Would you like more fresh thinking in your business?

Fresh thinking is the life blood of any organization that wants to grow and expand.  Whether it’s new products and services, new ways of dealing with problems, new ways of finding efficiencies or developing new technologies.  Businesses that don’t have fresh thinking carry on doing what they’ve always done and end up becoming, at best, less competitive, at worst, stagnate and die as other businesses take the lead with new products, services and technologies etc.   

The invisible variable that determines how much fresh thinking there is in an organization is the state of mind of the people in the business.  In particular, the leaders.  

If the leaders in a business are predominantly in a high quality state of mind then it is likely that fresh thinking occurs often (and at all levels in the business).   The thing that prevents fresh thinking is the prevalence of low quality states of mind.

Think about it.  You know the difference between a low quality and a high quality state of mind.  (I know you know, because so many leaders we work with are easily able to identify the characteristics of both).  In a high quality state of mind you are open minded.  You have the clarity, the perspective and the space for new thinking to occur.  In a low quality state of mind you are closed, have tunnel vision, you’re negative.  You’re often feeling stressed or under pressure and in this state of mind, you can’t see the wood for the trees. 

What people don’t always realise is that a high quality state of mind is a natural and innate phenomenon.  And is something that everyone can have access to more of the time.  Low quality states of mind are not obligatory.  Our state of mind is variable.  Unconsciously the normal pattern for state of mind is fluctuation.  It goes up and down, sometimes staying high for a period of time, sometimes going low and any variable in between.  The thing that determines our state of mind is our thinking.  Thought’s natural trajectory is to pass so without making it happen our state of mind shifts and changes.  

When we’re able to notice the difference between low quality and high quality states of mind, it changes without effort and we can fall into a high quality state of mind more often.   

I noticed this when I was writing my book.  While I was in a good state of mind the ideas would flow easily, in a low quality state of mind it felt like wading through treacle and I couldn’t think of anything new to write.  When I started to pay attention to the ‘treacle’ times I learned to just stop.  Do something else, anything else.  Within a very short space of time the ideas would start to flow again.  Without trying my state of mind reverted back to a high quality state of mind. 

I’m sure you can see how your state of mind changes without you seemingly having any control over it.  You can be wrangling with a problem and getting nowhere.  Then later an idea or a solution (fresh thinking) just comes to you.  People often say that fresh thinking comes to them when they least expect it.  In the shower, when they’re at the gym, running, meditating, when they’re playing with the children, walking in a park to cite just a few.  They’re all examples of when the mind has settled down and fallen into a natural, high quality state of mind.  It can also be thought of as a quiet mind.  By quiet I mean when it is free of negativity, anger, frustration, resentment, competitiveness or any other low quality types of thinking.  

When you know this is how it works you can make more use of this naturally occurring phenomenon.  You can start to enjoy more new or fresh thinking.  You start to pay more attention to your state of mind.  You start to notice your state of mind more often.  When you notice that you’re in a low quality state of mind, you don’t waste any more time doing what you’re doing.  If you know that you’re not going to get any new ideas, you’re not going to be able to make that decision, you’re not going to find the solution to the problem, (in that state of mind) why would you continue trying?  It doesn’t make any sense.  You could be doing something else in the knowledge that when your state of mind changes the answer will come to you.   

If you want more fresh thinking in your life/business:

• Trust in the fact that you are much more effective, make better decisions, have a greater perspective which opens up more options etc., when you are in a high quality state of mind.

• Notice your state of mind.  Notice the quality of your state of mind.  Noticing in itself has the power to shift you from a low quality state of mind to a higher level.  Not least, the awareness of your state of mind opens up the choice of whether to act or not in the moment. 

• You can’t force a high quality state of mind to occur, so trust in its natural ability to surface.  Notice when it happens. Pay attention to the fact that it happens. The more you notice it happening in your life, the more often it will occur.

 In a few days time reflect on what’s been happening to your state of mind.  What have you been noticing?  What other benefits come from being in high quality state of mind (because there are plenty more!!)?