Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Do you catch the waves in your life?

I've been out on the West Coast the past couple of weeks on a "working vacation". Jim Bunch, at the BASE event a few weeks ago, talks about how we can get into that creative mode by being in a foreign environment that inspires us. (I've basically lived with Jim these past couple of weeks, so I have seen this in action myself.) Being in a different space and not having my normal routine like I do at home has changed a few things. Here, I get less sleep but feel just as energized (if not more so). I don't drink coffee. (I NEVER thought I'd say that!) And the way Jim explained this to me was to tell me that I was living now from the heart, as opposed to the head.

I've been doing a lot of surfing the past couple of weeks. Surfing is a GREAT metaphor for life. Picture the ocean as the environment you're in, and the waves that come at you as opportunities. They can move you forward powerfully if you're in the right position. But if you're in the wrong position, you'll miss out entirely - and they might even wipe you out hard!  

I challenge you to put yourself in a different environment this week. Pick one where you're not reminded about your normal responsibilities and to-do lists. Take a notepad and see what comes out of you in that new place. You'll create the space you need to get the results you want in your life IF you do it with that intention. Try it this week, and find a new environment that helps you get into your zone in ways your regular surroundings can't.

We must understand that over 50% of the results we get in our lives come from our environment. This means that if we want to change our results we HAVE to change our environment. New environments help put us in the mental space to do more.