Innovation day

Today i learned that we now have a day dedicated to innovation - 16-Feb every year.

https://www.dates.abouttravelingtheworld.com/special-holidays/national-innovation-day/

While I understand that this is just symbolic in nature, I think more often than not we have attuned our lifestyles to get a cookie-cutter solutions for almost everything. Or have a single solution to everything. When hungry... go to a restaurant and pick a favorite entree; When bored... turn on the idiot box (TV);

We want to simplify our lives (in the pretext of buying more time for ourselves to do other things) by say putting an iPad in the hands of our 2 year olds and not deal with the real problem of having to entertain the 2 year olds ourselves. They won't eat their meals without first demanding for an iPad or they won't go until they get the so-called smart phone while they are on the hot (potty) seat. Now that makes a great repeatable solution and you have successfully taught your 2-year old that iPad/iPhone is a solution to every problem in their life.

In my opinion, not engaging with the problem is at the root at it. And unless we engage with the problem at hand, we will not have a solution we desire. I believe that everyone of us have plenty of opportunity to innovate everyday (rather all the time) than just a single day of the year. Every new problem must be solved with a different thinking to have a solution. I further that thought and believe that we need different (new) solution to tackle even the known problems. Doing the same things over and over to get to the same result is robotic and not human.

Speaking for myself, I've to innovate in how I wake up my 2 boys for school every (week) day and motivate them to get going because the trick that worked today, will not work tomorrow (for example, turn the clock 30 minutes forward today and they'll learn to ignore it tomorrow) and I've to work harder if I use the same tricks. At the end of the day, I've to come-up with a new bed-time story for the one I told them last night won't work today. 

Even for them, a repeat story (status quo) is no fun!

Remember to think a little different, connect with what's happening in your life and how it could be more interesting if you did somethings different.

Innovate, because you can!