Every entrepreneur feels stuck sometimes. Maybe you’ve been lost in the weeds, pulled away from the big picture. Maybe it’s been tough – you’re treading water, just trying to stay afloat, and the thought of doing more than surviving seems impossible. Perhaps you’re just burned out, jaded, and done with it all.
Regardless, know that you’re not alone. It happens to everyone. It happens to me!
What’s important is knowing how to get unstuck when things get stagnant. Over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about pushing myself and my team to innovate. For you, I’ve condensed all that trial and error, all those sweat and tears, into six steps to reignite that spark of creativity.
6 Strategies to Reclaim the Spark of Innovation
Strategy #1 – Mix Up Your Environment
I believe our environment has a greater influence on us than we realize. If things get too cluttered, stale, or frenzied, it impacts our mood and our ability to think clearly. Tidy and rearrange your workspace. New stimuli can help promote creativity and excitement, while cleaning up will help you maintain focus and decrease stress.
Get up. Move your work to the local coffee shop for the day. Take a brisk walk to clear your head. If the ideas aren’t flowing, try changing your surroundings.
Strategy #2 – Seek New Perspectives
I don’t think I can adequately stress the importance of introducing diverse perspectives into your life. The threat of complacency grows in tandem with our success and stability. You may be tempted to think you have everything figured out.
You don’t. And I know I don’t!
There are three places you should be getting other perspectives:
From your customers/clients
From within your industry
From beyond your industry
Be that lifelong learner. Be obsessed with customer satisfaction. Keep your fingers on the pulse. Listen to perspectives you disagree with from industries you aren’t involved in. Trust me – it’ll keep your mind open to innovation.
Strategy #3 – Get Immersed
In Hollywood, method acting is a strange but seemingly dying art. Actors will totally dedicate themselves to the role, even when no one is around. That’s immersion. Immersion for an entrepreneur may not look like Daniel Day-Lewis refusing to shower during the entire filming of The Crucible, but we can take a lesson from the dedication.
Immerse yourself in your industry. Connect with thought leaders, listen to podcasts, read books, and attend conferences. Stay ahead of the curve. Understand what’s coming around the corner. We must engage with our industry in meaningful ways if we want to create new things within it.
Strategy #4 – Break Away
Human beings only have so much energy and attention. Innovation isn’t like sequestering a jury until they come to a verdict. Innovation won’t happen when you’re run-down, frustrated, and empty. Sometimes, it happens when we least expect it!
If you find yourself banging your head on the wall trying to come up with something, maybe it’s time to step back.
Take a break or short trip to reset your brain.
Engage in a creative hobby unrelated to your work, such as art, music, or writing.
Practice meditation or mindfulness to reduce stress and enhance focus.
Strategy #5 – Experiment
As a business-minded individual, I’m fascinated by TV shows that focus on rescuing struggling businesses. As you might imagine, one of these shows is the somewhat iconic “Kitchen Nightmares,” where world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay travels to struggling restaurants in a last-ditch effort to turn things around.
In one episode, we see the owner more upset and nervous about Chef Ramsay's changes, fearing he’ll lose the few customers he still has left, rather than seeing the potential and the necessity of change.
If I’m going to go out, I want to go out doing everything I can to make it work. Not so scared of failure that my business dies a slow death as a shell of its former glory.
With that in mind:
Be willing to experiment.
Adopt a philosophy of failure. These are stepping stones to a breakthrough and part of the process.
Do low-stakes A/B testing before implementing new ideas.
Strategy #6 – Prevent Analysis Paralysis
Ultimately, one of the keys to innovation is removing obstacles to decision-making and clear thinking. Reduce excessive distractions, such as social media or news consumption. Be mindful of how much time you spend “distracting” yourself versus engaging with your thoughts.
As a leader, you’re juggling roles, putting out fires, and generally keeping your fingers in a lot of pies. However, as much as possible, focus on one crisis, one decision, or one challenge at a time. Trying to take on too much at once will keep you from doing what needs to be done.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to this: if you feel stuck, step back. Consider things from a fresh perspective. And remember why you’re doing what you do!