Path to Your Destiny

A few weeks ago I stumbled on an article about solving problems with a list of 100. The “list of 100″ is a fairly simple concept: you give yourself a topic or question, and you brainstorm 100 answers to that problem. Thinking up solutions to a list of 100 kicks your mind into thinking in unfamiliar patterns - the first few answers are easy, the next few answers are hard, and then the last answers come easier because you end up breaking out of your Comfort Zone of Thinking. Breaking out of your thinking box allows you to put together novel, interesting solutions to problems that are bugging you, and more often than not those solutions you dream up will be the ones that work the best.

Does a list of 100 work? Absolutely! And incredibly well, at that. I have a few tips that I use to make the list of 100 even more effective as a brainstorming tool - by applying these to your list of 100, you may become even more creative and think up of better solutions. (Before reading these tips, it’ll help if you read the original article here first!)

• Throw in a few restrictions. Suppose you have a blog you want to publicize, but whenever you write your list of 100 publicity methods, you start thinking too broadly and the list becomes a mess. Instead of a vague list of 100 (e.g., “100 Ways to Advertise My Blog”), think in smaller, more restricted terms. Perhaps you can write a list of 100 ways to advertise your blog only through other blogs, or 100 ways to advertise your blog using solely social media websites. By restricting your list of 100, you narrow down your ideas; your thinking becomes more clear and focused.
• Make your topic novel and interesting. If you’re trying to create a list of 100 on an incredibly boring or trite topic, switch it up a bit. Your brain loves to think in patterns and ruts as it cuts down on thinking time. If you’re trying to brainstorm on a topic that’s been done to death (e.g., “100 Ways to Sleep Better”) your brain will automatically start throwing out solutions that you’ve heard before - because you’ve heard them *all* before! Rephrase the topic to make it more interesting (e.g., “100 Ways to NOT Sleep Better”), and you’ll have an easier time coming up with new solutions.
• Having trouble thinking of solutions? Rephrase the list topic. If you’re having difficulty trying to make the list work for you, completely rewrite the topic. Keep the topic along the same lines, but reword it so you look at the problem from a different angle. For example, instead of “100 Ways I Can Eat Healthier”, why not write “100 Tips I Would Give to Others to Eat Healthier”? One perspective is focused on you, the other perspective is focused on others - depending on which list you choose to brainstorm with, you might get two totally different answers.

Try a list of 100 today! What obstacles are you currently facing that could be solved by brainstorming up 100 creative solutions?

For most people, “change” is regarded as one of those seven dirty words you can’t say on TV. Why? Because change can be a really terrifying ordeal to work through! Who wants to change when everything can stay the same it is now? Why should we even bother with improving our lives? Of course, these two questions are for each person to decide for his- or herself. As for me, I’ve always regarded change as something vital for my life. Change is definitely something I look forward to!

Change can either be gradual or sudden. Gradual change would be along the lines of starting an exercise program and carrying it out for six months. You would see a few immediate results from your workouts, but the fruit of your labor would come later on down the line. Other examples of gradual change would be learning an unfamiliar musical instrument, writing a romance novel, or reading five books on your favorite subject.

People are usually accepting of gradual change. Why? Because it’s controllable! Using our above example, you can totally decide if you want to hit the gym or not. (And, well, for most people, the decision is obvious!) When you have a degree of control over something - anything - if change happens, it’s suddenly not so bad. You can always revert back to how you were at the drop of a hat, and nothing would be too different than how you started.

Sudden change, however, is what drives people mad. Sudden change is - you guessed it! - sudden changes in your life that normally involves circumstances out of your control. If the sudden change is in your control, it usually involves an incredible lifestyle switch. Examples of sudden change would be divorce, a death of a close friend or family member, or relocating to a new city. Sudden change is heavily characterized by sweeping emotions, new role learning, and total life adjustment to new circumstances.

Sudden change is scary! No wonder most people don’t like change! If you had to deal with the aforementioned changes every single day, life would become unbearable. It’s for this reason that people outright reject all change to their lives, instead wishing “everything would always stay the same”. To them, change is the epitome of death to themselves. If their world changed, they themselves would change, and to change themselves would mean to change their life. That’s something these people don’t want to do, at all costs.

But is rejecting gradual and sudden changes really a way to live? To me, that’s the #1 way to completely stall out your life. Myself, I believe change = growth. A life changing experience - which can be anything from the birth of a son or daughter to becoming more healthy to learning a foreign language - is something that can promotes growth as an individual. It makes life richer, more rewarding. Constantly tackling changes in your life head on can make life an incredibly fascinating experience.

Without change, there can’t be any growth. If everything constantly stayed the same, your life would literally stagnate. Your earthly existence wouldn’t get any worse, of course, but it wouldn’t get any better either. And that’s okay! Some people choose to keep the same job for 40 years. It’s their choice. Some people don’t move out of the area where they grew up; some people keep the same friends they’ve had since high school or college; some people hold on to their childhood values for dear life as they grow older. That’s fine - you are completely entitled to do that.

But can you really grow if you stay in the same area, hold onto the same values, and keep the same job you have? You can, to an extent. There’s some wiggle room in there for improvement, and you can definitely learn a new thing or two. But you can never experience real growth if you don’t bash through your comfort zone and change your life completely every once in a while.

Shake things up! Read a new book on an obscure subject. Travel to a place you’ve always wanted to explore. Write that country song you’re itching to get out of your brain. Start up a blog on your favorite subject. Join a brand new religion for the thrill of learning how it functions. Do something that changes your life.

It’s up to you to embrace a life of constant change, excitement, and thrills. What’s your decision?