A national volunteer organization I work with is undergoing radical technology change. The complicated data system we all struggled to learn, is now being phased out and replaced by a new-world system. It will be good for us. It is intuitive and captures data as it is created from transactions throughout the system which avoids repetitive re-entry. Fewer mistakes will be made. Speed of transactions and retrieval should be much faster.
This is good news, but a painful process to unlearn one system and learn anew a different one.
The end result, however, is saving time and energy. Both those resources – time and energy – allow the volunteers to focus on what matters the most. The logic and creativity we bring to the clients ought to be better and more apt to client circumstances.
Logic and creativity are delicate resources. Rattle the environment of either – or both! – and distraction snuffs out some logic and creativity. Homing in on a problem, being clear on its definition, then determining the desired outcome if the problem is repaired, allows critical and creative thinking to happen. That occurs in the 'space' between problem identification and outcome desired. That’s the hardest part of our work. Fewer distractions and more time should help feed that part.
That is the nature of change. It upsets the status quo but it refreshes innate logic and other talents. It provides an opportunity to think of our work in new ways. It is an opportunity that is not always utilized.
I once took an extended vacation – 3 weeks – during which my mind was free to ponder problems at the office. Defining terms was a logical first step. Describing what was wrong and why was the next step. Imagining what things would be like if the problem were solved, was the third step. Thinking all of this through in a calm, time-filled pause in my working life, I soon discovered the answers to the problems. I then carefully put together a plan of action when I returned from vacation. I implemented those actions immediately, on the first day. It was a shock to some, but the organization soon turned the corner for much improved operating results.
All I needed was time for the mind to do its thing. Time and a change in routine. A pause. Clarity returned. Anxiety melted away. Logic and creativity took the lead.
Thinking back on many life-changes I have noted a similar pattern in all of them. Time, logic and creativity are codependent assets. When used we make better use of the rest of our assets.
The moral of this story is two-fold: first, we unknowingly stifle our power of logic and creative juices with meaningless busy-ness and distractions; second, there is a vast reservoir of creativity that will improve our lives if we dare to use it.
Time, however, is needed in abundance to make the magic happen. Take the vacation. Take a few minutes. Sit and zone out. Take that nap. Sip another cup of tea or coffee. Now, solve the world’s problems, or at least know that human creativity will redefine our possibilities very well.
We just need to give it room and time to work. And believe!
January 16, 2020
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