Think in Curves

Glad you took my suggestion and ran with it. Duct tape on the finger? Well done DIY bandage :)

Hope the rest of the weekend is better then it started. I'm going to go find some curves myself.

Curve it up yo! Love the duct tape bandage as well.

Chris, hope your finger gets better soon and thanks for the video. Great thoughts as usual and I agree with you 100%. Life is curvy and it throws curve balls at us all the time so why not start to think differently in order to actually hit the curve ball and make it a home run. People who are thinking ahead of the curve are always on top and always succeed. Life is never won by doing what everyone else is doing...here's to thinking curvy.

Great thought to start the year, Chris, thanks.

Two thoughts:
2. Innovation is all about lateral thinking
1. Resilience is your ability to roll with the curves

Thinking in curves (not linear) reflects how most of the world lived until the 18th century "Age of Enlightenment." Curves reflect the cycles of the world. Never mind, this is too heavy for a Saturday:-)

You can plan the plan...... but

You used duct tape for bandage backup, that's awesome.

I guess you were thrown a curve this morning with cutting your finger. I know that sounds silly but it did alter your planned schedule. I'm not sure how to think about this but I will explore it. I think deep down crystals may still be curved on the molecular level it's just that the curves are tighter! How can we apply curves to flow chart? I have been thinking about project management a lot lately in order to may my business more productive. Are curves added "ifs" that pop up along the process? The plan B if you will? Or are you think more along the line of a schedule having a little more flexibility? Good stuff to think of and I think a huge source of our stress is when we panic when we can go the expected straight lines. Kind of like walking down a sideway or avoiding an obstacle in the road where we have to curve around it. In longer terms the detour if you will.

Often we can not do anything about the "curves" that are out of our control but maybe we can include extra learning in that process.

Vulanized rubber, potoato chips and post-it notes were all curves.

Chris,
I agree - curves are better. Your post made me think about the vast differences between linear and nonlinear management which in so many ways defines the most important business process shifts we’ve all experienced over the past 5-10 years.

Ultimately, nonlinear management (your curves) acknowledges the somewhat unmanageable complexity and resulting unpredictability of life, organizations, projects, etc., and realizes that asserting too much control, engineering, and planning actually reduces the likelihood of positive outcomes. As you point out, curves allow for more inputs, more participation, broader and deeper understanding, and most importantly change/evoloution which will always increase chances of success – although success may not look anything like what you expected when you started your career, business, project, etc.

Thanks for the wisdom...

hope your finger doesn't hurt too bad.

This reminds me of the recent study that found we would all be more productive if we'd leave Twitter, Facebook, etc. alone during the work day. All that multitasking gets in the way. But I rather like it that way. Little bits of inspiration come while doing something else. You're right: curvy is better!

Great insights Chris!

Getting in relationship with curves in our life and biz is huge. By thinking spherically you can bring much more awareness to your movement. To many curves without insight and growth, you just go in circles. Connect the curves with insight and you move forward up the spiral. Stay in the center of the spiral and you see all the curves coming.

It's called mindmapping.

I do my best to throw myself a curve everyday. I may take a different route to work or I may restrict the materials or resources I use in my artwork and see how it changes the end product.

Not only do I feel like it better prepares me for whatever, but I feel it keeps me a little sharper and a little more creative.

I like your thinking ;o) Curves and circles are the way forward. Even time is not linear though they make us believe it is.
Hope finger gets better soon, though I'm liking the video blog idea. Means we get to see more of you.
and yeah the duct tape idea is cool too.

Great message. If something is straight, it is predictable from one moment to another. Whereas, a curved line must be measured by a trend line. It is still predictable, but not from one moment to the next. Measure the trend, don't distress moment to moment.

Nice video, even if the finger did not look so great. You inspired me!!

Great stuff. You should 'vlog more often....

Son, when life throws you a curve, pull the pull to left field.
As usual, another home run idea!

Urgg - pull the ball, not "pull the pull". Dang nab it.

Enjoy it! I'd like to see more video blogs too.

Yes, what Ann said up above - mindmapping. i wrote a post about it - I actually had a topic (one of the 1001 uses for mindmapping), but same concept. Check it out http://www.thevirtualinch.ca/mindmap-2009/ Please comment when your finger gets better. Love the duct tape... LOL... oops, sorry :)

@ Stan Ordchard: My curves have been called "meandering" by some nearest and dearest to me! My family is beginning to appreciate my ability to focus on many things (especially on the Internet) as I'm making some technologies begin to work for us. I agree that the inspiration often comes from little side trips! I've also found that when I'm working on a left-brain problem (I'm a programmer during the day), a walk to a different locale kicks my right-brain in gear and the answer often comes to me right away. More meandering; more curves!

Curves are one reason I firmly believe in flexibility. If things don't go as planned, rethink, or redo, or reassess.

Now, I have to get my own curves in motion. Time for a bike ride.................:)

BTW, two days ago, I found lots of curves while doing my laundry.

I'm guessing if you'd curved around your finger instead of cutting straight ahead you would have missed it? ;-)

The Earth is the biggest curve going - strange how we still think it's straight...

