You're already feeling overwhelmed by all the inspiration quotes flooding your feed. And yet, somewhere deep down, you do feel like maybe, yeah, it is time for a change. You just have no idea what that change actually looks like.
Amen, friend. But how? And what?
Here's the thing: clarity about what needs to change doesn't usually come from external motivation or pressure. It comes from getting curious about yourself, paying attention to what actually excites you, and giving your brain permission to explore new patterns and possibilities. If you want to change something up but have no clue exactly what, here are four tried and true ways to get your creative thinking juices flowing and unlock the insights hiding beneath the surface.
Method #1: Get Out of Your Rut with Constraints and Scenery Changes
Everything from journaling five minutes in the morning to deciding to ditch the car and ride your bike to work for a month counts. Sometimes making any change in your daily routine opens you up to new thoughts and insights.
But here's the paradox: putting constraints on yourself actually makes you more creative, not less. It sounds strange, but limitations and boundaries force you to think about old things in completely new ways. Constraints create a problem-solving scenario and produce novelty by making you think differently.
Try limiting resources, time, or even your usual tools. If you always type your ideas, bust out a number-two pencil instead. The point isn't deprivation; it's inspiration. Think about Shakespeare's sonnets. They’re all about strict rules, strict structure, yet some of his most creative works emerged from those very constraints. What he did with those limitations? Wowza.
You can also create a literal change of scenery. Move your chair, go outside for a coffee, find a new meeting room, or take a walk. Take a new route to your coffee joint and check out storefronts or people's shoes. Observe your world in a way you haven't before. Even if actual movement isn't possible, change your screensaver, update your desktop, or put up a postcard of somewhere you dream about visiting. The visual inspirations you find can be genuinely game-changing.
Or try a change of scenery for your mind. Download a meditation app or grab a free guided one off of YouTube, find a quiet space, and meditate for just ten minutes. A shift in your mental landscape can have real, tangible impact on how you approach problems and see possibilities.
Method #2: Start an Inspiration Book and Look for Patterns
In my work with clients, there's one consistent exercise I have everyone do, no matter what outcome we're working toward. I ask them to keep an "Inspiration Book."
This can be an actual journal, a file on your phone, a Pinterest board, or even notes in your iPhone, the format doesn't matter. What matters is that you pay attention to what you're paying attention to.
Here's what you do: when you're out in the world and you see a piece of art, hear a song, come across interesting architecture, find a fascinating news article, or discover an amazing pair of shoes, write it down. Even if it seems tangential to "career development", clipping a recipe, learning about a new ingredient, taking a deep dive into your family history, these seemingly random clues offer insights in ways nothing else can.
Many clients are initially unsure how this helps. I give them no parameters. I simply ask them to pay attention and collect what catches their attention. The magic happens when you step back and look for patterns.
Here's what I've discovered working with hundreds of clients: patterns emerge that they had absolutely no awareness of.
One client worked in theoreticals all day long, but their inspiration book was filled to the brim with items that could only be created by human hands: mastercraft, handmade objects, skilled work. This client had a long, mostly suppressed desire to work with their hands. It came as a complete surprise-slash-complete no-brainer that they needed a career change to something where they could create physical objects.
Another client spent all day creating art, but what kept drawing their attention were things that were systematized, organized, and operational. She realized she no longer wanted to create art as a means to money. She wanted to do something lateral around art that included managing operations at a higher level. She evolved from "Creator" to "Operator" and discovered she enjoyed the business of art more than the creating of it.
Do this for one week to three months. Don't let it drag on forever. The key isn't just collecting; it's pulling out the patterns and allowing your brain to see what your subconscious already knows.
Method #3: Activate Your Creativity Through Constraints and Challenges
Even in the best of times, most jobs can feel automatic. If you're finding yourself feeling unengaged, on autopilot, and uninspired, there are creative ways to add energy back into your work.
One powerful method: brainstorm alternatives. You know those reports you run daily with one hand tied behind your back? Is there another way to do them? To make them more interesting to you at least? Brainstorm five different ways to complete your regular tasks. Even if you never implement them, the act of brainstorming alone kicks your brain into creative mode.
