7. Think Outside the Box and Try Something New!

Throughout the week, Sara spent her time embroidering brooches for bloggers. Many lived across town, so she had to deliver the gifts to them.

She was completely worn out! After making the tenth brooch, she couldn’t bear it anymore. She just wanted to lie down and rest. Her back, neck, and eyes were in pain.

Then, the first review post came out. It was from a photographer with around 50,000 subscribers. She wanted a blue and white. Sara had to spend a long time coordinating the design and gathering the materials. Since the blogger lived across town, Sara delivered the gift personally. On her way, she even bought a bouquet of flowers specifically for the photo.

The pictures turned out great, and the photographer wrote an excellent recommendation. Sara eagerly waited for the flood of orders to come in, but there was silence…

A total of 10-20 people subscribed to Sara’s account, but still, no orders. The same situation happened with other bloggers as well. There was a small increase in subscribers, but no orders came in. Sara couldn’t believe that all of them had just clicked away. Of the ten agreements she had, two bloggers didn’t post anything at all, and only eight published.

Surprisingly, only one girl’s advertisement resulted in actual orders. Four orders came in the right after her post. These were the first real orders Sara received! All her exhaustion from sleepless nights disappeared. She was filled with joy and immediately got back to work.

“It’s a shame that the time and money I spent on work didn’t produce the desired results,” Sara thought. “But, as they say, everything happens for a reason. I need this experience and I’ll need it again in the future.”

“Hi, Sara!” Her father greeted her, growing increasingly worried about her. “Hi, Daddy!” “Don’t you want to come and visit us at the seaside with your son? What are you still doing in this town? Come and spend some time with us!”

“Dad, I have things to take care of, but I’ll consider it.” Why not? After receiving those rejection letters, taking risks and being a little adventurous is easier! Let’s Try Something New!

“Son, let’s go to Grandpa’s house in the car.”

The sea was something special! It brought immediate peace and tranquility to Sara’s soul. All her troubles and difficulties vanished as she gazed at the calm waves. This was where Sara grew up; many people knew her as an artist. She had painted numerous pictures while sitting on the shore like this.

Every time Sara visited, a group of children would gather around, asking her to teach them how to paint. Instead of taking a vacation, she happily entertained the children with her painting. Teaching was Sara’s favorite pastime.

Once, while scrolling through her social media feed, she noticed a post from a studio that held master classes by renowned embroiderers. Sara had known about this studio for a while and planned to attend one of their classes. However, this time, a thought struck her mind that hadn’t occurred to her before.

“What if I message the studio owner and offer to teach a master class? They probably work with famous experts, and even though I’m not well-known, it’s worth a try,” Sara thought and sent a message, not expecting much response.

If I hadn’t been pushed to reach out to bloggers, I wouldn’t have the courage now. Something had changed within Sara. She had become bolder, although she still lacked complete confidence in her abilities. Two weeks went by without a response!

But Sara patiently waited and waited! Finally, she had a pleasant conversation with the owner of the studio, Mary, who agreed to have Sara as a teacher in the studio. However, there was one condition: Mary wanted to ensure Sara’s professionalism by overseeing everything.

To say that Sara was delighted would be an understatement! “I’ll be giving an embroidery master class at a prestigious studio where famous experts teach,” she repeated in her head.

On the day of the master class, Sara felt incredibly excited, as if she were getting married or having a baby.

Her adrenaline and energy were off the charts. Mary also decided to participate in the workshop and embroidered a black feather for herself.

It went exceptionally well! Better than Sara could have imagined. At the end of the day, Mary approached Sara and said:

“I usually don’t attend workshops or embroider myself. But your energy and charisma kept me engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and our conversations. I can’t wait to have you back at my studio. You have a real talent for teaching embroidery!”

Those words were a hidden blessing. Sara’s wings spread, and she felt ready to embrace the world. It was time for her to return home with new ideas and plans! Sara knew this was just the beginning of something entirely new.

– Think Outside the Box and Try Something New

What does thinking outside the box mean?

Thinking outside the box means challenging traditional thinking to develop unusual, creative, and often better solutions to a problem. It is a way of looking at a problem from a different perspective and finding new ways to solve it.

Why is it hard to think outside the box?

Why is it so important to think outside the box?

What Ways to Think Out of the Box?

The impact of changing surroundings on brain function

The brain becomes used to actions that are repeated regularly. It can make us feel stuck, like we’re walking along a familiar path but can’t find the right solution.

When we engage in unfamiliar actions or find ourselves in new places, we start having unusual thoughts and ideas. Changing our surroundings has a significant impact on our brain’s function.

It creates new connections between our brain cells and brings about exciting ideas. For instance, the idea for this series of posts unexpectedly came to me during a vacation I took alone. Exploring new locations, grabbing new routes, and meeting new people sparked a constant flow of fantastic ideas.

However, traveling far from home is optional to have the same experience. There’s a much simpler way to achieve it.

Giving Yourself a Whole Day and Try Something New!

Here’s an incredibly effective exercise: Give yourself a whole day! Leave your phone at home, take a notebook and a pen, and stroll around the city, intentionally choosing unfamiliar routes.

Listen to your desires and inner voice. Engage in activities that you feel like doing at that particular moment. Try to avoid dwelling on current affairs and problems.

Focus on your plans, goals, and genuine desires. Allow yourself to dream big! And clear your mind from unnecessary information. When I first heard about this exercise, I had doubts.

How could I be disconnected all day? What if urgent matters and questions arise that demand my attention? But I decided to try it out and haven’t regretted it! I keep revisiting the thoughts and ideas that emerged during that day, jotted down in my notebook, and each time, they fuel my motivation to move forward!

By doing things you haven’t done before, you will undoubtedly find a way out of any situation, not just in business.

Assignment 11. CAUTION: This exercise is a must! Give yourself the gift of a day and Try Something New!

Date:

– Think Outside the Box and Try Something New

New Places:

– Think Outside the Box and Try Something New

Thoughts, ideas, goals, plans:

– Think Outside the Box and Try Something New