How to Get More Value From Necessary Tasks and Chores

Getting back time is all about having more time to do the things you enjoy in life. This means that you stop spending time working in the office and you cut back on washing up and commuting.

 

Instead, you’re going to try and start spending time doing things you love such as being with your family, watching great TV and pursuing your personal goals/projects.

 

But the way you go about this might be a little different from what you expect. Forget all the strategies you read about that tell you how to save ‘ten minutes a day’ or ‘an hour a day’. These cut off a little time at best and few of us stick to them.

 

Instead, ask yourself how you can get more value out of the time you’re currently using up. That means doing two jobs at once, or just enjoying the time you’re ‘wasting’ that little bit more.

 

Read on to see what on Earth I’m talking about…

 

Multitasking

 

One of the best ways to get more from your time is to multitask. You can’t multitask with jobs that require your full attention and creative awareness. But any job that can be done ‘mindlessly’ can be paired with any job that doesn’t require use of your body.

 

For example, you can catch up with correspondence or make important admin calls when you’re driving (if you have a hands-free system), when you’re walking to the shops or when you’re washing up! By doing two jobs at once, you free up one ‘slot’ to use yourself later.

 

Making it More Fun

 

At the same time, you can also multitask to make a boring job fun or rewarding. For example, if you’re washing up then why not watch your favorite TV show at the same time? You’re getting just as much out of that time and now washing up isn’t as dull.

Another great strategy is to do things with friends. Staying in touch and maintaining correspondence takes time. So instead of worrying about fitting it in, why not turn a boring job – the weekly shop, your workout – into something you can do with a friend?

 

If you commute on the train, then you can absolutely make more use of this time. How about using it to learn a language, read a great book or even start setting up your own side business using a laptop?

How Meditation Can Help Creativity

How do you encourage creativity?

 

The unfortunate irony, is that the more you try to ‘force’ your creativity, the less likely it is to come. The less likely you are to have that ‘aha’ moment.

 

The reason for this, is that when we try and force anything, we become stressed – physiologically aroused. We produce more adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones. And as such, we narrow our focus onto the thing we think is most pressing.

 

Creativity on the other hand, happens when we are relaxed. This in turn allows the mind to wander – to explore different memories and knowledge and to make unique connections out of those disparate topics. They say that all new ideas are just recombination of old ones!

 

A 2000 study from Slovenia shows that ‘coherence’ in the brain is critical for creativity – that means disparate brain areas working in unison. 

 

Meditation can help greatly in encouraging this then. When you meditate, you will be able to encourage a state of calm, that will allow you to access novel ideas and connections.

 

What’s more, is that you can use specific types of meditation in order to encourage this. One example is Cal Newport’s ‘Productive Meditation’. This is a form of meditation where – rather than completely empty your mind – you focus on a particular problem or creative pursuit and then try to come to a solution.

 

When was the last time you just sat and thought about something that was important to you?

 

When you do this, you will be able to actually practice using the parts of the brain we use for imagination and creative thinking. These include the ‘default mode network’. This is the network of brain regions that fire when we are not engaged with a task.

 

Interestingly, studies seem to show that we need to utilize a combination of both the default mode network and the executive control network in order to come up with useful ideas. In other words, freeflowing nonsense that occurs when you’re falling asleep or drunk is not useful. But ‘mulling a topic over’ on the other hand can be extremely useful.

 

So, the next time you have a challenge, or you want to come up with a creative solution to a problem – take a moment out and ‘think on it’. Meditate on the subject, then let your mind just wander. 

 

A creative solution may just come to you.

 

Meditation and Creativity – How One Helps the Other

Meditation is heralded by many as being a ‘cure all’ – a panacea that can prevent all of your woes and help you to find peace and enlightenment.

 

They’re not wrong per say. Compared with many other strategies, meditation is certainly one of the most effective when it comes to overcoming anxiety and getting a better perspective on things. But unfortunately, nothing is perfect. That includes meditation.

 

Meditation is all about getting ‘out of your own head’ and focussing. It’s about being in the moment and not reflecting on problems. 

