Procrastinating online again? Don't worry. New research suggests that, while it's impossible to completely erase bad habits, creating other, more productive habits is easier than you may think — and doing so can lead to new levels of creativity and innovation.

"Brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks," according to a recent story in The New York Times.

The trick to establishing those "new, innovative tracks," according to Dawna Markova, author of "The Open Mind," is a willingness to embrace new ideas, especially when you are in a position of authority or leadership.

"A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities," Markova says.

Markova and her business partner MJ Ryan, author of "This Year I Will..." (and a contributor to SAF's The Power of Giving Flowers PR Campaign), argue many executives surround themselves "with like-thinkers," an action that can diminish a company's "intellectual diversity" and an owner's ability to see (or be introduced to) outside ideas. And to illustrate just how easily a person's brain grows accustomed to a particular way of doing something, Markova suggests: "Try lacing your hands together. You habitually do it one way. Now try doing it with the other thumb on top. Feels awkward, doesn't it? That's the valuable moment we call confusion, when we fuse the old with the new."

If you've recently picked up a new, productive habit or kicked a bad one, E-brief editors want to hear your story. E-mail kpenn@safnow.org with your ideas.

--Mary Westbrook
mwestbrook@safnow.org

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