Create some space - clear your mind

Is it time for a Reboot?

By Marion Thomas and Sarah Walton

Hoarding is a modern-day problem. We have more space and more disposable income than previous generations, plus we live in a disposable world, so it is easy to acquire things and then keep them even after they cease to be useful. De-cluttering is now such big business, it has its own plethora of guide books, TV shows and self-proclaimed experts bombarding us with their advice on a daily basis. And even people who are avid minimalists, still probably have more ’stuff’ than they actually need.

But does the same apply to our knowledge? Do we need to unlearn things in order to make space for new ideas and to allow us to grow and adapt to our changing environment?

The human brain is primarily a giant processing engine – it is not designed as a filing cabinet and yet most of us keep cramming new information in there and expect to be able to retrieve it if and when we need it. Which means that, as we acquire new knowledge and experiences, our processing capacity is reduced by the amount of space given over to storage. Sometimes, we simply need to close all the ‘open tabs’, clear the ‘recycle bin’ and allow our minds to reset.

The concept of giving your brain a reboot can mean unlearning things to make space for new ideas or ‘defragmenting’ your brain so you can access things that you have forgotten about.

It may seem completely counter-intuitive to unlearn elements from experience; surely our experience is what allows us to add value to a project? But how can you become a master of what you do if you don’t have space to think, re-evaluate and learn new things?

Rather than always jumping in feet first with a carbon-copy approach, try taking a different perspective. How can you add value to any specific project if you are always weighed down with a whole host of pre-conceptions of how you succeeded on previous projects? Every project and every business is different and whilst good project disciplines should absolutely be applied in all projects, precisely what that looks like and how it will be played out, will vary according to the Terrain* of your particular project.

So, take out a broom and dust off your brain, clear your mind, start afresh and create some space. Approach every new project challenge with the fresh eyes of a toddler to think first about the potential for new and creative solutions. You can then use the wise old owl of experience to evaluate the ideas once you have a set of possible solutions.

Don’t just take our word for it …

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ” Alvin Toffler

“In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists." Eric Hoffer

“That's what learning is. You suddenly understand something you understood all your life, but in a new way.” Doris Lessing

“Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival.” W. Edwards Deming

“The greatest enemy of learning is knowing.” John Maxwell

Take two minutes to watch this YouTube clip; it is an old Zen parable about the importance of emptying your cup in order to be able learn more.

An EPM Alumni member described their participation on the Mastery Programme as giving them a massive ‘reboot’, with the course reminding him of tools and techniques that he had forgotten about and reigniting his passion for project management.

*Terrain is one of the 5T’s of the ExtraordinaryPM Framework.

The Terrain is the landscape and business context of your project’s journey. We train our Extraordinary PMs to plan each project like a runner plans a marathon.

On our Mastery Programme, we help you to consider where the tough, sticky or uphill stretches could be, what risks you might face, where you’re most likely to need refreshment or rejuvenation and how to deal with both expected and unexpected events that will crop up along the way.

To start your own journey to extraordinary, please contact send us a message or visit www.extraordinarypm.com