 

But here’s the thing: reflecting on problems is useful. Even a little bit of stress is useful – it’s called eustress.

 

And the biggest potential casualty when it comes to meditation is creativity and the default mode network. The default mode network is the selection of brain areas that light up when you daydream, or think about your own future. People associate this part of the brain with a) being distracted from what’s happening, and b) being negative.

 

But the truth? The default mode network is also where many of us come up with our very best ideas – including Albert Einstein. Daydreaming about the future is how we learn more about who we are, and what we want to accomplish.

 

So, the risk is that we throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

The good news is that meditation isn’t to blame. The problem is with the way it is sometimes pedalled – by people who claim we should always be in the moment.

The truth is that the brain has many different states and we perform best when we’re able to choose those states and jump between them as needed.

 

So we need to be ‘in the moment’ when delivering a speech or spending time with friends, but there’s no harm in letting our mind wander when we’re going for a stroll and thinking about writing a great story.

 

This is where something called ‘productive meditation’ comes in. Suggested by author Cal Newport in his book ‘Deep Work’, this form of meditation means you are focussing on a problem or a creative endeavour. Instead of thinking about nothing, you are thinking about something you want to work on. 

 

And in fact, this kind of meditation agrees with what some new research suggests: that we are most creative when we active both the ‘daydreamy’ default mode network and the focussed ‘executive control network’. When you focus on being unfocussed, amazing things happen.

 

The Power of Nature Walks

Here’s something that many of us simply don’t do enough of: walking in nature.

Going for a nature walk is one of THE most effective ways to feel calmer, to help improve your overall health, and even to stimulate creativity.

 

Walking of any kind is in fact extremely good for stimulating creativity and encouraging calmness. The reason for this, is that when we go for a long walk, we are engaging in a form of low-level activity. We need to think a little about where we’re going and how to coordinate our feet, but nothing too strenuous. This in turn prevents us from getting bored and frustrated, while freeing our minds up to explore other diverse topics.

 

And more specifically, it triggers what is known as the ‘default mode network’. That in turn, means that you’re going to find yourself daydreaming and thinking more creatively about the future.

 

This is why many people had their best ideas while going for long walks – countless famous authors, scientists, and others have expressed the same.

 

What’s even more potent though, is to take a walk-in nature. Why? Because the natural surrounds of a forest walk or seaside stroll can help to make us more relaxed, which in turn stimulates further creativity. 

 

The reason is evolutionary: in the wild, the sight of lush green trees meant that we were approaching shelter, supplies, and resources – nourishment. Today, even looking at the color green on its own has been shown to lower the heart rate and to help improve calmness.

 

There’s more to this as well. For example, walking outdoors is also a brilliant way to boost your health. Walking outside not only means getting some exercise and burning some calories/fat, but also increasing your production of vitamin D. Vitamin D acts like a ‘master hormone’ and can help to boost other hormones that improve mood and encourage a more ideal physique.

 

The fresh air likewise will help in all kinds of ways: it will increase your energy at the time, and going forward. It will also help you to sleep better the following night, significantly improving your stress levels the next day.

 

So, make time for walking – not just as a way to get from point a to point b. Walk for the sake of walking, and take some time to breathe deeply, drink in the sights, and listen to the birds. It’s good for the soul and even better for your brain.

 

Can You Really Improve Your Emotional Intelligence?

There’s been a long running debate in the world of behavioral and organizational psychologists regarding emotional intelligence. The issue? Whether emotional intelligence exists or not. 

 

A consensus of experts think that EI is a real thing. The big argument centers on what it is and where it comes from. Some people are convinced that emotional intelligence is simply just an extension of your personality. That’s the problem if you’re trying to improve emotional intelligence. 

 

If it’s just part of your personality, then it’s not much different from saying that you are just born with that emotional intelligence or you’re not. This is very depressing. Study after study has shown that emotional intelligence plays a big role in overall personal success. It works hand and hand with IQ. 

