As I was reading over a few posts on a businesses networking site tonight, I read, with interest, a post concerning the use of the phrase "thinking outside of the box." Now, as much as I dislike even the notion of this phrase, I was reminded of an elementary school Christmas recital I attended this month.
At one point during the recital, a group of small children sang the song, "I Don't Want To Be A Sheep - Baa, Baa, Baa, Baa." I chuckle every time I hear that song. It is, unfortunately, a lesson to the corporate world. The trick is to never be a sheep. In the same way, the simplest way to think outside of the box is to never get in the box in the first place. Don't be a sheep.
Doing what others do is no different than being a sheep. Trying to fit in, adjusting behaviors, giving up your sense of self is no different than being a sheep. Albert Einstein said, "You cannot solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created the problem." And therein lies the answer: don't get into the box.
Your willingness to be creative, to see problems as opportunities for growth, to be willing to handle whatever comes your way will free you from the "box." As you prepare yourself for a new launch for 2008, think about your willingness to step outside your self-imposed constraints and try something new. Stop being a sheep.
