Part of my work as a CEO consultant has me flying cross country, and when I do, I have a habit: I always sit in an aisle seat. I like the aisle because I can move up and down to stretch my legs, get something out of my computer bag in the overhead bin, or take care of other needs without disturbing my seatmate.
However, on Sunday, flying out of Dallas to Vancouver, I got a free upgrade to First Class. It was a window seat, but who wouldn’t sacrifice aisle for First Class? And what a surprise! I found myself looking out the window, marveling at the flat fields of Texas and the wide plains of the west. Square fields were decorated with perfectly round circles marking the path of irrigation, and I found myself wondering how this must have looked and what enticed people to stay before irrigation.
As we flew northwest and headed over more mountainous territory, the cultivated land was no longer laid out in squares, but rambling shapes contoured to the land itself. I imagined what life might be like far below me. All sorts of questions about history, agriculture, policy and more, rolled through my head.
WOW! All because I sat in a different seat – which gave me a different perspective.
What “seats” do you sit in? What positions feel non-negotiable? What ideas would you never challenge?
If you are feeling stuck, stymied or in need of fresh ideas and a burst of creativity, challenge a long-held position – change your seat. See what happens when your perspective shifts. Just instigating the shift will stimulate the brain, allowing you to think in new ways and feel out next steps.
Let me know how it goes!
Until next Tuesday,
Elizabeth