A book I’ve enjoyed reading recently is Paul Lemberg’s “Be Unreasonable,” published last year by McGraw-Hill. It seems especially appropriate for writers. Here are some of Lemberg’s key points:
• Act on the possibility of things. Being unreasonable is about acting on the possibility of great things without worrying about the probability of success.
• You know what you should be doing. So do it. You don’t need more gurus and pundits to tell you what to do. Take action.
• Often the most transformative ideas come spontaneously and unbidden. Then, reasonable thinking kills them. Don’t let it do that.
• You don’t have to do something just because someone says you should. Ask, “Why should I?” whenever the conversation turns to shoulds and shouldn’ts. Should is the road to mediocrity. “Why should I?” is the first step toward majesty.
• While people believe that systems are the death knell for creativity, the opposite is true. Systemized companies standardize the routine, relieving people’s minds of trying to figure it out each and every day. Instead of focusing on the commonplace, people’s minds are free to consider the extraordinary. Creativity soars.
If these ideas speak to you, check out the whole book.
