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Inspiration
Little changes, Switch your routines
One way to address this is to consciously change routines.
big results For example:
• If you always drive the same way to work, take
a new route. Leave some extra time, and pick a
day in the payments biz involves a diversity of scenic route, if possible.
activities that can include outreach phone calls, • When driving, if you gravitate toward one radio
email correspondence, in-person merchant vis- station, type of music or motivational speaker,
A its and follow up, research into new products change stations, music selections or inspirational
and services, partnership meetings, strategic planning, CDs.
equipment installation and support, professional develop- • If your office is above the ground floor and you
ment, and more. prefer taking the elevator, walk up the stairs
instead.
You have probably adopted routines or devised systems • If you check email first thing in the morning, start
to help you attain maximum efficiency. These ways of your day at the office by making phone calls or
working can become second nature, providing structure setting goals with co-workers instead.
that frees you up to focus on the immediate tasks at hand, • If you multitask throughout each day, define a few
which is obviously a good thing. blocks of time and dedicate each to one activity
only.
However, sometimes these ways of working become • If you always eat lunch at your desk, go out with
constricting. When you do basically the same kinds of colleagues instead. And try eating something
things in the same way day after day, no matter how you've never had before.
challenging or productive the tasks are, you can become • If you don't take breaks during the day, set a
lulled into complacency, which can dampen your creativity timer periodically and take short walks to refresh
and limit your ability to think on your feet. yourself.
• If you habitually work the same hours, begin and
end your day a half an hour earlier, or a half an
hour later.
Change your environment
Another tactic that can stimulate creativity is to alter
your work environment. Change the placement of your
furniture; switch the pictures on your wall and the
knickknacks on your desk.
And consider doing some of your work in a different
location. For example:
• Email can be accessed from anywhere today. You
could visit a favorite café, sip coffee and dispense
with your inbox there.
• If you have memos or other materials to create,
instead of writing them in your office, take a tablet
or laptop computer home or to a park, and write
them there.
• If you hold staff meetings in a conference room,
find a local restaurant with a meeting room, and
gather there instead.
These are simple things, but they can stimulate new ideas
and actions. And those can lead to business breakthroughs
of incalculable worth.
64
Little changes, Switch your routines
One way to address this is to consciously change routines.
big results For example:
• If you always drive the same way to work, take
a new route. Leave some extra time, and pick a
day in the payments biz involves a diversity of scenic route, if possible.
activities that can include outreach phone calls, • When driving, if you gravitate toward one radio
email correspondence, in-person merchant vis- station, type of music or motivational speaker,
A its and follow up, research into new products change stations, music selections or inspirational
and services, partnership meetings, strategic planning, CDs.
equipment installation and support, professional develop- • If your office is above the ground floor and you
ment, and more. prefer taking the elevator, walk up the stairs
instead.
You have probably adopted routines or devised systems • If you check email first thing in the morning, start
to help you attain maximum efficiency. These ways of your day at the office by making phone calls or
working can become second nature, providing structure setting goals with co-workers instead.
that frees you up to focus on the immediate tasks at hand, • If you multitask throughout each day, define a few
which is obviously a good thing. blocks of time and dedicate each to one activity
only.
However, sometimes these ways of working become • If you always eat lunch at your desk, go out with
constricting. When you do basically the same kinds of colleagues instead. And try eating something
things in the same way day after day, no matter how you've never had before.
challenging or productive the tasks are, you can become • If you don't take breaks during the day, set a
lulled into complacency, which can dampen your creativity timer periodically and take short walks to refresh
and limit your ability to think on your feet. yourself.
• If you habitually work the same hours, begin and
end your day a half an hour earlier, or a half an
hour later.
Change your environment
Another tactic that can stimulate creativity is to alter
your work environment. Change the placement of your
furniture; switch the pictures on your wall and the
knickknacks on your desk.
And consider doing some of your work in a different
location. For example:
• Email can be accessed from anywhere today. You
could visit a favorite café, sip coffee and dispense
with your inbox there.
• If you have memos or other materials to create,
instead of writing them in your office, take a tablet
or laptop computer home or to a park, and write
them there.
• If you hold staff meetings in a conference room,
find a local restaurant with a meeting room, and
gather there instead.
These are simple things, but they can stimulate new ideas
and actions. And those can lead to business breakthroughs
of incalculable worth.
64
