Thinking Outside The Box…Is it Just a Cliche?
Everyone seems to agree that thinking outside the box is an essential element for finding the means to success and yet so few people actually do it. We’re trapped inside the confines of our own traditions and habits.
Let me share with you a perfect example of this simple truth in action. I often find myself asking this simple yet profound question, “What can I do to take my online presence to the next level?”
Generic Ideas Won’t Help You Achieve Success
On the surface, it probably appears to be a very simple question and often when I ask this question to my friends and colleagues the answers that I get are equally as simple. In fact, let me share with you a few of the common responses that I get.
- Be patient and just stick with it. The longer you’re online the more you’ll grow. This answer is an easy out and it provides you with absolutely nothing on your journey to online success. Although the principle is true, this answer does not fulfill the challenge of finding new and exciting ways to accelerate the growth of a website or of an online presence.
- Keep learning and improving and soon you’ll find success. Of course we need to keep learning and improving. This answer is so obvious that using it as an answer that question is insulting to yourself.
- You need to improve your content. Content is, after all, King. Again, it’s a generic version of a good answer. These answer needs to be defined by a far greater level of specificity. In other words, look for specific ways that you can improve your content and attract people to read your material.
Don’t short change yourself. Challenge yourself to think beyond this type of answers. These answers will cripple your drive to success.
Start Releasing Your Creative Energies
As you work to answer questions like, “What can I do to take my online presence to the next level?” use these tips to guide you into getting the most out of the ensuing mental exercise.
- Be specific. Boring, generic answers won’t help anyone. Name specific areas where you can improve and grow. For example: I need to move the comment form to the top of the comments section so that people won’t have to scroll through all of the comments in order to find it and leave their feedback.
- Be bold. Think big. Sometimes you’ve really got to step outside of your comfort zone if you want to make a big splash. For example: I need to write a book, narrate it into an audio book, and publish a workbook with it.
- Be critical. Answering yourself in a way that makes you feel like you’re already doing a great job is the perfect way to ride the fail train all the way into a nice career of mediocrity. Challenge yourself to really change the way you work. For example: I need to dig in and start fixing the poor grammar in my articles so that I’ll stop appearing like I’m illiterate.
Group Reflection
Most of you probably aren’t willing to really think outside of your usual habits. Most of you aren’t willing to embrace the change that is necessary to rise above your peers.
If I could, I would grab you by your shirt collar, shake you and scream at you to wake up and get excited about the success that is within our grasps.
Get motivated. Get excited. Determine right now to change the way that you think.
So…will you join me?
Ron Leyba said:
For me, what I can see on this post is, getting outside your comfort soon. This is the only way to achieve much higher success.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Yes. But don’t just talk about it. What can you do that is outside the box?
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Eren Mckay said:
Most people may even “think outside the box” but they definitely are scared of telling others their ideas. Anything outside of the norm will be criticized by the mainstream average and “so called” normal people who are stuck in the box. The truth is that it takes guts to be unique. I personally believe that the only way to find true fulfillment is to be yourself, try new things and take risks. I love the saying “Be yourself — everyone else is already taken.”
I loved the thought provoking points you made.
All the best,
Eren
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Gautam Hans @ Blog Godown said:
For me thinking outside the box has been changing with the latest happenings. You have to the first one to get there so that you get the maximum attention.
If you some exclusive info, you can get s lot of attention
In short, change is inevitable and we should embrace it
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Gautam Hans @ Blog Godown » I’m not talking about embracing the change that someone else promotes. I’m talking about being creative and making your own way. Don’t follow where the path may lead but go where this no path and make a trail where others will follow.
Robyn from Sam's Web Guide said:
The saying, “Thinking outside the box” may definitely be a cliche but the idea will always produce fresh results that will rise anyone to great success.
The greatest and most successful minds on earth rose above the norm and created massive wealth for themselves.
Creating new ideas and executing them in unique ways can be difficult and seem impossible at times but the effort is well worth it.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Robyn from Sam’s Web Guide » You’re right, but how many people are talking about thinking outside the box and yet they’re doing the exact same thing that everyone around them are doing? How many people do you see being truly original of promoting things in a new way? It seems that people have forgotten about the real magnitude of thinking outside the box.
Nancy said:
There I was, skimming through your article and wondering if there would be anything new about “outside the box”, and BOOM! You smacked me between the eyes with BOLD.
I immediately made a list of things that would be bold for me and then I set deadlines to get them done. A bold goal without a deadline is only a dream.
Thanks for shaking me up!
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Nancy » That’s exactly right. I’m glad that it caught your eye. Too many people are simply going through the same old stuff every day and never planning to do anything truly great.
Get shaken up. Set some goals. Create deadlines. And then follow through. You know what you need to do.
