When Your “Silly Ideas” Aren’t
Key Highlights:
Most times when my clients bring up “silly” ideas that may work for them but are out of the ordinary, those ideas turn out to be exactly what will work.
Schools trained us to all feel like we have to think the same and use the same solutions when in reality that isn’t the case at all.
One size [of problem-solving ideas] does not fit all.
Listen to your own ideas and act on them, they may be the perfect solution for you.
A large portion of my coaching sessions involve creative problem-solving.
My clients come to me because something in their life isn't working.
We work on parsing out those areas and brainstorming solutions.
Frequently at some point during this process, my client will pause a little longer than normal and then use a phrase along the lines of:
"I know this idea sounds silly, but I think it would help if I..."
They say it with reluctance because they have no idea this is one of my favorite phrases a client can use. I've learned what my client is usually trying to say is:
"I have an idea for a strategy that is totally different than what I think everyone else is doing, but I think it might work for me
...or at least I'd like to try."
I've learned those moments are when my client is usually in touch with something deeper inside themselves.
I have learned these ideas are typically not "silly" at all.
In fact, they tend to be exactly what my client needs.
These are the ideas we stop for, develop and test out.
These are the ideas that tend to be the most natural and true to my client and frequently offer the greatest opportunities for success.
Why must we feel the need to dismiss these ideas as silly?
My speculation is that it comes down to school.
From our early years in school, we lined up in a certain manner, we were all expected to sit at our desks the same way, as well as to sit on the floor in a circle all at the same time.
As we progress through the school years we were all expected to pass the same tests and we assumed we all used the same process to get there. Sameness is rewarded in school.
“Sameness is rewarded in school.
The Reality, though, is that we are all very different.”
The reality, though, is that we are all very different.
As a simple example, many of us use some kind of organizer or day planner whether it be a paper-based one or an app on our phones and computers.
Just that choice between mediums is a reflection of our differing minds.
To-do lists on a screen don't seem as real to me as if I have written them out by hand.
Just the act of writing it with my hand makes an imprint in my mind, making it more likely I will remember the task.
This is one reason I use a bullet journal, but my bullet journal consists solely of words.
My friend's bullet journal is full of doodles, as doodling is what she does to stay focused and remember things.
Another friend makes her to-do lists into artistic masterpieces with bright colors and beautiful drawings; it inspires her to want to spend time on her to-do list.
I could go deep here into how the different parts of our brains work, but I'll save that for another blog.
The larger point is that while we grew up all being taught to follow the same rules and processes, those might not be the best processes for us as individuals and as we move on in the world we need to figure out what is best for us.
There is a whole industry built around organizing ourselves.
James Clear's book Atomic Habits has sold over 2 million copies in the two and a half years since it was published.
David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done a seminal tome about personal organization written over 15 years ago, has almost one million Twitter followers.
Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People brags on the cover of its 30th-anniversary edition that it has sold over 40 million copies.
We are all looking for better ways to get things done.
Why?
Because one size does not fit all.
“The struggle to figure out how to make our lives work for us is real. We all want to know how to be more productive, happier, at peace. The optimist in me sees this as the beauty of being human; we have the ability to identify problems and search for answers.”
The struggle to figure out how to make our lives work for us is real.
We all want to know how to be more productive, happier, and at peace.
The optimist in me sees this pursuit as the beauty of being human; we have the ability to identify problems and search for answers.
However, that early training towards doing things like everyone else can hold us back sometimes. This is what I think about when my clients confess to me their "silly" ideas.
I don't hear "silly" at all, I hear:
"This isn't how my teachers taught me to do it, I don't think it's how my friends or coworkers do it, but I think it might be how I want to do it."
In James Clear's book Atomic Habits, Clear recounts a story about a young man, Trent Dyrsmid, who worked for a small bank in a small suburb in Canada.
He kept two jars on his desk.
At the start of every day one jar had 120 paperclips while the other jar was empty.
Each time he made a sales call he transferred one paperclip to the other jar.
He didn't stop for the day until all the paperclips were in the other jar.
Within eighteen months he was bringing in $5 million for the bank and soon after he was offered a position with another company at a considerably higher pay.
One can imagine some of the comments co-workers might have made as Trent moved paperclip after paperclip throughout the day, but Trent kept going.
He found a system that worked for him, followed it, and found success.
One can even imagine that when he first came up with the idea and shared it with a confidant he might have said, "This may sound silly, but I think if I keep a jar of paperclips on my desk to track my calls I'll be motivated by watching the one jar count go down and the other jar fill up."
“One can even imagine that when he first came up with the idea and shared it with a confidant he might have said, ‘This may sound silly, but I think if I keep a jar of paperclips on my desk to track my calls I'll be motivated by watching the one jar count go down and the other jar fill up.’”
I'm not saying we should all put jars of paperclips on our desks tomorrow, but rather I am encouraging you to listen for your own ideas that you have dismissed in the past for sounding silly, or better yet, simplistic.
Who said life has to be hard?
Your definition of simplistic might be someone else's complicated, the point is it seems simple for you, so try it!
So what are your own "crazy ideas" that you have batted around in your head, but thrown out for fear of looking or sounding crazy? Consider trying one or two out and seeing what happens. And if you are looking for a sounding board, I'm always available for coaching!
Some times you just need someone who you can bounce ideas off of and who can guide you to find the unique solutions that work for you. Schedule your free introductory session with me at the button below, I’d love to be on your team!