No one would suggest that innovation isn’t important. Yet we often get so busy doing that we spend little time thinking. Here are six quick ideas on how to become more creative.
– Read a nonfiction book outside your usual genre.
It’s remarkable how a biography or autobiography of a successful person can not only provide examples, but also inspire creative and critical thinking. If all you’re reading is the latest business book, you might miss some insights of extraordinary value. Don’t get me wrong, you should be reading important business books — however, just as your diet should not consist of only one food, your reading consumption shouldn’t be exclusive to a single genre.
– Get out of your comfort zone.
One way to do this is to take a new route home from work that you’re not familiar with, or trying out a restaurant in an area where you wouldn’t normally go for lunch. This will expand your geographic horizons and improve your creative thinking skills.
– Take an improv class or go to the theater more often.
The paramount aspect of an improv class is that you are put on the spot and forced to do something creative in the moment. It’s superb training to learn how to think differently.
Being around creative people will inspire you to be more creative, too. It’s a natural phenomenon that happens when we are around people who have different ideas than us and take an interest in what they do.
– Meditate or practice mindfulness daily.
Studies show a strong correlation between creativity and meditation, because the process of mediation allows for greater focus, which eliminates the noise and distractions that surround us.
– Place a random object on your desk to see what connections you can make.
This is an idea from psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who said one way to use creativity is by deliberately seeking new connections and making unexpected combinations of objects–what he called “convergent thinking.” This helps because it forces us to create unique associations — something that can generate highly profitable ideas.
When I was a high school student preparing for a contest in impromptu speaking, I would stand in my bedroom, pick out an object (like a keychain or coat hanger) and discipline myself to deliver a five-minute speech on how that object was a metaphor for leadership. It was perhaps the greatest training for “convergent thinking” I could have practiced.
– Take a break.
I know how hard it can be to do this when you have deadlines and responsibilities but taking short breaks throughout the day is important for your creativity. I find that if I give myself an hour or two of downtime in the middle of my workday, things are so much easier to think through later!
While these ideas might not make you into Picasso overnight, they can help boost creativity and broaden your perspective in a rapidly changing world.
