A client said to me in a recent session, “Business is an uncreative process.” The statement felt weighted down by lots of have-tos and shoulds. As we dug a little deeper, we realized that this was a long-held belief that business could only be analytical and logical. As we explored even further, we uncovered that what was really exciting her about her business idea was the opportunity to make a positive impact and to express herself. Now that sounds like a creative process to me!
I definitely think of business as an extremely creative process. (Believe me, I wouldn’t be doing it if I thought otherwise!) It requires coming up with new ideas, products and services. It means constantly innovating to differentiate yourself in the marketplace. It involves taking plenty of risks and developing several creative options to choose from. And, at the heart of it, it can be a reflection of you, your values, vision and voice.
Yes, business does include some tedious tasks as well as the necessary planning, analysis and decision-making. Those are the “whats” that need to happen. The Right-Brain Business Plan is an example of the “how.” The “how” can totally transform something seemingly boring or laborious into something fun, creative and even joyful and inspiring!
A few months ago, I was feeling overwhelmed by all the different pieces of my business. Instead of getting stuck in the what, I switched the “how.” I created a mind-map to help me sort out how all my endeavors fit together. Once I saw how the colorful lines flowed together, I reconnected with why I am doing what I am doing and was excited by all the opportunities ahead.
What limiting beliefs do you currently hold about business? How are those beliefs stifling your creativity? What right-brain “hows” can you incorporate into your business to energize and inspire you (and your customers)?
Jenn, this is an important post for me to read. I definitely have limiting beliefs about ‘business’…stemming from my ‘business’ life most often being completely separate from my ‘dream/creative’ life. I equate the word ‘business’ with rigidity…with being completely left-brain oriented…with the idea of people ‘forcing’ me to do things I hate to do. Of course, no one forces me to do anything, but when your day job includes being of service to others doing tasks you loathe, it can feel that way. 🙂 This is definitely something I need to work on this year…my detestation (that’s how strong it is) of the word “business.”
Hi Jen,
It does touch me deeply when I see your business plan. I like the new how of yours. Perhaps not something that can be easily done at banking business. But hey…perhaps I can try to use this for my own life plan for 5 years. Looks fun to give it a try! Keep up the great works Jen!
oh…and best wishes for all business plan of yours, travel plan and your other plan in 2007!
I was recently feeling a bit overwhelmed with how the things I enjoyed doing fitted within my business and so instead of continuing with the sleepless nights, I pulled out my coloured textas and created a “business mind map”. I’ve had it up on my notice board for 2 weeks and it has helped me see things clearly. It was refreshing to stumble onto your blog tonight and see that there are others that use mind maps for pulling their business ideas together. 🙂