Being Creative

I recently read a good article in Psychologies Magazine about creativity. From it I have learned that creativity is like a muscle that has to be regularly exercised. Scribble down thoughts and ideas when they come. Have a pencil and pad handy by the bed in case a dream sparks off a thought. Broaden your outlook and soak up different experiences, cultures, meet new people, try new things. Experiment with different media for creativity even if you don't think you have any skill in that area. Challenge yourself and avoid fear of failure or of criticism by others. Probably the most important of all in my opinion is avoid self-criticism and don't dismiss your attempts as not good enough. Just see them as a step towards your final results.

If you are trying hard to be creative and no inspiration comes, try forgetting all about it, go for a walk or doing something completely different on your own. When you have stopped thinking about it your subconscious mind gets to work and often comes up with the idea you were looking for.

Research suggests that the more positive and happy we are, the more creative we can be. However even feeling negative might sometimes help. Scientists have also found that people who are feeling slightly downcast are more able to keep going even if what they are doing is not fun. After the initial creative spark it may be hard work to keep going and produce what you have dreamed up.

Taking the tougher route

I used to find it difficult to make decisions for myself. In the past I have made mistakes because I took the option that seemed to be the best, but in reality was the simplest.

Taking the easy route - the flat road - can lead to lack of fulfilment. Taking the steep route-the rocky road -is difficult, risky and you might fall back down. However the achievement at the end can be more powerful and can give you confidence to go even higher.

Imagine standing on top of a steep hill and looking down. How tiny everything looks. That can be what it is like to look back on the things you clung on to that were really not important. Why not try to find a new viewpoint and look at your life with clear vision? What would you do if you had the courage?

Living today, planning tomorrow

I have worked with many people who set themselves unrealistic goals and then wonder why they always fail to achieve them. When coaching I encourage people to break their large goal into small, achievable chunks and work on each piece. This gives a sense of achievement and allows you to work at the pace that suits you.

Here is a typical case study based on many real life cases: Terry was a senior nurse who found it difficult to do the 'management' part of her role. She focussed on where she felt most accomplished - her clinical work -and as this is demanding and time is always precious, she never got around to doing the development work that was required. This would involve evaluating the service, working out ways to improve it, planning to implement change and motivating staff to be part of this process. The aim would be to have a more effective service.

Terry was going home from work feeling overloaded, frustrated, unfulfilled and worried. She felt she wasn't achieving much and that soon her boss and others would begin to notice and complain. It felt like there was a noose hanging over her head!

After three coaching sessions Terry had really begun to sort out new ways of managing her time so that she could prioritise some of the important work she had been putting off. She also realised that she had been avoiding doing this work through lack of confidence and experience. She started to plan her workload and time in 2 weeks slots so that when emergencies meant she was pulled back to clinical work, she could still fit it in at other times.

By the time we had completed the six coaching sessions, Terry had achieved a major change project that she had been putting off and despite her fears, had carried the staff along with her. The result was better communication between staff, and more time to spend with patients. As a result Terry could now see that doing the 'management' work was vital and closely linked to her clinical work and that it could lead to an improved patient experience.