There are many ways to do fine work. One approach is to go through the stages of imagination, implementation and making a positive impact. Let’s explore how people may follow this approach.
Imagination
Imagination is one of our greatest assets. People can nurture it within themselves and within others to do superb work, tackle challenges and achieve success.
People love to use their imagination. They love to explore ideas, cultures and other ways of doing things. Imagination can take them to places that provide solace and stimulation for the soul.
Looking at your own life, when are the times that you use your imagination? Sometimes you may do this in your personal life. You may explore ideas, let your mind wander or consider how to achieve a personal goal.
Sometimes you may use your imagination in your professional life. Focusing on a specific situation, you may ask yourself some of the following questions.
What are the real results I want to achieve? What may be some of the possible ways forward to achieve these results? What are the pluses and minuses of each option?
What can I learn from what works in these situations? When have I or other people tackled a similar challenge successfully? What did I or they do right then?
Are there any other possible creative solutions? Is it possible to combine some of the options? What else can I do to do my best to achieve success? What is the option I want to pursue?
Different people focus on different things when using their imagination. They also use different ways to stimulate ideas or explore possible ways forward.
Some people do things that give them positive energy. They may go for a walk, listen to music or do other activities. Over the years such people learn to follow their successful pattern for sparking their imagination.
Let’s return to your own life and work. What are the situations where you sometimes follow elements of this approach? These could be personal or professional situations where you use your imagination.
What are some things you do to spark your imagination? You may do this in a purposeful way and focus fully on finding ways to solve the challenge. Sometimes you may simply let your mind wander and explore ideas.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
Implementation
Sometimes people use their imagination simply to explore ideas. There may be times, however, when they aim to implement these ideas and have a positive impact.
There are many views about people using their imagination and moving on to implementation. Here are some of the best known quotes.
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein
“Imagination does not become great until human beings, given the courage and the strength, use it to create.” Maria Montessori
“I think imagination is at the heart of everything we do. Scientific discoveries couldn’t have happened without imagination. Art, music, and literature couldn’t exist without imagination.” Lloyd Alexander
Some people use their imagination before aiming to do work that helps other people. Some may call this empathy. One approach may be to use your imagination to do the following things.
To imagine what may be happening in the person’s life – such as their challenges and goals;
To imagine how you can help a person to tackle the challenges and achieve their goals;
To imagine what you would like the person to be saying after your meeting and how to increase the chances of them saying these things.
This is an approach that is followed by some mentors before meeting a person. Here is the framework they use to prepare for the session. They then aim to translate this approach into action.
Impact
Many people start by using their imagination. They then move on to implementation and translating their ideas into action. Some may then do fine work and make a positive impact.
They may aim to encourage other people, provide them with the basic materials for life, create inspiring educational programmes or do other activities that help people or the planet.
Human beings may need to foster their imagination – rather than bow to indoctrination – in order to progress. Some organisations focus on the following themes to help young people to maintain their imagination.
The Four C’s Of
Twenty-First Century Skills
Many educational projects now focus on this theme. They are encouraging students to develop the Four C’s of 21st Century Skills – though these are actually eternal skills.
This approach came after asking employers in the USA about the skills they wanted to see new joiners demonstrate. The employers wanted people to be able to navigate their way in a fast changing world.
The skills required included the following. Clear Thinking – though some refer to this as critical thinking – Creativity, Collaboration and Communication. Developing these skills could help young people to shape their futures in the evolving world of work.
Design For Change
Kiran Bir Sethi founded the global movement called Design For Change.This encourages children to express their ideas for a better world and translate these into action.
They do this by focusing on the design process of Feel, Imagine, Do, Share. Here is an excerpt from its website.
Imagination.org
This is an organisation that aims to help young people to develop their imagination and creativity. Here is an excerpt from its website.
Creativity is one of the most
critical skills for the future
The ability to dream, take chances, and create the things we imagine. These are the skills of entrepreneurs, innovators and change makers. Children are born with these exceptional talents, but research shows that over time they begin to lose them.
A popular survey conducted by IBM of 1,500 CEOs from 60 countries and 33 industries identifies creativity as the most crucial factorfor future success.
And 17 countries in the OECD identify creativity and innovation as a core competency, so valuable for the next generation it requires major restructuring of national educational programs and priorities.
Why creativity? The world is changing at a fantastic speed. The future requires people who can problem-solve, adapt and communicate in workplaces and environments that are increasingly complex.
Creativity creates jobs, drives economic growth and provides answers to societal needs. And it also maximizes human potential.
We think that when children develop their natural creative talents, they develop a variety of skills and attitudes that will drive success in school, life and future work.
A Vision for Kids and
Communities in the 21st Century
We imagine a world where creativity and entrepreneurship are core social values nurtured in schools, homes and communities everywhere, where all children are taught to be creative thinkers and doers, and encouraged to make their very best ideas happen.
Our Mission
The mission of Imagination.org is to find, foster and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in children around the world to raise a new generation of innovators and problem solvers who have the tools they need to build the world they imagine.
The Importance Of Imagination
People can continue to stimulate their imagination as they get older. Sometimes this can be necessary when institutions say they want people to be innovative, but actually reward inertia.
Human beings are ingenious and can find solutions to many challenges. Sometimes this means combining their efforts to achieve a common goal – such as the survival of the species.
The Dalai Lama referred to this approach in 1991 when praising the World Conservation Union in launching its campaign on the theme of Caring for the Earth. Here is an excerpt from the piece he wrote.
The earth is not only the common heritage of all humankind but also the ultimate source of life. Therefore, the protection and conservation of the earth is not a question of morality or ethics but a question of our survival.
How we respond to this challenge will affect not only this generation but also many generations to come.
Let’s return to your own life and work. How can you continue to nurture your imagination? What may be the benefits of taking these steps – both for yourself and other people?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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