Creative Avoidance

The term “Creative Avoidance” has always intrigued me. Many of us indulge in creative avoidance without realizing how much we short change ourselves by doing so. However, there are times when we use this to our advantage, and it can be a very useful tool.  In order to know the difference between the positive version of this concept and the negative, we must examine our outcomes and be as objective as possible.

To put it simply, many of us are going through motions that are not necessarily getting us to where we want to be. Knowing this, you would think that most people would change their current routine, figure out why they aren’t getting the desired result, and adapt accordingly. However, most people continue on with their routine and don’t change anything.  For example, many people spend years going to the gym doing the same routine over and over, whether it works for them or not.  Why would someone continue to spin their wheels without anything in particular to show for it?

Many of us are working for the sake of work. Active, but not productive.  Over scheduled, but financially distraught. What do each of the previous phrases have in common? They all revolve around working hard, but not necessarily working smart.

Where did we learn to do this? More importantly, why don’t more people question where they picked up these concepts? The world is changing much faster than it ever has. Things are connecting and evolving at lighting speed, yet many of us are going through motions that are completely ineffective. In addition, we follow the models that in most cases, don’t work anymore. A good example is the model of graduating high school, getting a college degree, landing a job, working for 30 or so  years in a company, retiring, and living happily ever after. To some of you it may sound crazy to think that way, but you’d be surprised at how many people are still raising their kids to do just that. I’m sure there are still cases where that model works, but it’s much less common than it used to be. I’ve referred in past blogs to musicians I know who are still trying to get a “Record Deal” when there are barely any record companies left. At the core of this we are all resiting change, but change is inevitable. If we close our eyes and continue the same routine, somehow we feel more in control, even if it’s not working.

On the flip side of this, avoiding things creatively can be a valuable tool if used correctly. The most successful people I know are incredibly focused on solving problems despite the amount of stress they have in their home life, financially, etc. They simply would not be able to continue being productive if they were allowing themselves to engage in how many things are actually happening in their lives. However, this often creates a sense of urgency to actually SOLVE the problem instead of going through motions or working for the sake of working. The sense of balance this creates in many cases seems to snowball, and they are able to take on and solve even more problems successfully. These people are very focused on the bottom line and are able to differentiate between positively avoiding something and being in denial. This is a positive way of using creative avoidance to their advantage.

Getting ready for the sake of getting ready gets you nothing. It’s not until you actually solve something that you become keenly aware of how much time you’ve wasted.