In 2021, I paused my 13-year weekly blog streak to reflect on how to make it more impactful for the 20,000+ readers who, like you, gave me the privilege of space in their inbox.
Since then, I’ve doubled down on my mission to help people crack the code of ingenuity, creative problem-solving, and inventive thinking.
I’m excited to reconnect and share my new Find A Way Weekly with you. Each week, I’ll share a short, highly actionable video with you. I’ll also share one insight, one inspiration, and one thought starter to help you boost creativity, innovation, and results.
When stuck, try reframing a problem.
During the height of the space race in the 1960s, NASA scientists realized that pens could not function in zero gravity. They spent years and millions of taxpayer dollars developing a ballpoint pen that would put ink on paper without needing gravitational force to pull on the fluid. The Soviets, on the other hand, gave their astronauts $2 pencils.
NASA was focused on the wrong problem—making a pen work in space. The real issue wasn’t a pen at all; it was providing astronauts with a tool for writing.
When stuck, try reframing a problem.
Both Panama and Nicaragua had an equal shot at connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for commerce and defense. Philippe Bunau-Varilla, who lobbied for a Panamanian canal, sent every US senator a Nicaraguan postage stamp depicting a volcano. It was an effective ploy: Panama had no volcanoes. Panama won the bid. Here is the 10 Centavos stamp (roughly $0.02 or two cents), which has boosted Panama’s economy by $2 billion every year since.
The one question effective CEOs ask themselves every day: “What has to happen next?”
One simple question can create focus, urgency, prioritization, action, and momentum. Instead of drowning in the ocean of to-dos, how are you creating focus & urgency?
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
