Many of us are focused on the wrong approach to reach our goals and improve our lives. We don't need to get more than what we already have. We just need to learn to use what we have.
There are four basic actions that people can take to strengthen their stretch:
- Broaden experiences: When we get exposure to a variety of experiences, we learn about using resources in different ways and give ourselves permission to break convention.
- Act without planning: Get going, impose constraints -- it fosters spontaneity and creativity.
- Expectations: If we can learn to be more generous and expect the best, we create positive prophecies, which research has shown can make children higher achievers and employees more productive.
- Unthinkable combinations: Mix things up to find previously unknown synergies. Many of the best inventions came about this way.
Some people and organizations succeed with so little, while others fail with so much in a new book STRETCH: Unlock the Power of Less.
Two mindsets drive how we work and lead businesses: "stretching" and "chasing." Stretchers embrace what they have, finding unconventional ways to use resources already at hand.
Source: Scott Sonenshein: Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less -and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined