Daily Inspiration: “New levels of disruptive change might result in some innovation deprivation. Stay imaginative in order to acclimatize to your new surroundings!”

“New levels of disruptive change might result in some innovation deprivation. Stay imaginative in order to acclimatize to your new surroundings!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

We’re up in the mountains for a few days between speaking gigs – the next one is down in Denver. Today, we’re at 8,200 feet, but will go out and do a little bit of hiking around the 10,000 foot level.

Some people won’t do well with this elevation change – just as some don’t do well with disruptive business and personal change.

Why is that? Every tourist booklet and information pamphlet in the region will tell you about altitude sickness – what it is, how to watch for it, how to prevent it, what to do about it.

I’m in relatively good shape for my age, working out on a regular basis, and so I don’t really feel much from this elevation change.

The key is to drink *lots* of water and stay hydrated – I’ve been guzzling since yesterday. Moderate behaviour is also key : the worst stories come from people who head to ski country in elevation, party hard, consume all kinds alcohol (not water), and end up finding their ski vacation ruined as the result of a minor or major bout of altitude sickness.

And so with the challenges that comes with a change in altitude, there’s an innovation story! I started thinking about the relationship while on a short hike yesterday. In fact, there is an innovation story with almost everything!

Hence, today’s quote!

In the same way that you need to acclimatize to your new elevation in order to avoid ill effects, you need to do the same thing to deal with the new and challenging business or personal circumstances that you might find yourself in.

You need to drink regularly from the fountain of your imagination in order to keep those ideas coming. You need to make sure to not rush into a lot of activities, but prepare by taking a bit of time to adjust.

Altitude sickness can be real for some people who don’t understand it and manage it. So too can the sickness of disruptive destruction, if you don’t do the same thing!