Two Principles of Creative Thinking
Creativity is a potential power you are born with. If you
don't use that power fully, it is probably because you don't
know or apply the simple principles for developing it. You can
remedy that situation right now, if you like.
1. There are methods and techniques for thinking creatively.
2. When you make these methods and techniques a part of your
mental habits, creative thinking is easy and automatic.
Entrepreneurs see the potential profit in a situation, because
their minds are trained for that. Lawyers see the potential problems,
because that is how their minds are trained. The ways in which
you repeatedly think become habit, and that's how you train your
mind. If you learn the techniques of creative thinking, use them
until they are a habit, then creative thinking will be as natural
for you as lying is for a politician.
Techniques for Creative Thinking
You can learn dozens of creative problem solving techniques.
"Concept-combination," might have you mixing roses
and clocks to create the first alarm clock that wakes you up
with a gentle release of fragrance. The technique of "random-presentation"
and a cell phone can give the idea to do your dictation with
a pocket tape recorder while walking, so you'll have time for
exercise and get your work done.
Creative thinking goes beyond solving specific problems or
inventing things. Truly creative minds are always coming up with
the questions too, not just the solutions. If you want to be
more creative all the time, focus on three things:
1. Challenge assumptions. What if restaurants didn't
have employees? Visitors pay a machine as they enter, feed themselves
at a buffet, and everything is as automated as possible, so one
owner-operator could run a large restaurant alone. Challenge
all you assumptions for practice. Do you really have to go to
work? Do swimming pools need water? Can education be a bad thing?
2. Change perspective. A dog's thoughts about your
busyness could clue you in to the unnecessary things you do.
Considering dollars-per-day instead of per-hour could give you
a plan to let employees go home when they finish a quota. Increased
efficiency is likely, and you could adjust daily pay and quotas
so both you and employees made more money. See everything from
several perspectives.
3. Let ideas run wild. Does flying furniture seem silly?
It could lead to the concept of a hover-lifter. Just slide the
device under furniture and it lifts it with a cushion of air,
making for easy moving. Try not to stifle your creativity. Just
relax, let ideas come, and know that you can always discard them
later.
Creative Habits
For the above techniques to be an automatic part of your thinking,
use them regularly. It takes several weeks to develop a habit,
so you need a way to remind yourself each day. Write a few of
your favorite techniques on a card and carry it with you. Look
it over throughout the day and apply the techniques to anything.
Before long, you'll have more creative ideas.
Related page: Problem
Solving Techniques.
And don't forget my New
Ideas Blog.
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