Story: Try Something Different

Are you thinking creatively enough?

I’m sitting in a quiet room at the Milcroft Inn, and I’m listening to the desperate
sounds of a life-or-death struggle going on a few feet away. There’s a small fly
burning out the last of its short life’s energies in a futile attempt to fly through
the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant story of the
fly’s strategy: Try harder. But it’s not working.

The frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of
the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking
through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has staked its life on reaching
its goal through raw effort and determination. This fly is doomed.

Across the room, ten steps away, the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time
and this small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a
fraction of the effort, it could be free of this self-imposed trap. The
breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.

Why doesn’t the fly try another approach, something dramatically different?
What logic is there in continuing until death to seek a breakthrough with more
of the same?

Trying harder isn’t necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer
any real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, in fact, it’s
a big part of the problem. If you stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying
harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.

Price Pritchett, Chicken Soup For The Soul, 1993