Performance vicious circle

Performance is what we are usually required and expected at work. Usually, you end up with a constant work overtime to meet strict deadlines. So much expected of you! And if you commit you can do it — you expect from yourself to fulfill your commitments.

Unfortunately, while you are performing you don’t have time to learn and explore. You are just in a constant rush “getting things done”. In fact, what happens that you are literally desperately trying to find solutions with the same old ideas and thoughts that don’t work anymore, so you can’t solve problems, produce creative ideas and be happy with yourself. It’s frustrating, isn’t it?

Well, this is you. Welcome, you are inside a performance vicious circle and you know everything around you. Try to break it and the number of new ideas will come to your mind expanding your views on the same problems and events. As a result, you can find a completely new creative solution, perform better and be happy at the same time!

Stop, sit back and relax, do nothing for 1 minute.

Meanwhile ask yourself if you:

• Don’t feel you are doing your best and stuck in a problem for a long time
• Don’t have creative and interesting ideas for a long time
• Feeling frustrated and your self-esteem getting lower, you start judging yourself

Usually, switching to the new and very different activity helps me a lot. For example, if I am stuck in achieving a complicated task or in a very hard brain activity I stand up and go for a walk outside, to the gym or just switch and do some housework for one-two hours.

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking” — Nietzsche

Indeed, there is something magical in switching between physical and mental activities. I just read a book Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by Tom and David Kelley and it has a lot of interesting thoughts and can help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and careers. The book provides set of technics how too boost your creativity and I would say they can help you to break that circle of outdated ideas as well, here are some of them:

GETTING INTO RELAXED ATTENTION

When you are stuck on a problem, here are a couple of ways to defocus your mind: Try taking a walk, away from traffic or intrusions. Poets, writers, scientists, and thinking people of all sorts throughout history have found inspiration while walking. Perhaps it is because of the increased blood flow from the exercise, or the emotional distance gained by walking away from a semi-urgent issue that has been occupying your mind all day. A “thought walk” can take place any time of day or night.

Another opportunity to tap the power of relaxed attention occurs each morning. And you don’t even have to get out of bed. When you are awakened from a deep sleep, such as when your alarm goes off, you may find yourself in a half-conscious state between waking and dreaming, which is a perfect moment for relaxed attention. We’ve used this half-dreaming state to come up with any number of new solutions and fresh ideas. And you can, too. Repurpose that snooze button on your alarm. Start thinking of it as a “muse button,” so that you leverage those first precious moments of the day. Try it a few times: When your alarm goes off, just press the muse button, and for the next five minutes, let your brain wander in a state of relaxed attention, working in an unfocused way on some challenge or problem that you have been wrestling with. With a little practice, you’ll be able to discover some fresh insights before your day even begins.

Hope you’ll enjoy experimenting with your mind as we have an immense level of opportunities in this world to try.