Following The Creative Toddler
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Do you know why it’s so hard for a sushi cook to start a new restaurant that mixes sushi with Russian blinis? According to The Medici Effect, it’s mostly because of association barriers inside the chef’s mind: he is just too used to looking at the world through his specialized sushi master eyes to see the opportunity.
It could also be that sushi and blinis don’t match. But that’s a different story.
We are told to think outside of the box, but still most (if not all) of us often get stuck in our usual ways of thinking. It’s just so much easier to keep doing the old thing and ignore new options.
Too bad this approach doesn’t work that well with innovation.
It’s this approach that makes a software developer stick to his current tools even when a different programming language or development style would be more suitable for the project at hand. It’s the approach that keeps a manager from reviewing his rewarding practices even when they clearly have no effect on performance. It’s what makes everyone work overtime in their offices even if working less hours – maybe even outside the office — would be a cheaper and less stressful option.
Little kids are different.
They have just entered this world, and they are still open to every new thing that comes their way. Of course, not every child is the same, but if I asked you to define children with just one word, I’m pretty sure curiosity would be at the top of the list.
My son is just like that. He is always on the move, exploring the world. In a fraction of a second, you may find him standing on the kitchen table looking at cars outside the window. Shouting of excitement. Seeing a miracle in pretty much everything new he finds. Always learning.
That’s the spirit we, as grown ups, can learn from children. As Kim and Jason wisely put it, we should be childlike - not childish.
Yesterday, I took my family out in a forest near our home and filmed my son, Oiva, as he explored the unknown.
I see this video as an example on how we should live our insanely interesting September!
Insanely Interesting September
Now, let’s take a look at you. How has you insanely interesting September been so far? Let’s hear what you have learned, seen, or experienced so far - write your insanely interesting events in the comments!
If your month has been no different from August, it’s not too late to get started. Here are some ideas to make your September the most interesting so far:
- Get on the level of a toddler, and look at the world from down there (you may also want to taste some of the things a toddler would put in his mouth). You’ll be surprised at how different things look like from that perspective
- Write down all your ideas
- Ask why — again and again. Don’t settle for “because I say so.”
- Wake up early
- Slow down
- Make yourself accountable
- Read about all kinds of topics
- Start a new project
- Take a chance
And share the things you learn with your friends (that’s us), through the comments. Have an Insanely Interesting September!
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September 8th, 2008 at 10:10 am
I have a two-year-old brother, so I know what you mean :) His curiosity and fascination with the world makes me feel quite inspired too… even something simple like a walk to the local shops for milk is like an adventure to toddlers, something new and exciting everywhere…! It’s a very good theme for a post, good job :) And thank you for the link, it’s the first one for my ‘trackbacks’ box in wordpress, it feels quite special :D
Jesss last blog post..Notebook: Organisational Tool (for mac)
September 8th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
@Jess: I can’t wait for Oiva to be a two-year-old (although, on the other hand I’d love to keep him as a one-year-old forever) and hear him tell what he has on his mind :)
Say hi to your brother for me! And keep up the good work at your blog!
September 9th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Thanks for the link. Man, you are quick. You had that linked almost as soon as I posted the entry. Were you standing over my shoulder as I typed?
Great post, too. I haven’t done anything great yet in September. I’ve been either too busy worrying about my jobless situation or too busy attempting to write my way out of this funk. In any event, I haven’t done enough with my 16 month old son (unless you count attempting to put him back to sleep after he wakes up at 2 am and doesn’t want to go back to bed until 4 am).
Anyway, I love the video. All kinds of cute, just letting your son be himself. How old is he? I think my wife and I would be freaking out worrying that our son was going to put everything in his mouth. We ought to let him explore a bit more without our looming over him. Thank you for the inspiration.
Blogger Dads last blog post..A long way to go for an inside joke
September 9th, 2008 at 11:20 am
@Blogger Dad: My pleasure! I’m glad to have found your and Writer Dad’s blogs — they are quickly becoming two of my favorites. As most of my blog subscriptions are how-to oriented looks at different topics, it’s refreshing to read blogs that are not that much tied to a specific topic.
Oiva is actually also (almost) 16 months (born on May 19th). And yeah, we’re also freaking out worrying about all the things he tries to eat. The forest trip was rather scary with all the mushrooms and poisoneous berries out there… :)
November 4th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
How nice I want a kid too looking at my friends who already have kids they are so happy