Everything that requires energy also needs to recharge — cars, phones, laptops, you. If a 9-month sabbatical just isn’t in the cards, consider a micro-charge as a quick, energy boost.
Here are a few ideas to re-energize in five minutes or less:
- Toss on headphones and watch a music video from when you were in high school. Or the theme song of a TV show from when you were a kid. The nostalgia alone will make you smile.
- Walk up and down two flights of stairs while naming a color out loud with every step. The look on any passerby’s face will be priceless.
- Imagine your best friend giving you a birthday toast ten years from now. What might he/she say about the person you’ve become?
- If you won’t bother anyone nearby, try singing the national anthem with a funny accent.
- On YouTube, watch the first five minutes of last night’s opening monologue from your favorite late-night host.
Getting your mind and body off-task for just a couple of minutes may be just the micro-charge you need to help you boost creativity and results.
The poison of labeling.
Jenny struggles in art class. The subject doesn’t come naturally to her, so Mrs. Redford, Jenny’s third-grade teacher, proclaims that Jenny “just isn’t creative.”
Now, with a new identity as a “less-creative” person, she will dissuade herself from taking part in creative activities and, consequently, stifle her creative development.
We do this every day – at work (“Jack’s ‘too analytical’ to help with the design project.”) and at home (“Meg is ‘too creative’ to help with our taxes.”).
Regardless of their actual capabilities, we see people as the labels we assign them. Worse, Jack and Meg start to believe their labels, which keeps them from growing and living up to their full potential.
If we’re going to label each other, let’s make sure the labels are expansive rather than restrictive, focusing on what we can do vs. what we can’t.
Sole Advantage
Kenyan runner Hellen Obiri recently became the first woman to win the Boston Marathon twice in back-to-back years. Her secret weapon? Spray-on shoes.
Inspired by a Halloween hot glue gun, Johannes Voelchert developed the idea for the spray-on shoes by adapting its technique to create textiles on complex shapes. Lace-free and lighter than an iPhone, the shoes blend biomechanics, physiology, and inventiveness. Sprayed on by a robot, these kicks reduce carbon emissions by 75% compared to traditional running shoes.
On’s new Cloudboom Strike LS is a game-changer for runners and was developed through a proven innovation technique: The Borrowed Idea. It simply involves looking outside of your industry or normal worldview for inspiration from other parts of life. When you’re looking for your next breakthrough, peek beyond the echo chamber of your field for inspiring ideas that can be borrowed and deployed.
Are you a Zapper or a Sapper?
There are two types of people: Sappers and Zappers.
Zappers ignite energy and creativity in most interactions, while Sappers drain it.
In meetings and ideation sessions, the way you show up matters. Keep the vibes positive, and those around you will follow suit.
To your creative success…
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About Josh
Josh Linkner is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, venture capital investor, professional jazz guitarist, and a globally recognized innovation expert. To learn more or to explore a collaboration, visit JoshLinkner.com
