Originally published on Linkedin 26/01/2023
What do you get when you mix an audio book version of scifi novel from 1930, with BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, with black and white photography of sculptures in former Yugoslavia, with Tilda Swinton?
You get Last and First Men, a one of a kind, unique piece of storytelling.
Is this article about this movie? no, but then again yes it is.
Should you follow the path laid before you?
Processes, best practices, templates etc are all excellent tools.
Want to fiddle with the sign up process? You better know what the commonly accepted pattern is otherwise your customers may have no idea how to sign up any longer.
But if everything, all the time follow the path laid before you by others, won't we end up all looking the same? Will we ever evolve?
This is why we sometimes talk about lateral thinking - The technique of forcing us off the beaten path before us and explore other, less obvious solutions.
What does this have to do with that "Last and First Men" film?
I think we follow the path before us because it feels familiar and safe. Processes and best practices are not the blocker, our mind is.
I suggest forcing ourselves to do things, experience things, read, see, hear things we would normally never pic up, will do exactly this.
Watching the "Last and First Men" film was like an active, awake meditation session for me. I walk away with so many ideas and so much energy to do "stuff".
It felt like my brain was rebooted.
How to reboot your brain
It is simple. Do something else than you would do at some point during tomorrow.
Does it have to be something as obscure as watching "Last and First Men"? No (although I can recommend it).
But when was the last time you went for a walk after dinner? When was the last time you watch a romantic comedy? when was the last time you sat down and drew or wrote or played that dusty guitar in the corner?
Or if you want to take it one step further: What have you not done yet that you could do, want to do?
Let me know how it goes.
