Many of us have forgotten we need to move to think. We’ve experienced that ‘stuck’ feeling at work during the day. Getting up and moving helps. Taking a short walk around the block, walking to the kitchen to make another cup of bad coffee is a classic ‘in office’ excuse to move.
We’ve experienced this before, attending a workshop and the brainstorming sections often include moving around a room and writing on whiteboards or sheets of paper tacked to the wall. We’re not just more active physically, we’re more active mentally when we are moving.
This concept was expressed well in a book by Sir Ken Robinson, Finding Your Element. The story of a young Dame Gillian Lynne – the little girl who couldn’t sit still in class. When her school contacted her parents, concerned about her school performance, the Doctor turned on some music and observed her. She had to move to think!
Instead of being punished, the wise doctor said, “She’s not sick. She’s a dancer. Take her to a dance school.” That moment changed everything. Gillian found herself surrounded by other people who, like her, had to “move to think.” She became Dame Gillian Lynne – one of the world’s most celebrated choreographers, creating the iconic movement behind Cats and Phantom of the Opera. The first non-Royal woman to have a West End theatre named after her.
This is one positive example.
For many of us, we’ve become so used to sedentary and stagnant ways of operating that we forget to move. And, with awesome advancements in technology, working from home, comfort with online meetings, movement has taken a backseat.
From a career development and coaching point of view, online opportunities have opened up access, combating the tyranny of distance and allowing people to fit in appointments they otherwise would miss out on.
BUT, it is often a very passive process and typically suits people who already have the words to articulate a vision.
In addition to online services, I have set up a studio in South Melbourne to help people who need to move to think! I am also one of those people, I move to think. My approach isn’t for everyone; this isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of job. My style is for people who want to take a more active approach to their career challenges, whether online or in-person.
If you need to move to think, and want a more active approach to managing your career, please check out my career services.
Check out the TED video Sir Ken’s well known talk, Do Schools Kill Creativity, Dame Gillian’s story is towards the end.
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