The Value of Confusion

The Value of Confusion

The Value of Confusion
by Mitchell Ditkoff
Idea Champions

Excerpts:

Are you confused about how to proceed with your hottest new idea or project? Puzzled? Baffled? Disoriented? If so, take heart! Confusion is not always a bad thing. In fact, it is often a natural and healthy part of the creative process. The weirdness enters when you start to judge yourself for being confused. Then, instead of benefitting from this normal stage of "not knowing" you end up in endless rounds of self-talk, procrastination, and wasted worry - none of which will serve you on your way to creating something new and wonderful.

What is confusion, really? Technically speaking, it's a state of mind in which the elements you are dealing with appear to be indiscriminately mixed, out of whack, or unable to be interpreted to your satisfaction. In other words - a state of not knowing. Everyone from Einstein to Mickey Mouse has had this experience. It comes with the territory of exploring new horizons. Unfortunately, most of us have a hard time acknowledging it. "Not knowing" has somehow become a euphemism for "ignorance" or "being unprofessional." And so begins our curious routine of "appearing to know" and giving bogus "answers" - to ourselves and others - in a pitiful attempt to mask our confusion and maintain a sense of control, brilliance, and selfhood.

Our fundamental discomfort with not knowing - much in the same way that a person who breaks up with their significant other often rushes too quickly into the next relationship - prevents us from mining the value of this potentially fertile time of dislocation. In the words of Pablo Picasso, "The act of creation is first of all an act of destruction." Translation? Great breakthroughs emerge after times of dissolution, chaos, and confusion. Jump to quickly into the next "thing" or premature "solution" and you may be short-circuiting a critical stage of the (yes, often uncomfortable) creative process.

Is it really so bad not to know?

Look at it this way: First, we REFUSE (to have our status quo threatened). Then, we get CONFUSED (trying to sort out all the new input). Next, we try to DIFFUSE the process (by regressing or denying.) Eventually, we get INFUSED (inundated by new insights). And, finally, we get FUSED (connecting with previously unrelated elements to form a new and unified whole).

Your next step? Allow confusion to be what it is - the catalyst for new and more elegant solutions in your life.

And if you REALLY can't stand the confusion, know there ARE some simple things you can do to go beyond it:

- Take a break from the problem at hand
- Get real clear about what's confusing you
- Talk about your confusion with trusted friends or co-workers
- Seek out missing information
- Redefine your problem or challenge
- Pay attention to your dreams and other clues bubbling up from your subconscious

Read full article: http://www.ideachampions.com/article_value_confusion.shtml

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This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.