Personal Creative Destruction

Feeling like you're going nowhere, like you're not getting a whole lot accomplished in life? If you are, then please keep reading. If not, then please keep reading anyway because it happens to all of us at some point or another.

I think we've all had that feeling where it's as if our lives are not progressing and we continually live the same routine each day. This is normal, don't worry. We often hear the adage "well, do something about it." Rarely do we know what that something is and consequently we do nothing.

I learned something last week in my Global Marketing Strategy class (yes, it sounds boring but it’s quite interesting) that I feel can be that 'something' we all should do when we experience the doldrums of life. Now I realize that the business world has recently become that sleazy sector of society filled with the Bernie Madoffs and Enrons of the world but the fundamentals of business can be very applicable to our personal lives.


This 'something' I'm referring to is a strategy in marketing known as 'creative destruction.' In a business sense, the idea is that a company uses what it's really good at (its core competency) to create new products and developments that will ultimately destroy its former products. Let me illustrate with an example from the business world and then I'll apply it to our lives. (Stay with me, I promise there's a point)


Apple Inc.'s core competency has been computers. It does a really good job at making computers and computer systems. The computer industry skyrocketed in the 90's and began to mildly plateau near the end of that decade. Apple Inc. was going through the same routine of making the same computers and innovating new models of the computer. It discovered that if it didn't innovate dramatically then the future could be grim, they could end up in a rut. So to solve this problem Apple examined its strengths (computers) and found that it could use that know-how to develop a small portable computer-like device that could hold thousands of mp3s. The iPod was then born. Now, most people know Apple as the company that makes the iPod not necessarily a computer company. They effectively created a product that could destroy what used to be their main source of income.


Now, each of us has strengths or personal core competencies. Examine them. You may be a great communicator, a good listener, an amazing artist, or an excellent athlete. We each have experiences that depress us or bog us down. Examine those. You may hate your job, you may be unhappy as a single person, you may dislike your major, or you may find no satisfaction in your day to day routine. Personal 'creative destruction' involves taking your strengths and with them eliminating your unpleasant situations. You like to paint but you work at a desk, quit and do something you enjoy. You hate being single but are great at communicating, use your skills to do something social, even if it means taking a risk. You dislike your major but are a great athlete, drop out and go into sports.

Now of course I'm exaggerating the examples above a bit but hopefully you understand the point. We each can change our situations because we each have something we're good at. We don't need to take life lying down. ‘Creatively destroy’ your life. Yes that may mean making big changes but I can promise that you’ll be better off in the long run.