Reza Winandar said:
Doing something freak can help your brain to generates some freak ideas too!
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D'MarieF said:
“I need to write a book, narrate it into an audio book, and publish a workbook with it.” Definitely love this! It’s been officially added it to my “Do” list.
I’ve always been one to embrace change, even chase after it occassionally. But there have been times when my comfort zone won out and I chose to stagnate for a while. Usually it was fear of the unknown that held me back.
For example, it’s easy for me to get lost in the learning of something new and resist moving into the next stage of doing because I think to myself that I don’t know enough yet.
I love learning, so that may be part of it (my comfort zone), but I also fear failure and that’s probably a bigger part. I’ve always admired people who quickly grasp the big picture and immediately start implementing.
And then there’s the stage I think you’re talking about that can sneak up on us. We’re implementing away, in a groove, and something tips us off that we’re just maintaining the status quo rather than stretching and improving.
Good food for thought – this post. Consider me on board!
Nicholas Cardot said:
You said, “For example, it’s easy for me to get lost in the learning of something new and resist moving into the next stage of doing because I think to myself that I don’t know enough yet.”
That’s exactly what I’m talking about in this post. You understand exactly what I mean. Welcome aboard.
Aminul Islam Sajib said:
Thanks for the helpful post, nick. However, I am always confused about what cliche means. can you please explain it to me?
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Robyn from Sam's Web Guide said:
Hey Aminul,
A cliche is an overused expression or sentence that represents a common belief or idea that has lost its originality.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Aminul Islam Sajib » A cliche is a catchy phrase that sounds great and important but is often overlooked and not used. People often say that they want to think outside the box or that they should…and then they don’t.
Jennifer Brown Banks said:
Thinking outside of the box is actually the true mark of greatness. It is the common denominator of famous inventors and artists who have made historic contributions to the world that exists today.
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andy said:
I completely agree about the ease with which we (humans) tend to accept non-specific answers to problems.
Now that I think of it, this could actually be the reason that talk radio in the US is so popular. Anyway, what resonated with me most in your article is the idea that one can begin to solve problems in three fairly simple steps.
Honestly (critically) thinking about the problems you face in a specific way and taking bold action seems a great way to approach self improvement! This will help one to take something with which they are uncomfortable and make it work.
One other thing that I would sometimes add to this list would be to talk through ideas with friends/family. There is much to be said for different points of view all aimed at a single problem.
Have a good day!
bookmarklove said:
Love the ending. Keeps readers like me on my feet and then I have to respond. Soldier, these are great advice, however not everyone work well under pressure. It’s the comfort zone that we all get into that spoils us rotten. Even if I want someone to see my point, it’s not valid unless they’re on the same page as I am. Then on the other hand, if I’m waving something they really want, say for example $$$, that’s when I get the attention.
Sometimes thinking outside of the box involves tactics which are so obvious in nature that we think too hard that when we do them. That’s it! So acting on your thoughts now is crucial to thinking out of the box. The indecision of what-ifs only prolongs the process.
Thus, thinking outside of the box is a matter of group effort as you mentioned. Only like-minded folks will be able to brainstorm enough power to move some bodies. And once the wave is big enough to move mountains, that’s when everyone really starts listening. Alone, that’s like throwing sand in the air and blinding yourself before you even reach bay.
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Mattheous @ Menu Musings said:
I knowI’ll join you! I’ve been trying to think of a way to blog from bed (due to this farking cast in my left leg!), and I finally realized why my WordPress app wasn’t working: I don’t have the option enabled on my server!
I also think that thinking outside the box is critical to success in blog design. I’ve said before that I like to use a pre-made template and tweak it slowly to make I truely mine–and I don’t do that because I’m lazy. I do it so I can get a framework of basic code and wireframes up to work with ASAP–somehig OTHER than a default WordPress template.
On my blog Menu Musigs my goal is to make it slightly resemble a menu (but not so much that you think “Oh hey, it’s a menu!”. At the same time, I want in to also bring in a sense of literature or writing, which is why I chose a color similiar to the color on my beloved Moleskine Large Ruled Notebooks.
Fantastic post as always, Nick! I hope you don’t mind the wall of text commets I tend to write–as I don’t blog about blogging, I tend to had long comments on other peope’s blogs.
Dennis Edell said:
OK disagreements go first, right?
Putting the comment box above the comments so you “don’t have to scroll” is horrible advice. (We’re still friends, right?)
One of the top 3 commenting tips is to actually READ the comments before leaving your own.
Call that an opinion if you wish, but it really isn’t.
Aside from that, I must agree. #3-Be critical caught my eye the most.
Everyone knows being surrounded by “yes (wo)men” is no good for anyone.