 

It doesn’t hurt to be born with high IQ. Don’t get me wrong, this will definitely open a lot of doors for you, but you cannot rely on it alone. IQ can only go so far. You may be a high IQ individual but if you’re lazy, there would be less opportunities for you. You may be able to grasp otherwise complicated concepts very quickly but if you’re unable to communicate with your emotions effectively, this inability is going to stymie your success.

 

IQ does not exist in a vacuum. It really doesn’t. It has to coordinate with other very important human skill set. Emotional intelligence is one of them. The problem with positioning emotional intelligence as essentially arising out of personality is that it becomes random. You’re left with the conclusion that either you’re born with emotional intelligence or you’re not. 

 

This flies in the face of evidence. Why? A lot of people who start out emotionally awkward or even socially incompetent become very smooth polished and effective when they find themselves in social settings. In other words, they chose to increase their emotional intelligence they chose to hone their skills. They did not wait for their built own personality-based emotional intelligence to kick in. They don’t wait around and took matters into their own hands.

 

They know that they have issues dealing with other people so they got the right information and they worked on this trait over and over again over an extended period of time until they got it right. In other words, building up emotional intelligence, if you look at it as an ability instead of some sort of built in, in born extension of your personality, is very much like working out in the gym. Do you remember the first time you hit the gym? It was probably hard on your body because you haven’t worked out before. When you hit the bench-press and you put 50, 60, 100 pounds on your system, it felt like murder. But after two weeks of continuously hitting the weights, it got easier and easier and eventually you reach the point where you can scale up the weights. Now you’re probably lifting a lot more pounds than when you started. The same applies to emotional intelligence. 

 

At first, it’s going to be downright scary. In fact, in certain cases it may seem downright pointless. But the more you keep at it and the better results that you get, the more you stick to it and the better you get at it. You create an upward spiral.

 

To do yourself a big favor, understand that emotional intelligence is something that you can improve. It’s not something that is set in stone, it is not something that some people are born with and most are not. Get those ideas out of your head. 

 

It is something that you can improve as long as you choose to. Make emotional intelligence maximize your chances of success in all areas of life.

 

Here’s Why Emotional Intelligence is as Crucial as IQ for Personal Success

For the longest time, there is the idea that people who make a big deal of emotional intelligence are simply low or mediocre IQ people. 

 

In the minds of a lot of people, those who make a big deal of their emotional skills and sociability are essentially compensating for the fact that they have low or mediocre IQ. If only things were that simple. 

 

The truth is, when you look at any organization, chances are high that the head honcho or the prime movers and shakers of that establishment are not at the top of the IQ chart for that organization. In fact, in many cases, the most progressive and successful organizations have CEOs that have IQs way below the smartest people in their organizations. The smart individuals, it turns out, are specialists. Either they work in the IT department, the planning department and other areas, but when it comes to the actual operation of raw executive control of the organization, these individuals tend to have lower IQs. 

 

What’s going on? You have to look at emotional intelligence. Success doesn’t just involve figuring out what to do. It doesn’t just turn on whether you know how to do things or not. Instead, a large part of success turns on whether you can really manage people who are often opposed to each other towards a common goal. 

 

You must be able to do this day after day, week after week, month after month. You must be able to scale this in the future and you must be able to communicate this clearly not only to your team members, but also to people outside your team.

Interestingly enough, this skill set cannot be explained by IQ. This is where emotional intelligence comes in. Not only do you have self-aware to the point that you know what you’re feelings are, but you are able to communicate you feelings to others in such a way that you’ve become more persuasive and you are able to remind them about common goals. This is how you can tell whether a leader can motivate and inspire people around them to produce better and better results.

 

People with low emotional intelligence who are thrust into leadership positions often use fear, intimidation, or grotesque and cheap rewards to get what they need. Eventually, that gets old. That organization would stagnate if it doesn’t fall apart. 

 

Emotional intelligence is crucial to any organization that is aiming for the fences. make no mistake, if you’re trying to hit that home run, you need to be led by somebody who not only knows how say the right things to the right people in the right time to produce the right results, but also who is able to do this in many different contexts. That person must also able to plan out the consequences of such emotional signals. 

