Creativity is important to success. I firmly believe that creativity is a firm indicator of intelligence.
If you think of all the famous people throughout history who were known for their intelligence, you will often find that they were creative people as well. Here is a great article by Forbes on the creative genius of Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was known for his tenacity (as I will discuss in a bit) but he was also someone who did not follow the herd when it came to innovative technological tools. Jobs' creativity allowed him to think about technology in a different way, in comparison to his corporate competitors. I'm old enough to remember Apple prior to the invention of the iPod. Apple as a company was viewed as a personal computer manufacturer that was very much in decline (sans Jobs) in those days.
Many times creativity is something which is discussed in very limited terms, such as technology or various artistic mediums. However, anyone in any career field of endeavor can be creative. The most creative person I ever met was a police officer who was incredibly creative in responding to various crises and developing solutions. This man's creativity was endless and I believe he would have been successful in any field he would have chosen.
Perseverance rounds out this powerful triumvirate. Perseverance is that tenacity to hold fast, no matter what obstacles may come. When taking on a chosen goal or challenge, one is going to come up against obstacles, roadblocks if you will. Creativity will get you past some of these roadblocks but I have met people who simply lose faith and crumple after overcoming a few obstacles or come across a seemly impossible barrier to their goal(s). As a counselor, if I get people like this to get in touch with their inner resources and reinvigorate their personal determination, they can then continue to move past these roadblocks. We all feel like giving up sometimes, getting in touch with your ability to persevere will get you through these dark times.
One technique, that I discussed in a previous blog is writing your own personal manifesto, reading this during those times you want to give up may help you to continue to persevere. I also find practicing a martial art helps increase this ability in myself. Finally, I really like this quote by the actress Julie Andrews on perseverance. As an actress, I can't think of any other profession, except maybe writer, where perseverance is needed the most to succeed.
If you can actively cultivate these three keys to success: curiosity, creativity, and perseverance, there is nothing that you cannot succeed in...now get to work!
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