategies year after year. Rather than changing strategies, they changes leaders who, as you might expect, bring the same tired, ineffective strategies to the table.

In reality, individuals and leaders often resort to doing the same things they've always done. Though we live in a nation that celebrates personal freedom, we function with a herd mentality. We pursue acceptance rather than effectiveness. We choose familiarity over ingenuity. We declare our creativity while pursuing sameness. We become imitations of someone or something else.

We often live far below our potentials because we embrace the limits of popular thinking rather than asserting our creativity. Yet, we know that strategies of the past aren't transferable. What worked in 1970 won't have the same effectiveness today. We must free our minds to think differently.

Thinking differently doesn't guarantee success. New ideas often are unsuccessful initially. However, the refined ideas that result from new strategies might produce results we never thought possible. Thinking differently is a way of life, not an event.

Don't expect everyone to celebrate your creative thinking. After all, thinking differently requires us to analyze past thought processes. We might be forced to admit that our past success was really well-spun futility. When you challenge mediocre people to change their thought processes, they will look for ways to end the conversation. Some people simply refuse to change.

Change isn't easy, but it is necessary. If we go through life duplicating what others have done, one of us is unnecessary. Think about it.

What can you do to bring your creativity to life this week?

Read more at www.liveyourwhy.net and follow me on Twitter @liveyourwhynet.