2023 has arrived. I have been reading about New Year’s resolutions and the various ways to set them. Some say that setting New Year’s resolutions doesn’t work because the resolutions are often too big or general – lacking in concrete steps, timelines, measurement, or accountability, making them unattainable. We then get discouraged or overwhelmed and feel disappointed in ourselves. Not the best way to start out the first few months of a brand new year.
This led me to think about perspective. Dictionary.com defines it in more than one way. For the purposes of this blog, I’ll use the definitions, “the state of existing in space before the eye” and “the state of one’s ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship.”
Perspective uses more right-brain processes, rather than the linear, dominant left brain. One of my favorite books (among a litany of business books) is Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. In this classic book, the author looks at the ever-evolving research on the neuroplasticity of our miraculous brains. She invites the reader to think through the lens of the right brain.
The right brain is more visual and deals in images more than words. It processes information in more of an intuitive way and looks at the big picture. From a drawing perspective, Edwards refers to this as the skill of sighting: how to perceive the edges, spaces, relationship, light and shadows, and gestalt. This is the opposite of how the logical, verbal, analytical, and orderly left brain thinks.
Giving our brains room to not always be time and task oriented (left brain), but rather to allow the space to view and perceive – the time for solitary thought (right brain), opens vast possibilities for the creative generation of new ideas. As this New Year begins, I am choosing to be aware of this concept because my left brain has been very busy dominating my life and time.
To enhance my work and joy in this very busy and complex world, my New Year’s resolution is to invite my right brain in more often. Whether that is with meditation, jogging, cooking with friends, or drawing, maybe I can experience Betty Edwards’ hypothesis of transferring perceptual skills to general thinking and problem-solving skills. Then ideas will be more innovative, my work more productive, and my life will feel more balanced.
Stay tuned – a year from now, I will let you know what I learned!
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Wishing you a fulfilling and creative New Year as you continue to lead well out there.
Happy New Year.
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