Think Outside

“Think Outside (No Box Required).”

The suggestion is hand-painted on a small wooden sign that sits humbly beneath a tree in my neighborhood, surrounded and nearly hidden by frothy green plants.

I saw the sign and thought, “Aha! Yes. There. Is. No. Box.”

(In fact, maybe the phrase, “think outside the box” makes us believe we’re stuck in a box, when actually, maybe we’re not.)

Seeing this overused phrase turned on its head made me think about how we think. How we sometimes don’t even realize that we’re limiting the countless ways we could tell our story, or a brand story.

In a brainstorm, when someone asks the brainstormers to “think outside the box,” it’s usually intended as encouragement to look at things in a new way. That intention is positive, and can actually lead to the sparks of terrific new ideas.

In a 1:1 meeting, when a frustrated manager is groaning at a team member’s apparent adhesion to the status quo, though, the directive, “think outside the box” can make someone question their own ideas. The manager’s choice of tone and inflection can mean the difference between a motivated team member and a dejected one.

What I really like about the saying I saw on the little white sign under a tree in my neighborhood is the notion that all the boundaries we’re told are keeping us stuck, aren’t really even there.

That’s beyond encouraging — it’s potentially life-changing. Imagine approaching your next brainstorm with the belief that you are fully in touch with your creativity, instead of being told you’re trapped in an enclosed mindset.

Numerous psychologists and business leaders are credited with a similar perspective, along the lines of “Don’t think outside the box…think like there is no box.” Indeed.

The little white sign, of course, goes further, with another, perhaps larger intention that isn’t necessarily about us or our brains our our mindsets. It’s a reminder to consider - and maybe also to cherish - nature. The outdoors. The freshness of it, the abundance.

I’ve always drawn deeply restorative energy from being in nature, and in the past year, it’s become clear that this is a universal experience.

When brands can genuinely incorporate nature into their experiences and the way they tell their brand stories, people will tune in. They will immediately connect, emotionally and powerfully. And just like in nature herself, the possibilities are endless.

It’s time to forget the box and just be outside.