Meet the New Year with Both Eyes Open!

We live in a fast changing world and there’s little room for the Luddite in today’s business world. However, it’s so easy to slip behind and fail to recognise that you’re slipping behind.

Here Robert Ashton suggests ten ways for you to make sure you keep up with all the new things that the new year will present.

Buy a notebook. Jot down the things that catch your eye, when they catch your eye. Keep it with you 24/7. Don’t forget.
Surf the net. Make sure you know how best to use search engines. The internet gives you access to more knowledge and opinion that you could ever need. Learn how to be selective and check out the things that matter most.
Open your eyes. We are surrounded by an ever changing world. Make sure you notice and think about what you see. We are programmed to spot what’s different and not what’s the same. Don’t override that instinct; explore!
Network. Talking to new people stimulates your mind and introduces new ideas. Try to hear those leading in your field. Don’t baulk at the cost of those conferences and presentations. Consider them an investment.
Change your route. Driving the same road to work every day becomes automatic. Take a new route and see what’s round the corner. Make a point of visiting places you have no need to visit. See what others see.
Listen to kids. Children have refreshingly open minds. Listen to what they say and ask them why. Be prepared to be surprised and never dismiss their ideas. Sometimes, it takes someone unhindered by expert knowledge to state the obvious.
Leave the rut. You might be comfortable where you are, but the chances are things won’t stay the same for too long. Nine times out of ten, if you don’t climb out of your rut, someone will come along and fill it in!
Switch off TV. Think for yourself and avoid the trap of watching, rather than living life. Variety is the spice of life; taste it!
Read contemporary fiction. Uninhibited by academia and focused on raw emotion, good fiction will introduce you to new views of existing issues. A good author will make you think.
Chase contrast. Your most reflective moments will come when doing things that bear no relation to your work. Seek out opportunities to do things that contrast completely with your everyday life. Volunteer for something odd!

Robert Ashton is an entrepreneur and business author. www.robertashton.co.uk