Set a daily creative challenge unrelated to your current work but possible during your workday. A seemingly small creative task can get your brain into a thoughtful, creative space (especially if it's miles away from your daily grind). Treat it as meditation, not goofing off.
Try 365 Post-it doodles. Write a haiku a day for a month. Create a new creative Pinterest board each day. Take a micro-class on daily creative project ideas. The goal is simply to get creative with your job, not just on your job.
You can also invoke the principle of asking "What would they do?" Choose someone who inspires you: Frida Kahlo, Jane Maise, Queen Bey, Ava DuVernay, or in my case, Dolly Parton (I just assume she has a way of getting things done with a rhinestone glue gun!).
Display a postcard of your idol on your desk, keep a copy of that groundbreaking book by your favorite artist nearby, or post a print of your favorite photograph. Make a little shrine to the creativity deity of your choice. When you're feeling uninspired, ask yourself: "What would [your inspiration] do?" It's a surprisingly effective reframe.
You can also investigate the creativity of others. Follow podcasts, daily stories, cultural features, or images. Let the creativity of others help you look at yours in a new way. Or take a deep dive into someone completely outside your field. Are you a copywriter? Research a scientist whose work you've never explored. Get out of your creativity comfort zone.
Method #4: Reflect and Do Your Own Thing
It's time to look back at decisions you've made and actions you've put into play. Poke around at dreams you left by the wayside and goals you never made happen because life got in the way. Get really creative with both the data and your analysis of it. Focus not just on facts, but on your feelings about how things went down.
But here's the crucial part: do your own thing.
As long as you don't hurt anyone, go ahead and break some rules and expectations. Does your work crew always eat sad salads on Zoom together? Go for a walk and grab those amazing tacos from that tiny joint on Third Street. Eat them without judgment and enjoy that walk back.
Do you and your partner have a typical weeknight routine? Break out of your norm for one night and do something you'd normally only do on a weekend. Have you always wanted to try cosplay but never have because someone told you it was nerdy? Slap on that wig, grab your superhero outfit, and get that ticket to Comic-Con.
Do something that truly makes you happy, no matter what other people might think. Disregard judging eyes and you may just find the thing in your life that needs changing.
The Real Power of Exploration
After you've done the post-mortem of the past, move forward with some innovative ideas on what changes you can make to create a new future.
Maybe after all this creative exploration, just the act of letting your brain run wild is all you need. Maybe not. Maybe you found something you're genuinely excited to jump into and start changing. There is no "right" outcome. You do you.
But here's what often happens: as you start paying attention to your patterns, breaking your routine, getting creative, and doing what actually makes you happy, something becomes crystal clear. You start to see that what really needs to change isn't just a habit or a daily routine.
It's your work itself.
If Your Clarity Points to Career Change
If after doing a few of these exercises you realize what needs to change is what you do each and every day, then you're ready for the deeper work. You're ready to align your work with your actual values, clear your limiting beliefs about what's possible, and chart a new path forward.
When you create space for inspiration and start paying attention to what genuinely excites you, career insights often follow. You begin to see the patterns in what you're drawn to. You start recognizing what your subconscious has been trying to tell you all along.
That moment of clarity (when you realize something fundamental needs to shift) is powerful. And it usually doesn't come from external motivation or New Year's resolutions. It comes from getting curious, giving yourself permission to explore, and honestly looking at what makes you come alive.
So start with these four methods. Get out of your rut. Keep an inspiration book. Activate your creativity. Reflect and do your own thing.
See where it leads you. Your next change might be closer than you think.
Yours in ‘you got this’ goodness,
EBS
P.S. Yes, napping counts as doing a "new thing." Sometimes rest and permission to do nothing are exactly what your brain needs to process and create clarity.
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EB Sanders
Career Coach for Creative Types
My Website | Free Stuff | Pinterest
Helping you figure out what you want to do and how to do it your way!