What if I told you there was a secret sauce that could both give your business an edge and get you interested, excited, and feeling alive again?
No, I’m not going all rah rah “I have hidden secrets!”, “Blah blah blah stay tuned for a big reveal” on you.
I’m getting very real with you about one of my favorite ways to have fun, stay fresh, and do unique things in business. That thing is engaging in purposeful tangents.
I recently had an epiphany and connected what I innately do with the idea of purposeful tangents.
I was reading an article in Success Magazine where the author talked about only going to conferences that had nothing to do with the industry he was in. I thought – Eureka! That is what I already do.
What is a Purposeful Tangent?
A tangent is digressing off of a path or straight line. And a purposeful tangent is doing it (you guessed it) on purpose! Rather than do the same thing that everyone else is doing or have the same schedule day in and day out, you do something different, unexpected, and seemingly unrelated.
Why Do This?
Have you ever felt just a little bit dead inside from the boredom of the same old stuff? Maybe you’ve gone half insane from trying the same thing and working harder and harder only to be less than thrilled with the results?
Uh huh… I’ve been there…
A purposeful tangent is the perfect way to learn new things and break out of an emotional, mental, or “same old” rut. You get to surround yourself with people who have different and varied experiences and stretch your thinking (and yourself) in new ways
How it Helps You
Purposeful tangents help you personally and can really freshen up your business to take it to a new level. Specifically it:
- Teaches you new things that are common in another industry you can apply to your business in a unique way
- Revives your spirit
- Gets you thinking differently
- Lifts you out of any rut or preconceived way of doing things
And did I mention that it can be a lot of fun?
Examples
As I considered this further I realized I already do some of this naturally. I have climbed trees, worked with horses, painted, performed improv, and done all kids of activities that stretch me out of my comfort zone and usual way of doing things.
Every time I do something like this I not only come away renewed but also learn practical lessons I can apply to my way of doing business.
And More…
I plan on taking this concept even further going forward. What might it look like if instead of attending business conferences, I attended a conference in an entirely different industry? What if instead of taking a business training, I returned to my music or took a series of classes on something else entirely?
I invite you to consider using some purposeful tangents in your business. What might that look like to you? Share in the comments below… I would love to hear.
Need new ways of looking at your business so you can grow to the next level? Contact me for a discovery session and we will be explorers together on behalf of your business success.