Chris,

Your curve this morning inspired a circle post to flow out of me. http://mandalalifemedia.com/2009/01/understandi...

Thanks for the spherical inspiration!

Gotta love the duct tape bandage Chris.

Hi Chris,

Hope your finger is healing fast.

I guess, the problem for most people is that they can't think straight! But yes, I agree with what you said about Mother nature making most of the things curvy.

Best Wishes,
Shinil.
@shinils on Twitter - http://twitter.com/shinils

Sorry about your boo boo (tough to type when the bandage hits more than one key at the same time). Curves are good, as long as you keep your goal in sight.

O.K. Chris...I'm gonna do it...I'm gonna jump off this high dive...one...two...three...

But before I do, I thought I would drop in and say thanks for all the rock solid advice. I am heading over to Bluehost right now to buy my web hosting, then stopping off to purchase Thesis before migrating my free "just-for-fun" blogger blog up to the big time on wordpress.org.

Will I recoup my little investment of cash and large investment of time?
(The spouse and I have a friendly side bet on that one.)

Well, enough stalling...one...two...three.......

...three and a half....

...JUMP!

(P.S. I'm clicking to both sites from here. -Hope those affiliate clicks help you.)

O.K.

This is funny...sad, but funny...
At the EXACT nano second when submitted the above comment, my darling dog came up to scratch at my leg for attention, scraping her CLAWS across my keyboard and breaking off two keys! AUGGH

(So much for clawing my way to the top. I'm just clawing at my laptop.)

On with Plan A...

I just got an email from Jenny Yerrick Martin that says the same thing. Running a business is like driving on the back country roads. Curvy, not straight. You have to negotiate dips and obstacles, highs and lows. I will add to that thought by saying it is the journey itself that will bring you new opportunities, learning and growth. You may take one step towards a goal and then get "sidetracked." Or, at least, that's how it might appear to others. But really, it may be that step to the side is really where you want to be, but you just couldn't see it from your previous vantage point and would have missed it entirely if you are fixated on going straight.

Chris, at some point, you'll have to take the duck tape off! Yikes!

I hear what you are saying Chris (and literally too). Whilst it is a great way to look at things, I would say people are forced to think in curves when the situation demands it. Else they fail. How to deal with the nonlinearity and unexpected moments is the question.

When your finger gets better, would like to read some examples from your own experience (unless you are up for another video shoot) :)

Never thought straight in my life! Smooch. I hope that makes it better.

"Why not think in angles and curves instead of straight lines?": imagination is more important than knowledge. Einstein.

Hah! You make me wanna stop living in dots and progress to lines in the first place.

Hi Chris - Recently Pete and I were working on something and it dawned! He's a linear thinker, a list-maker, a sequential. I think like a web or a net. All those little intersections of thoughts and ideas. Curves, webs, remain open to the unexpected and the connectivity.

Chris - if only Columbus could have realized the wisdom of curve thinking... thanks for visual insight and please be careful with your other nine digits

Phil McKinney, Killer Innovations podcast, has some good thoughts (audio) on this very thought of non-linear career paths http://tinyurl.com/9oxcbo . One item he advises is that you need to make lateral and sometimes de- motional moves to gain experience and understanding...

Stay away from sharp objects:)
John

Straight lines are inundated with road blocks which we must move around in order to get to our goal. At times, we even have to turn around and find a completely different way. I agree that a free flowing form is the way to go...a mix of straight lines and curves.

Aww! so sorry about your finger. Know that had to hurt.

When I started Twittering...
I was greatly frustrated because i did not get it!
Thought twitter was a bit boring and did not like sitting like one of Pavlov's Dogs waiting for that little kernel of wit, truth, smarts or warmth someone just had to Tweet out at any given moment.

A very notable Social Media type took me under his wing and told me not to think---You got it----Linear. He told me to Tweet like a tipsy parrot with Turrets Syndrome, basically with good sense but unfiltered.

Thinking within a curve not only takes imagination but strength...Even though you are in harmony with nature and the Universal Quantum world...You are going against acceptable human regimented secular thinking and behavior.

Am wondering is thinking curvature a gift? Everyone can do it with practice? Or is it a learned behavior?

Lots of questions...
Great food for thought...

As always thanks, Chris.

I think this a good methodolgy to approach projects. Think of it as considering the outcome desired and then all the paths that can drive you to it. I am an "Almost engineer" doing sales and marketing of technical products. This means I have an engineering degree but couldn't quite work in such a structured environment. The ability to think in curves is what helps me work with most of the true engineers I spend time with in manufacturing and technical services.

I like the fact that you have voiced this and there is solid support from you followers on this conceptually, It makes me feel justified in my approach over the past 30 years.

Wendy

May you recover soon...
:(

It is always the obvious truth that is so hard to accept. My linear career path has been in a blind curve for two years now. Not a bad thing, just a reality. Accepting that it is a curve and not a linear step along the bath has been huge. Now I can enjoy the scenery and being excited about what may be around the cureve. Thanks for your thoughts.