Are you creative? If so, you may sometimes use your creative abilities against yourself. Learn more about what I call overused creativity.
Operating your own business requires coming up with creative solutions daily.
That’s why being an entrepreneur is one of the most creative endeavors anyone can undertake.
If you are an entrepreneur (or have an entrepreneurial mindset), you are naturally a creative thinker. You enjoy creating something out of nothing and finding creative solutions to problems.
We usually think of creativity as an asset.
And it usually is.
However, highly creative people can sometimes use their creativity in ways that do not serve their highest goals.
Let me explain.
Creative people are good at making up stories.
They did it all the time as kids when they were playing make-believe.
This make-believe storytelling does not stop when creative children become adults.
Every time you tell yourself a story about all the ways something could go wrong, you are using your creative abilities against yourself.
I call this creativity overused.
Using your creativity in this way can be paralyzing.
It can block inspiration and impede your ability to act in constructive or productive ways.
This is how a strength (when overused) becomes a weakness.
Do you use your creative skills to spin scary stories of catastrophic outcomes that leave you afraid or keep you up at night?
Do you use those stories to talk yourself out of trying new things?
If you find yourself overusing your creativity this way, it’s an opportunity to stop.
Remove the stories about how you think it could go wrong, and note the facts of the situation.
The facts are often straightforward and simple.
Acknowledge that you are misusing your creative talent and redirect yourself to use it in a way that works to your advantage.
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