What’s lesser considered is being your OWN “yes (wo)man” is absolute DEATH.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Dennis Edell » I’ll take that disagreement and although I respect your position, I respectfully maintain my position. You see, you mentioned that one of the top three well known commenting tips is to take the time to read the other comments first. As a fellow blogger, I respect that and I try to do the same myself when I’m commenting on other sites, but we’re not creating blogs that are designed only for other bloggers to read who have been trained and taught to read the other comments. We are writing for a society of people who want to get their information quickly and interact easily. As we simplify that process, I maintain that we will see increases.
My plugins post is the perfect example of it. That post is over a month old now and yet it is still receiving several comments each day. Before I made this change, the incoming comments on it had effectively halted and now they are revived.
And besides that, how often do you see people (and how often do you) replying to other people’s comments other than on their own blog? It happens as D’MarieF has just shown us (and it’s the way that I think it should be) but it doesn’t happen often. Far more often people are simply interested in chatting with the author. Perhaps the best solution would be to place the form at the top and bottom of the comments section. I wonder if that would create any conflicts in coding?
Hmm…know I’m trying to think outside the box again.
P.S. Don’t ever be afraid to disagree here. I respect it and welcome it. I think that these different perspectives make us all stronger and help us to develop our skills.
andy said:
The change you made to the comment box works well. Nice compromise.
Dennis Edell said:
You’re right, we are blogging for more then just bloggers, and on that note wouldn’t anyone or shouldn’t anyone truly interested in an article also be interested in what the other commenters had to say?
Also, your perfect example post is one that only bloggers would really be interested in.
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Mike Stenger said:
Yep, I’ve been with ya every step of the way Nick! I think momentum is one of the most important things we can have. The lack of it from failures, frustration, you name it, causes many to give up and move on.
What keeps many of us to keep doing what we do everyday, is the fact that we have momentum and are consistently taking some sort of action.
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D'MarieF said:
@Dennis – I like your style. For some reason your comment reminded me of that poem “What Are Little Boys Made Of?” I was going to say I like the spice you add to a conversation until I looked up the poem and realized that wouldn’t work. LoL
All in fun, no disrespect intended.
Seriously though, I think your point is spot on. Being surrounded by yes men is counterproductive to thinking outside the box.
Dennis Edell said:
LOL thanks.
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Ed said:
yes i will join you and try to think outside the box. i have been trying to do it but it is not so easy
Jasmine Henry from System Fail News said:
Maybe with all of these people thinking outside of the box, all of the good ideas are still in there. Huh? I’m just kidding, really…
A good way to “release our creative energies” is to get a sheet of paper, write down a topic and then jot things down around it. From that, expand on the different points you’ve written down and look at them from an unusual angle, i.e one that no one has talked about before.
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thomas adair said:
Traders are taught that the Holy Grail to Investing doesn’t exist. Real people were taught that all the planet’s move about the earth, don’t go to far out into the ocean(you’ll fall off the earth), on and on……….
When one looks outside the box(inventor), goes against the group(thinks for self), said they found(developed) something that is supposed to be impossible(airplanes), they were once killed. Now these people are called bad names and delegated to be unheard, and ignored group.
The ultimate business solution. The ability to cut the cost of any business expense, or just plain invest.
I developed multiple arbitrages that enable me to trade(not invest) in the financial markets, without risk(The Holy Grail to Investing), or arbitrage that anyone can do. Over 30% a year.
Thomas Adair
[email protected]
BIZZNURSE said:
It may derive from a cliche, and still is. If you’re talking about thinking outside the box as a blogger, the explanation varies from one blogger to another. However, as one blogger would think her idea was one of a kind, others would have come across it and say it is lame.So, its depends.
Example, for me, being A Malaysian Blogger was quite challenging. Most people would consider making money with blog is equal to selling things online. Like, how come you make money without selling products?
I try to think out of the box, thinking of a way where I can still enjoy blogging but yet make money. Okay Okay…for others its an old idea…but for my community (my blogger friends in my university)it is something different.
The reaction? Maybe positive and negative. When you make something different from others,they will questions your effort.
So, in simpler word, making a change may not be as easy as saying, and the view varies from different angles….
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Toya said:
Thank you Nick. You’ve done it again. I needed this post because I woke up this morning thinking what can I do to make my blog standout and this post was like a pep talk to step outside of my comfort zone. I came up with a great idea from that. Thank you!
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Aaron Darko said:
Hey Nick, Its funny I stumbled across this blog post because I just posted a very similar one on my blog! Its with a real smart guy I met whilst at Yanik Silvers Underground Online Seminar last month.
Nice tips here man. I really think that the most successful people in the world can think the best.
Like anything you can LEARN to think outside the box – personally I think a big part in that is getting around smart people who don’t ‘follow the crowd’ Allow yourself to be influenced by those people and your way of thinking will undoubtedly change
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