Before I jump into today’s topic, I’d like to acknowledge the devastating fires in Los Angeles, where so many of our readers call home. Be safe, and know that you are in my thoughts and prayers during this very difficult and challenging time.

Let’s go back in time for just a moment, to the year 1954. A major new report in Life magazine shocked readers with the news that literacy rates were falling among school children. One culprit, the author of the article contended, was the unimaginative books young readers were given in school.

This prompted William Spaulding, the director of the education division at the publishing house Houghton Mifflin, to challenge his friend Theodore Geisel, a very imaginative cartoonist and children’s author, to write a story that first-graders couldn’t put down. Spaulding gave Geisel a short list of words (somewhere between 200 and 400, depending on who you ask) he could use when constructing his story.

Geisel was apparently so frustrated with the limitations of the list that he decided he’d just pick the first two words that rhymed and build the story around that. Those words were “cat” and “hat.”

The Cat in the Hat, published under Geisel’s pseudonym, Dr. Seuss, is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. It also led to the creation of a whole genre of children’s reading books.

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Constraints = Creativity

What I love about this story is it illustrates a key concept about our creativity: constraints don’t simply limit us, they actually help us to think bigger.

How many times have you sat down to solve a problem, and you think having a blank slate would be helpful — yet hours go by and you’ve accomplished nothing?

It’s counterintuitive, but so very common. When we feel like anything can happen, more often than not, we freeze up rather than soar.

So the next time you’re confronted with a creative problem to solve, whether it’s writing a poem or planning a weekend on a budget, try throwing some constraints in there. 

For example: 

I will complete my poem in under 15 minutes.

I won’t spend more than $20 this whole weekend.

My slide deck at work won’t contain a single word.

Tonight, I’m only going to watch movies made outside the U.S.

You’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish.

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Host of the On Purpose Podcast
Creator of the Jay Shetty Certification School

Community Challenge

Last week, I asked you to break down your goals for the year into small steps using the 1-4-3-1 Method, and to share with me the first step you’d take to achieve that goal. Let me tell you, these responses were so motivating. I believe all of you are going to reach the big things you’re striving for!

Reader Enrico committed to build a new webpage, and committed to having the full layout ready this week.

Reader Lakhwir committed to reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. An excellent step on the path towards whatever goals anybody has.

Reader Frances committed to several nutrition courses to get a Nutritional Therapist Practitioner certification. Amazing!

I love how many of you committed to learning. It’s so inspiring to not just me, but all of us. Keep going.

This week, my challenge is to throw a constraint on a creative task you have in your life, and then tell me how it goes. I can’t wait to hear what you came up with.

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