One suggestion is to think about how you're thinking right now. What mode - Innovator, Dreamer (hatching ideas but not serious about taking action), Sustainer (status quo-oriented) or Defeatist?

Whenever I speak to groups, I find people get excited about a simple technique called "Obligation or Opportunity?" All you need to do is write these words on a Post-it Note and put that note on your computer monitor, or on the dashboard of your car.

As you

 think about the task at hand, coax yourself to shift modes and think about the opportunity that might be born if only you are open to seeing it and seizing it! It's important to realize that innovation is not what you do after you get your work done, it's how you approach your work day to day, minute to minute.

So: if you happen to be feeling a bit ho hum right now, or overwhelmed with all the

piles of work, take a step back. Invite yourself to think of 10 things in your life that you feel really good about, that are working right now. And after you've gotten to #10, stop and notice how your thinking has changed just by drumming up that list! That's how you become more innovative, starting right now!

Andrew Haley is a world champion and Paralympic swimmer who now  inspires audiences as a talented public speaker. From his opening statement, "believing is the first step in doing," Andrew Haley makes you realize that anything is possible. He delivers an emotionally gripping speech sure to make any audience realize dreams are achieved through sheer determination and making the best of what one has.

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