Page 251 - THE DO-IT-YOURSELF LOBOTOMY Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking

242 Appendix

During the fragile early stages of the creative process is not the time
to test an idea’s validity. Almost all new ideas have flaws. When you’re
too quick to judge, you often overlook what’s worthwhile and drag
down the entire creative process. Even if an idea isn’t perfect, it’s more
constructive to look at what’s good about it and keep making it better
rather than to take the easy way out and drag it down.
If your answer is almost always or often, judgment is a problem area
for you. You’re much too judgmental when it comes to new ideas. Try
to be more conscious of premature judgment and hold off as long as
you can. If you don’t improve here you seriously risk any consistent
creative success. When you judge others’ ideas, you risk alienating
them and losing them as creative collaborators.
If your answer to question A is occasionally or rarely, you are some-
times judgmental when it comes to new ideas. Try to be more conscious
of premature judgment and hold off evaluation as long as you can. You
might be surprised at how many ideas look better in the light of a new
day. You have nothing to lose and a great deal to gain.
If your answer to question A is never, this is an area of strength for
you. It appears that you are not prone to quick negative judgments of
new ideas as are most people.

Question B: How frequently do you get attached to how things
are done?
Change your thoughts and you change your world.
∼Norman Vincent Peale

When people are attached to how things are done, it means that they
are not looking for better ways to do things. Resistance to change holds
back progress and puts you in a compromising competitive position.
Change is inevitable in every area of endeavor. Your field has likely
undergone much change in the past, which needs to be recognized.
One sure way to avoid resisting change is to actually effect it!
That’s certainly what high achievers do.
If your answer is almost always or often, this is a problem area for
you, as you’re quite resistant to change and are much too attached to
how things are done. You are missing major opportunities to improve
things by being too attached to how things are done. You likely avoid
the kinds of risk that change entails. But being as stuck as you are cre-
ates an even greater risk: being left behind by a world that is changing.
You need to improve in this area for your very survival.