I have been reading Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting’s fascinating new book — At the close of Play and one extract in particular caught my attention.
It was at the end of his test career when runs were hard to come by and he describes his mental state when he was batting against the South Africans.
‘I had heard sports psychologists talk about the ‘little voice’ that sits on athletes’ shoulders as they compete.
It’s a negative voice, one that says you’re no good, that you can’t win, that it’s not worth it, that you should give up.
The great athletes are able to ignore that little voice, or tell it to go away (The Australian, 14/10/13, page 28).’
It is my experience that a similar negative little voice emerges in every other form of human endeavour.
Even in business.
And most stridently with creativity and innovation.
I have been in countless meetings and brainstorming sessions when someone will come up to me at the end of the session and either contribute a wonderful idea or lament their lack of creativity.
In both cases I have asked them why they did not contribute more in the session.
Invariably it was their own often critical internal voice.
It has many forms but typical expressions are:
– I am not creative
– What if i am wrong
– What if i make a mistake
– No one is interested in my ideas
– What will my boss or colleagues say or think etc, etc, etc…………
The problem with this is that our rich creative potential is curtailed.
We are deliberately self-limiting and censoring our original ideas.
I found this to be true in workshop after workshop.
The more I mentioned the potentially negative little voice the louder it became for many people.
Until I came across a simple, practical way of ignoring it.
Go fast!
Yes — I have found and thousands of others as well is that by accelerating the pace at which you think you have literally no time to listen to this voice.
This is why I developed my magic formula — 9 ideas in 2 minutes which I use in Blitz & Speed Thinking.
By moving so quickly you simply create.
You simply decide.
You simply are.
People are amazed at what they can produce and generate in 2 minutes.
When you ignore your little judging voice your full creative potential can flourish and like Ricky Ponting you can become world class.
Just try it.
Much like the wonderful improv performers you just allow your creativity to emerge.
Use our new Blitz app and get started.