How To Think Out Of The Box? is more than just a corporate cliché. It means approaching problems innovatively, conceptualizing them differently, and understanding your position in relation to a particular situation. Ironically, it’s a cliché that means thinking about cliched situations in a different way.
We are told to “think outside the box” all the time, but how exactly do we do it? How do we develop the ability to deal with problems in the ways we usually deal with issues? How do we cultivate the ability to look at things differently than we usually do?
Thinking outside the box begins long before we are “boxed”, that is, long before we are faced with a unique situation and begin to force it into a familiar “box” that we already know to utilize. Or at least think we know how to use it.
Here’re the tips for thinking out of the box:
Think outside the box by studying another industry
I learned as much about teaching by learning marketing as by studying pedagogy, maybe more. Go to the library and grab a trade magazine in a different sector than yours, or grab a few books from the library and find out how things work in other sectors.
You may find that many of the problems people face in other industries are similar to the problems of yours, but have developed very different ways of dealing with them. Or you may find new connections between your industry and new ones that could form the basis for innovative partnerships in the future.
Change your space
It is important to get away from all typical routines to promote creativity. The idea of changing it is a common idea among successful and creative thinkers. This means that you create a specific ritual around creativity or just find a way to take a break.
- To take a shower. There’s something oddly conducive to taking a shower, like everyone else who’s had this amazing idea while stuck in the shower (only to forget it when you finally find a pen and paper). If you’re stuck with an idea, hop in the shower, have a pen and paper handy, and see what pops up.
- Go for a walk. Like taking a shower, something about walking encourages creativity. Whether you take a walk as a prelude to the start of your creative project or as part of the project itself, a walk will help get that creative juices flowing. Create a psychological distance between your normal routine and time for creativity.
Brainstorm
It can be a good idea to brainstorm tons of different ideas, especially ideas that may seem slightly off to choose a few really good ones. Brainstorming helps open up your thinking so you don’t get stuck in the same old thought patterns.
The brainstorming phase is not about what is doable or not. Avoid limiting yourself when brainstorming. This is the time when all ideas are welcome, no matter how crazy or impractical they may seem. Limiting yourself to this stage of the mental game won’t get you very far.
During this stage, avoid saying things to yourself that inhibit rather than encourage creativity. Stop whenever you say “It won’t work”, “We never did it this way”, “We can’t solve this problem”, or “We don’t have enough time”.
Pay attention to your mood
How you feel throughout the day can greatly impact your creativity. In general, positive emotions have been found to increasingly stimulate our creative processes, but negative emotions can also be beneficial.
According to a Rice University study, negative emotions “make us aware of deficits, cause us to focus on the current state of affairs rather than our pre-existing assumptions, and motivate us to strive hard to improve things”.
On the other hand, positive-mood participants “demonstrate divergent thinking, fluid imagination, and flexible categorization, make unusual associations, and do well on insight problems, unusual word associations, and heuristic problem-solving tasks.” “.
The key point to remember is that different emotions affect creativity in different ways and at different stages of a creative process.
Re-conceptualize the problem
Part of finding solutions and creative ideas is looking at the problem or project in a new way. When you look at something in a new way, you can consider new possible solutions that you might not otherwise have considered. Fortunately, there are specific redesign tools you can refer to.
Put the problem on his head. This can be done literally or figuratively; When you flip an image, it may actually be easier to draw because your brain has to look at it based on its properties, not what it thinks it should have there. This works for more conceptual issues. work backward. Sometimes you have to focus on the solution first and build from that solution.
Invite randomness
Accepting and incorporating mistakes into your designs, developing strategies that allow for arbitrary input, working in the midst of chaotic juxtapositions of sound and form – all this can help you overcome mundane patterns and think outside the box.
Daydream
Daydreaming helps you make connections, form patterns, and remember information. This is essential if you are thinking outside the box, as daydreaming can help you make connections that you might not otherwise have considered. So often your best ideas seem to come out of nowhere as you daydream.
Give yourself time to daydream. Turn off your computer, TV, and phone. When you’re constantly mired in distractions, it becomes much harder for your brain to rest and connect.
You can daydream during that walk or in the shower (this is one of the reasons why taking the time for a walk or a shower can be so conducive to creative thinking). Daydream in the morning before getting up or at night before going to bed.
Consider the worst-case scenario
Fear is what hampers creativity. Fear is what drives you to take the paths you know best. Considering the worst-case scenario not only allows you to plan for it but also convinces you that the worst-case scenario isn’t bad enough that you shouldn’t try.
Be prepared to make mistakes
Nothing limits creative thinking more than the fear of failure. When it comes to thinking outside the box, it is essential that you are willing to take risks and make mistakes. If not, you’ll stop abruptly before you even start.
Turn your focus away from everything that could go wrong – your world is likely not to collapse – and focus on everything there is to gain instead. Sometimes our best works come from our mistakes.
Keep your creativity sharp
Like any skill, creativity needs the practice to continue. Even if you don’t have a specific problem that requires your creative solution, keep working on your creativity. It will help you when you are suddenly faced with something that needs an overhaul.
Arrange the words in alphabetical order. Take a word from a magazine or billboard and put the letters alphabetically.
For example, the word NUMBER is written B-E-M-N-R-U. The reason this exercise boosts your brain function is that it forces you to take all the information you are given (all the letters) and do something unusual with it. Train your brain to find surprising connections and solutions and to look at problems differently.
Create a game to invent new or different uses for the objects in your home. This way you learn to look at objects and situations with an eye for the unusual approach. For example: using an old boot as a planter or building a table with books.
If you’re not feeling very creative, try asking questions! Curiosity helps you adopt an open mind, making you more imaginative.
Learn new things
The more you broaden your horizons, the more connections your brain can make. The more information your brain has, the more it can process unusual ideas.
Take lessons outside of your own field. This could be anything from cooking classes (if you’re not a chef) or rock climbing. The novelist could then use what he learned in the cooking class to invent a magical system (people who have an idea of what they are doing and don’t use instructions as opposed to those who have a specific set of instructions).
To learn a new language. Not only does it help keep your mind sharp and make new connections, but it can also open you up to new ways of thinking. The advertiser could use it to launch a section of bilingual ads that reach a different group of people than they would normally target.
Surround yourself with creative people
Humans are social animals. You are inspired when other people are inspired. Creativity stays high when you work or befriend people who inspire that creativity in you and your work.
You find this especially useful when making friends with people who are not in the same field as you. These people can give you perspective on your work that you wouldn’t get from someone imbued with your own ideas.
This is another reason why it is so important to do things outside of your comfort zone. There you meet people who challenge and inspire your creativity, people who think differently from you.
learn to listen
One way to encourage creative thinking is to remain calm and listen to what others are saying. Part of the reason this is such a great idea is that it really helps you hear what other people are saying, so you’re not pitching the same ideas that have already been pitched. It also helps you organize your thoughts before speaking.
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“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
– Albert Einstein.
