“Thinking outside the box” is easier than you think!
Everyone’s heard the phrase “thinking outside the box.” But what does that mean exactly?
Here is Merriam-Webster’s definition: to explore ideas that are creative and unusual and not limited or controlled by rules or tradition
The ability to come up with unusual solutions to problems is a valuable tool for business owners. But it does require a little extra thinking. It is SO much easier (and faster) to do things the same way … every single time. But that also leads us into ruts that are much harder to climb out of down the road.
Here are 7 suggestions for “thinking outside the box” you might want to try:
STUDY ANOTHER INDUSTRY. Pick up a trade magazine in an industry you’re not familiar with, and see how those industries tackle issues you may be dealing with yourself.
TAKE A CLASS. Learning something new can help you see things in the rest of your life in a whole new light, making it easier to “step back” and see different possible solutions for an ongoing problem.
READ A BOOK IN AN UNFAMILIAR GENRE. If romance novels are what you usually prefer, try reading a biography for a change. Or if historical nonfiction is your thing, try reading a children’s book instead. Our brains crave variety, and reading something different often helps us see things in our everyday life in a whole new light.
WRITE A POEM. Poetry (whether reading or writing it) uses both sides of our brain. When the left side (where logic lives) combines with the right side (creativity), our brain often sees things from a different perspective. As a result, nagging problems suddenly seem much easier to solve!
DRAW A PICTURE. Drawing is even more “right-brained” than writing poetry. Drawing is a great way to stir our creative juices … and helps us look at problems from a new perspective.
DRIVE (OR WALK) A DIFFERENT ROUTE. Taking different routes while running errands is something I often do. This is an easy way for each of us to get our “creative juices” flowing again.
WORK BACKWARD. This is another way to “jolt” our brain into thinking a little differently. One way to do this is to think of a goal. Then, think back through the steps you need to take in order to REACH that goal.
Hopefully, at least one or two of these suggestions will give you some ideas on how you can “jump-start” your OWN creativity!
