How many times have you heard the old saw, If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail?
Well, sometimes all you have IS a hammer, as writer/contributor TJ McCue noted in a recent piece in Forbes. If that is the case, you’d better make the most of it. And what he suggested seemed to me like a smart and sensible short list of simple rules, applicable in myriad situations.
- Become a sculptor. A sculptor is someone who shapes, molds, or fashions, especially with artistry or precision. Shift your current perspective to create something special, new and innovative, conceiving a different pattern around you. Be sure to let your passion in.
- Break things. Every now and then it is a good idea to be disruptive, intrusive, take part in creative conflict and smash the status quo. Ideas and perspectives will collide; new patterns will emerge. What a great way to get unstuck.
- Make noise. Speak up – yell if necessary – if you have something important to say. In order to ‘bang some sense’ into someone’s head and get them to listen, you may need to make a racket in order to capture their attention and imagination.
- Carry it on your belt. Let your intentions and beliefs be not only visible but transparent as well. In addition, be prepared to be asked, answer, share, tout, explore, discuss and discover with others what it is you see, understand, and are ready to act upon. Isn’t that the point?
Like any tool or rule, you must use it wisely. And it must fit with who you are, what’s important to you, and how you want to connect with others in the world.
If I had a hammer … well, what do YOU think?