Same Problems? Innovate Your Thinking

I’m not sure if you remember the 2003 song ‘Stuck in a rut’ by British glam rockers The Darkness. In short, it details the life of one who wants to get out of their current circumstance.

It’s not a new theme, it’s been played out in music and movies before and it will again. The reason is, we can all identify with being ‘stuck in a rut’ (including The Darkness who haven’t topped the charts in a very long time). While all can identify with it, not many know how to address the situation to bounce back quickly.

There are a few reasons a rut sets in:

• You can’t penetrate beyond the glass ceiling;
• Your passion project quickly turns into a successful business. Gone are the days of work-life balance. You’re overwhelmed and time poor;
• You won’t admit to mistakes and are too proud to ask for help; or
• There’s no strategy behind your decision-making process. One bad decision leads to another, soon it affects operations.

At this point, the future looks dire and you need help.

I recently started working with a new client who thought he was running a successful business, but didn’t know why he was working 60 plus hours per week.

When he realized his business was a glorified job the rut set in, resulting in less leads and halving his bank balance.

Fortunately, I was able to help and within four weeks he’s added $10,000 profit to his business while decreasing his hours. In fact, he’s generating so many proposals now he’s hired more staff.

I was able to teach him that the same thinking in solving problems that got him into the mess in the first place won’t fix the situation. He needed external clarity and the advantage of a Sherpa who’d been in his circumstance. Why make the same mistake when you can learn from others who have?

Feeling like you’re at the end of your creativity (particularly when trying to solve a business problem) is often a sign you’re looking at things from the wrong perspective.

As a Sherpa, I look at your situation with clear vision to identify the reasons for your rut and put in place strategy to smash open the blockages. This results in renewed motivation and the creation of sound habits to stop it happening again.

Innovation comes from seeing something from a different perspective and the ability to apply a new approach, one that often seems unrelated. Had we used the same thinking to solve problems, we’d still commute in a house and buggy.

When I feel stuck, I put a system in place:

• Get the easy stuff out of the way – don’t focus on the big problem when little spot fires are simmering (addressing them often dulls the bigger problem);
• Identify what’s truly important and rid yourself of the burden of lesser pressures – can your social media followers wait a day or two for your posts? And
• Feel the love – if you don’t have a support network (outside of friends and family), get one for advice and guidance (although be careful of the charlatans).
• No business leader has achieved success by toeing the line. Be creative in approach to problems, it will allow you to assess your current situation with vitality.