 

Understand the importance of emotional intelligence because if you want to be more successful in any area of your life, you need to confront this issuer and you need to master emotional intelligence. Click here to get your own personal blueprint of emotional intelligence success. 

 

It’s not as hard as you think. It is not complicated, it is not Greek, and it is not written in computer codes. You just have to know what you’re doing and what you’re dealing with. 

 

Unfortunately, so many people think in habitual terms. They think that once they perceive certain things that they can respond emotionally a certain way. This is why they continue to struggle and don’t get the results that they otherwise have coming to them. 

 

If you want to maximize your emotional intelligence, you need the right guidance. This book will set you on the right path. Forget about blog posts that you’ve read and the webinars on YouTube that you’ve seen, start with a blank slate. Start with what you know. Start with who you are. 

 

7 Natural Ways to Boost Your Memory Starting Today

The day is half over, and you can’t get over the feeling that you’ve forgotten something important. You check your calendar, but whatever it is, it was never written down. Now you’re stuck, and you can’t remember what it was.

 

There’s nothing more frustrating than forgetting. The fact is, we get so busy that it’s very hard to keep track of everything you need to get through a day. 

 

Or is it?

 

Thankfully there are natural things we can do to improve our memory. And we don’t have to wait to get started. Below you’ll find several suggestions to help you boost your memory right now!

 

1. Mediate. All day long you’re trying to absorb information. Is it any wonder your brain gets to the point where it can’t hold in another fact? Meditation gives you time to process, and recharge. What’s more, meditation improves your focus, so when it’s time to go back to work, you’re ready for it.

 

2. Eat better. Some things we eat are called brain foods. Anything with antioxidants will improve brain function, which in turns makes for a better memory!

 

3. Get up and move. Exercise increases blood flow. Better blood flow carries more of what your brain needs to function (such as oxygen and nutrients). So movement = better memory!

 

4. Try a brain teaser. Regularly challenging your brain is good for it! By doing things such as crossword puzzles or Sudoku, you start building better networks for the neural pathways. There are tons of apps out there filled with all kinds of mental challenges designed to enhance your memory. So, why not play a game that gives a real positive boost to your brainpower?

 

5. Take a break. Brains need rest periods too. If you’re finding that you’re losing focus while working, it’s probably time to take a short break. That gives your brain a chance to process and re-energize. 

 

6. Learn something new. By learning new things, you train your brain to process information better, and so you will start remembering more. Picking up a new skill will result in you helping your memory as well!

 

7. Sleep. It’s a fact of life that a tired brain isn’t going to be working at its very best. Getting enough sleep is probably the simplest thing you can do to improve your memory. By getting 7 – 9 hours of sleep every night,you’ll find your memory will improve dramatically.

 

Improving your memory doesn’t have to take a lot of time or even forced attention. By using this list, you’ll find that your memory will improve dramatically in just a short time, all without having to resort to great big crazy changes in your life. How easy is that?

 

5 Ways to Give Your Creativity a Shot in the Arm

All day long you’ve been wrestling with the same problem. You’ve been through all the obvious solutions, and none of them worked. You’ve come to realize that you need to think outside the box on this one – to be creative. But you’ve got nothing, and you’re fast running out of time to present the answer. Stress rises, andyou find yourself well and truly blocked.

 

In the world of being creative, there’s nothing worse than coming up short just when you need creativity the most. Artists are well-familiar with the phenomena. There isn’t a writer that hasn’t suffered writer’s block or an artist that hasn’t eyed that empty canvas with a certain feeling of dread. 

 

Thankfully there are ways to give creativity a shot in the arm when you need it the most. Read on for some great ideas that will get you going and able to create again!

 

1. Take some time to de-stress. The more stressed you are, the less you’re able to think, much less think creatively. Our brains aren't great at working out problems when we're stressed. So it's best to take some time off, relax and do something else. Exercise, listen to music, read a book. The solution will be there waiting when you’re relaxed enough to see it.

