| They can be powerful constraints, believe it or not. Let me explain: In 1960, Bennett Cerf, the founder of the publishing firm Random House, made a $50 bet with Theo Geisel that he couldn’t write an entertaining children’s book using only 50 words. Theo took the bet and wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” under the pen name of Dr. Seuss. It went on to sell 200 million copies! What lessons can be learned from this example? 1. Constraints create creativity, and creativity is born out of constraints. Muggsy Bogues was all about assists and steals; after all, he was only 5’3″ in the NBA! For us, we can apply that to children or parents and creatively find time to do the workout due to time constraints. 2. Constraints create schedules, and schedules create a life. Find the Goldilocks Zone – either too much or too little will smash a schedule, but finding pockets in your schedule will help you get stuff done. 3. Stop complaints and use constraints. Most of us don’t have endless time – quite the contrary, and we complain about a lack of time instead of seeing it as a “creative constraint.” Instead of “I don’t have time,” say “I will find the time,” and then look for it – you’ll find it! 4. Assess your mess – what DO you have? Maybe you don’t have a grip on the reality of where your time is really going. Time Block it if necessary (Download your free Time Blocking Sheet here!) Maybe you have 5 minutes here and there throughout the day to work out or work on a project or whatever it is … those little 5-minute time slots add up! 5. Your limitations only determine your creativity, and your creativity is only limited by what you think you can or cannot achieve. Sometimes possibilities come disguised as limitations. James Clear says limitations just determine the size of the canvas we’re painting on – what you paint on it is up to you! |
