Create Space summary

Staying open to learning goes hand in hand with having space to think. While reflection is often a way of learning about yourself, you also need to create space for learning by adopting the right mind-set, one that is receptive to growth and development.

Generally speaking, everyone has one of two mind-sets – either a fixed mind-set, where you believe learning stops at some point since the brain can only hold a fixed amount of information, or a growth mind-set, where you believe you can always learn more. The fixed mind-set, though, has been scientifically debunked. Neuroscientist Dr. Michael Merzenich has shown that our brains are all “soft-wired” and capable of neuroplasticity. In other words, your brain is always changing based on the input you provide it.

The second kind of space that’s necessary for success is space to connect. This is extremely helpful in building stronger relationships, of course. But forging such relationships won’t be possible until you establish a quality connection with yourself.

Like creating a space to reflect, creating a space to connect with yourself is about looking within; this time, however, it’s about checking in to see what’s going on in both your body and your mind.

Along with connecting to your own emotions, it’s important to connect with others. To do that, you need to create space for sharing and relating. This will allow you to build strong teams and meaningful relationships with everyone in your life.

The author worked with a team that was routinely missing its targets for a global beverage company. The team leader, Beata, was cheerful and confident, but the team’s CPB soon became clear: they felt they always had to be nice in order to work well together. As a result, problems, concerns, mistakes and conflicts were kept quiet and left to fester, hurting the team’s ability to grow, develop and perform at its best.

Some people find it exciting to be spontaneous, but when it comes to being productive, the first thing to consider is planning.

If you don’t plan, you could end up like Red Technologies. Red was led by two brothers, Tom and Darren. Tom was the tech geek, while the charismatic Darren handled the business side of things. The company got off to a strong start but became messier and less coherent as it grew.

A lot is written about how distracted most people are these days. Studies show that CEOs only get around 28 minutes per day of uninterrupted work time and that the average worker has an eight-second attention span!

What’s more, for every interruption, it takes ten minutes to return to your previous level of concentration. Clearly, distractions eat away at your space to deliver, so it’s crucial that you avoid them. But that is easier said than done.

Next up is a rather unique space: the space to lead.

It’s unique because it involves what is known as “the third space,” which is created when two people attempt to work together.

When you were in school, what did you love to do? Are you still doing those things now?

If not, what happened? Asking yourself these questions is a big step toward creating space to be.

The last space to be explored is the space to grow, which is about setting yourself up for your ideal future. Like many of the other areas, this space can be made by taking an honest look within and being open to some unpleasant realities.

Growth, like life, is full of difficult choices. And choosing one thing always means saying no to something else. This is called an “opportunity cost,” and being aware of such costs is a vital part of creating room to grow.