Here’s a weird little admission of mine…  Sometimes I wear other people’s shoes to remind myself to think from their perspective.  Don’t worry, I’m not the creepy guy who secretly tries on your shoes while you’re not looking.  The shoes I occasionally step into were gifts from my brother Nick.  Specifically, they’re shoes that were worn in professional sporting events – a pair of Najeh Davenport’s Packers turf shoes and a pair of Jonathan Lucroy Brewers cleats.

Once in a while when I get stuck on something I’ll close the door of my office and slip one of these pairs on.  It’s my mental cue to think from someone else’s perspective and try to understand how they might be viewing the world.  It’s amazing how differently I can see an issue, challenge, solution, or idea when I take myself out of the equation!  Attaining a little bit of distance, no matter how much of a mental trick it is, has been very helpful.

While I may look like a dork walking in my office with a pair of baseball cleats on I know it helps my brain slip out of its normal thought patterns and gives me a different set of holes to look through in the shadowbox of life.  For that change in perspective, I am very thankful.

Thanks!!!