Change, Creativity, And Buying A New Pen

Wow, I have been away such a long time that it is hard to know where to start without it sounding like a travelogue or a personal diary.

Like everyone else in the Pharma space, I am personally on  roller coaster of change.  I am engaged in managing a large and strategically significant program and the impacts of all the publicly announced "operational efficiency" and "restructuring" efforts have largely been positive for me.

However, I know that is not the case for a large number of my friends and colleges across the industry.  My thoughts and best hopes go out to you and your families if you are in a difficult situation.

I just returned last night from my second trip to India in the last few months and I am going to share some thoughts over the next few weeks and months on the delivery of software projects with partners in India.

For now, I just wanted to share an observation that there is nothing like stepping outside the narrow boundaries of your culture and personal rules / self-image to re-energize your life and perspective.

For the last 3 weeks, I tried very hard to recognize the boundaries that I place upon myself.  Whenever I found myself saying, I am not the kind of guy who does "x", I tried to ask my self "why?"

I am sure that many of you would find this trivial mid life crises stuff.  I trimmed my hair all the way to the scalp.  I went out and talked to people, even when I was tired,  instead of sitting in my hotel room and watching movies.  I dressed a little nicer than I normally would. I bought a few Indian style shirts and then actually wore them as part of my wardrobe.  I got up early and went for a swim in the hotel pool before work.  Trivial things.

But somehow, they helped me look at me and what I was doing in a new way.  I was not the same guy that yesterday was trapped in that paradigm of frustration.  I was this new guy that was ready to take some chances and have an adventure.

It reminds me very much of a trick I would use in college (and still do today) to spur my creativity. 

I would buy a new pen.

Oh, sometimes it would be a nice pen, or pen with color, and sometimes I would even spring for a new notebook. But I think the main requirement was simply that it was different.

How could I possibly not have something new to say with this cool new pen? How could this new pen possibly be stuck in the same rut as that old one?

So my only advice, as we all go through change, challenges, and midlife crises is to not be exactly who you were yesterday. 

That person was not nearly as smart, resourceful, and good looking as you :)

Comments

[Sunil S Chiplunkar]

A lady foreigner came to India traveled a bit - and was to say the least - stunned - and she said "You will never look at the world the same way again, once you experience India"!

Pharma in India is also very different, there are so many colors and dimensions, it can be perplexing!