In 2018, I discovered an amazing book by Todd Henry titled “The Accidental Creative”. Since then, I have become a great fan of his work. His books and talks have truly transformed me, both in life and at work. In this book, I learned about the concept of “Purposeful Experience”, which I have been practicing constantly. This practice has significantly changed how I construct experiences, analyze outcomes, and apply them to my own work.
Here is an excerpt from Chapter 7: Experience – Exploring Your World; the term “Purposeful Experience” is explained which I believe that every Product Manager, whether new or experienced, can rely upon:
“With all this emphasis on study and reflection, you don’t want to neglect actual experiences. You absorb much of your understanding of the world through sensory interaction and experimentation. To ignore this would be to cut yourself off from the most significant source of inspiration. You need to regularly seek experiences that will enlighten you, help you see the world in new ways, and open you to new ways of thinking.
The purpose of integrating purposeful experiences into our lives is to grow the reservoir from which we draw insights. Much has been written on this subject over time, but common sense is not always common practice. Some of the most helpful elements of our creative process may seem like common sense, but we must avoid the tragic mistake of dismissing them simply because they are obvious.
Question: What experience will you structure into your life this week to stretch your thinking and challenge your perspective?“
Since I learned of this term, I consciously schedule experiences that take me out of my normal routine to view the world through a different lens. Initially, it felt awkward; that uncomfortable feeling of being a newbie or noob. It is important to note that this practice does not need to occur every day; it just needs to be periodic (e.g., once a month, once a quarter). Choose whatever frequency you need to step out of your comfort zone.
Most importantly, this habit will provide you with perspectives that you would never gain if you remained within your own space. You can start with simple tasks, such as:
- Enroll in an event to meet new people.
- Visit a place you have never been before.
- Or as simple as, take a different path to work.
As you progress further, you can become more imaginative. For example, if you are a logical programmer and you feel you need to immerse in creativity. Just for a single day, imagine you are a young artist – let your imagination run wild, visit art galleries, and create a piece of art. It can be as random as that but there must be a purpose-in-mind.
The next steps are crucial after you have gone through the exercise of “Purposeful Experience.”
- Take notes or even make a voice recording of your emotions and thoughts during the experience.
- The next day, reflect on your notes. Read and recall what happened during that experiential journey.
- Lastly, identify a key learning that you can pick up on incorporate in your daily routines, work or write about it.
A personal experience of mine, is the creation of this blog. I was never one who could freely express myself and my thoughts – limited braincells. Therefore I started following blog writers and leaders who write, learnt how to create a website from scratch and keep publishing articles to sharpen my writing skills. Although I don’t earn from my blog posts, but now before I put up a powerpoint slide – I write and dump down my thoughts before making it visually impactful. This is a system that allows me to structure my thinking before speaking and it has helped my career tremendously.
There will be times when there is nothing to work on, but every time I go through these experential journeys, it magically expands my horizons. I always find something new to learn to apply across my daily life or work. If you want to excel at what you do, I recommend incorporating this practice into your schedule. You will begin to collect colorful stories to share with others.