INNOVATION

"There's a way to do it better - find it" Thomas A Edison

Innovation in its modern meaning is "a new idea, creative thoughts, new imaginations in form of device or method". Innovation is often also viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or existing market needs.

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Ways to Innovate

Surround Yourself with Inspiration

Whenever you see something from the big wide world that captures your attention, put it on display. It can be any discovery: an awesome ad in a magazine, an unusually arranged menu, or even a well-written email that made you laugh.

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Get a Buddy

Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. Pick a colleague you feel comfortable with and make yourselves accountable to each other. Encourage him or her to keep trying new things, whether it’s trying a new place for lunch, pitching an idea in an unorthodox manner, sharing articles that inspire, or just doing some old-fashioned brainstorming. It’s better—and easier—together.

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Pick Small Projects

We often think that ideas must always be big, transformative, and game-changing. But often, it’s lots of small, novel things that add up to make a huge difference. The benefits to small-scale innovation are huge. Not only do they happen quickly and (most often) without a lot of fuss, they also garner the interest and attention of both your team and organization; thus paving the way for bigger, meatier innovation projects to follow. Try changing lots of small things, like how you sign off your emails, how you reward yourself for good work, or how you kick off meetings.

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Flip Your Assumptions

We all have things we do with our eyes shut. It’s part of what makes us excel at our jobs, but also part of what blinds us to opportunities. Over the course of the day, identify all the tasks you do without thinking. Take a moment to talk about how you could do them differently. Sometimes it won’t work (spell check might always be the best way to proofread your work). However, it will often lead you to find a new way of doing the same old thing.

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Fuel Up on Creativity

For too many of us, checking our phone is the first thing we do each day. Feed your mind with creativity instead of diving into the email deluge (that can wait). Pick your favorite song, podcast, or blog to kick-start the morning. Whatever it is, make sure it fuels your imagination. You’ll be amazed how much it will inspire your attitude and creativity throughout the day.

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Yoga Poses for enhancing innovation: -

Pigeon Pose.

 It’s common knowledge among yoga students that we store emotions in our hips, so hip-openers like Pigeon Pose can help people release a lot of negative emotions. But the hips and pelvis are also a center for creativity. This part of the body is aligned with the second chakra, which represents creative energy (as well as sexual energy and reproduction). Honestly, I don't know that much about chakras, but I know from experience that taking Pigeon Pose on both sides and forward bending with my forehead pressing into the ground for a few minutes is the best medicine for blocked creativity.

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Seated Garudasana (Eagle Pose).

This is another hip-opener that I love to do whenever I feel creatively blocked. As an added bonus, it’s also a shoulder stretch. Since I hold a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders, it’s a good way for me to soften both tension and any apprehension that might be holding me back from self-expression.

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Headstand. 

There’s something amazingly grounding about Headstand. It offers a fresh perspective, which is crucial to creating. And it can’t hurt that this pose brings a little extra oxygen to the brain.

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Child's Pose. 

You can’t force creativity. Sometimes all you need to do is relax, take a break, and let the wisdom bubble up naturally. Child’s Pose helps me do this when I feel like I’ve run out of steam.

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Essential Oil Therapy

Oils credited with the ability to enhance innovation are:

• Bergamot – Fruity and sweet, it reduces stress, anxiety and apathy.

• Frankincense – This spicy oil calms and soothes the whole body and mind.

• Jasmine – Deliciously fragrant, it produces feelings of calm, confidence, optimism and euphoria.

• Cypress – eliminates mental fog and nervous tension

• Orange Citrus – stimulates joy, eases anxiety and worry

• Eucalyptus – boosts enthusiasm, creativity and mental acuity

• Lavender – enhances mood, induces relaxation

• Peppermint – invigorates the mind, promotes concentration

• Clary Sage – increases intuitive powers, inspires higher consciousness

• Rosemary – improves mental clarity

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Meditation

Chakras, breathing, Progressive muscle relaxation, body scan and deep meditation 

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