Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite

I’ve been waiting for this idea for a while. I finally got it.

I used to post "Weekend Tips". Every weekend, I'd share an amazing book, an interesting podcast, or a cool gadget. This was, in fact, also my original newsletter from several years ago. And many of you were part of that list.

Since relaunching my newsletter, I've been thinking about how to resurrect the "weekend tips". But with so many blogs and tweets already offering recommendations... It seemed as if I was about to serve an extra slice of cake to someone already stuffed.

I've come up with an idea I think you'll enjoy: Each Friday, I’ll (try) to share something I've enjoyed - a book, podcast, or film.

But instead of just recommending it, I'll narrate a story or two from it. This will challenge me with storytelling, and hopefully, give you a better feel for the recommendation. Okay, sometimes I may not get all the details right, but then again, Hollywood often doesn't either, right?

I know, it's a more complicated route. But you know I love those.

It actually reminds me of a story about uncomfortable chairs - which is a great way to kick off the Weekend Tips, as it's a story from one of my all-time favorites.

Picture this. A company wanted to boost its employees' creativity. Their plan?

Make the office cozier and more comfortable. They replaced old chairs with cushy, plush chairs. Believing it would relax their staff and fuel creativity.

Do you know what happened?

Instead of turning into a hub of groundbreaking ideas, the office became a lounge!

Employees grew too relaxed, their coffee breaks started to look like Netflix marathons, they kept chatting away, and focus and productivity dropped completely.

The company reversed their strategy: they brought in hard, uncomfortable chairs.

An insane move, you might think? Not quite. Now, employees didn't enjoy sitting for long. They became more active, started walking more, engaging with their work and each other more dynamically. Boom!

The 'uncomfortable' chairs turned into unlikely heroes of creativity. Comfort, it appeared, was not the key to creativity. Discomfort was.

This is the power of thinking the opposite. It's not about discarding what's proven; it's about flipping it over and exploring the results. Sometimes, you might stumble upon a flipped reality that makes unexpected sense.

Now, I'm not suggesting you rush out to buy the most uncomfortable chair you can find. But next time you feel too comfortable, ask yourself - is this promoting my creativity, or hindering it? Sometimes discomfort is the real comfort zone of creativity.

Wishing you all an 'uncomfortably' creative weekend!

And 'Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite'. Indeed, this book by Paul Arden is my today’s book tip.

Carpe Diem,

Tino