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We have all heard of the words “Think outside the box.” The phrase has quickly become a staple in business vernacular. Companies acknowledge that problems will occur, and they’re always looking for fresh ideas. Thinking outside the box includes finding innovative approaches to situations.
Need a stroke of inspiration? Try these nine exercises to shake up the way your mind wraps around a problem. As frequently as possible, make an effort to think beyond your self-imposed limits.
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Learn about another religion
Being able to see the reason in another religion is a great way to help you develop mental flexibility. Are you willing to step away from your beliefs to see what someone else’s religion truly means? How open are you to another way of thinking and seeing the world? Learning about another religion opens you to seeing the possible limitations we place on ourselves through strict adherence to a specific way of thinking.
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Read a book from another genre
Reading is a great mental stimulator, but as with all things we love, it’s easy to fall into a rut. Try reading something you’d never have touched otherwise. If you are partial to literary fiction, try a mystery or sci-fi novel. Or if it’s fiction in general you love, try picking up a non-fiction book. Pay attention not only to the story but to the problems each author must overcome. For example, how does a fantasy author bypass your normal skepticism about magic to pull you into their world? What techniques did the romance author use to engage your heart with the characters of their story? By understanding the different techniques authors use, you can apply some within the structure of work.
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Tackle an issue “Just Because…”
The world is full of problems that give you and your creativity and opportunity to think in unique ways. Let the world be the test through which you hone your outside-the-box thinking. Look at your “pet peeves.” Are there some problems you can test your creativity on? Use the world as your playground and spot the various opportunities within to shake up your habits and conventions of thought. Whether your solution makes sense or not, what is important is using the everyday brainteasers as a source of practice for how you approach the world. And you never know. You may stumble upon something good.
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Write a poem or draw a picture
Most problem-solving leans heavily on left-brained logic. Try using poetry or drawing to bridge the gap between our rational left-brain and more creative right-brain processing. By writing a poem about the problem your working on you can shift your thinking away from your brain’s logic centers and give your creative centers a chance to shine. Your poem or drawing, while it may not propose a solution to the problem directly, will allow you to mull over the situation in a non-rational way.
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Ask a child
Children think and speak with an ignorance of convention that is often helpful. If there is a particular problem you’re dealing with, ask a child how they might tackle it. You’d be surprised what kids can come up with. Just taking the time to interact with children every now and again can be helpful. Allow them to choose activities, even ones you wouldn’t usually enjoy, get down on their level and engage. Yes, you may feel foolish, but feeling foolish is a sure sign that you are doing something that is not within your wheelhouse.
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Shift your style
Through our look, we express our mood, thoughts about society, and thoughts about ourselves. For a few days dress different from your norm. Add a shirt, a pair of pants, a little hipster style or something more Corporate America to your outfit and look at how others react to you as well as how you feel. If you don’t want to buy anything new, just try putting your own clothes together in unconventional ways. Often we know a particular shirt goes well with our dark skinny jeans and our baby blue scarf. What about mixing the top with a skirt and leggings? Something as simple as mixing clothing in different ways challenges our view of the world.
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In 60 seconds or less
Spending too long on a particular topic can often lead to reduced creativity. Shake yourself up by only allowing 60 seconds to come up with as many possible solutions to a problem as possible. Or take 60 seconds to come up with as many brainstorming ideas as possible. Limiting the amount of time your mind has for a problem makes room for your imagination to run wild.
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Embrace life’s riddles
Riddles pose a question to which there initially seems to be no answer until, suddenly, the answer arrives in a flash of insight. While solving a riddle you are using more than mere intellect. You are opening your mind to weaker connections and unusual resolutions. Check out Riddle.com for more brainteasers and mind games.
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Take a class
Most of us may believe that now that we are out of school there is no reason to keep learning. This couldn’t be further from the truth. To find new ways of doing things, take a class. It could be a cooking class, jewelry making, horticulture, or something else entirely. What is important is taking the time to learn something that you may not have an immediate work life connection. Classes can challenge how you see yourself and what you thought you liked or didn’t like. Don’t be afraid to pick a class that seems challenging, or that you feel will do nothing to further your career directly. What you’ll ultimately take from the experience may be nothing short of priceless.