 

2. Quit putting yourself down. Hating on yourself when you have a block is only going to make things worse. It’s true that we come to believe what we say about ourselves. Solve this issue by trying more positive statements like: “I am creative.” and “I can do this!”

 

3. Quit expecting so much of yourself. Looking for perfection is the surest way to fail. Start with looking for a solution – any solution. It could be that your crazy or even silly idea is the jumping off point you need.

 

4. Try something new. By experimenting with new art, involving yourself in a new sport, or going somewhere you’ve never been before, you engage your brain along different neural pathways and see the world in ways you haven’t before. Now is the time to try that thing you’ve always wanted to do!

 

5. Keep an idea journal. By making lists of things you find interesting or writing down ideas the second you think of them, you train yourself to spot creative ideas. That should be a physical journal, so you can doodle in the margins and scribble whatever comes to mind. Keep it handy, so you always have it when creativity strikes.

 

If you use this list as a starting point, you’re sure to find your creative juices flowing once again. Remember that creativity is about experimentation, so adjust these ideas to what works for you. The point is not to giveup. Keep trying, and you’ll find that creative spark in no time!

 

Effective Brainstorming

The pressure to come up with ideas can be overwhelming. Constant content creation seems to be a requisite of the workplace these days. There's a demand from your boss to find new ways to improve the workplace, your college lecturer wants to see a different approach than anyone else has shown, or you're an entrepreneur and you recognize that without flagging yourself as someone who stands out different to the rest, you're going to sink among all the other "me too" product creators. 

 

Can you create a mental spark of new ideas as simply as you see a spark when you touch two wires together? The answer is - you can. 

 

The first thing you need to do is quit thinking of ideas as things that just happen. You've heard of brainstorming, right? That's a situation where people decide to cognitively generate ideas. They make the decision that they will create ideas within a timeframe - not that they will sit around the office for days, weeks or months waiting on some mysterious Muse to appear and give them a sign. 

 

How do we brainstorm effectively? 

 

First, write down all known facts and assumptions about the subject at hand. Then for each fact or assumption, ask "what if...?" Take the opposing view in your question. 

 

"What if something else could create the same result?" 

"What if we didn't have a specific resource, then how would we create this?" 

"What if everyone called in sick one day, then how would we minimize the damage?" 

"What if I had only 10 minutes to do this - is there a template I could use over and over again to speed things up?" 

 

Always challenge assumptions. 

 

Strip things away 

 

Often, we get caught up in finding new ideas to add to the existing processes we have in place. But it's as valid to think about cutting away ideas as it is creating new ones. You might have two different products in mind to create, and two different websites to market them through. But by focusing on cutting out ideas you may discover that there is a core group who require both products - and then build just one website aimed at that core group. 

 

Ideas that take away work are sometimes more beneficial than those that do. 

 

Use different discovery tools 

 

Many people swear by mind maps. Some prefer a word processor document - and others prefer spreadsheets. Get away from your comfort level by using a different medium to dump your ideas out into. The process will feel different and make your brain respond differently - and often more creatively. 

 

The 5 Habits You Need to Change to Boost Your Brain Power

Habits can be wonderful things. While most people think of habits initially as bad things you need to conquer, good habits are the ones keeping you on track, like reminding yourself to brush your teeth every morning or to drink water throughout the day. 

 

Did you know there are habits you can add easily to your daily routine that will boost your brain power? Let’s look at five changes you can start making today and get you on track to creating the best version of yourself.

 

1. Sleep

 

This one should almost go without saying. Sleep is how you recharge and prepare yourself to face the new day. What you might not realize is sleep is what helps you to process your day. Without deep sleep and the dream state, you would never be able to deal with whatever trauma you went through during your waking hours. By getting enough sleep, you’re hitting the reset button on your brain, allowing it to work through the rough stuff so you can start the next day with a clean slate. 

 

2. Get Up When the Sun Does

 

Pay attention to Circadian rhythms. By starting the day at dawn, you’re putting your body in sync with the world around you. People who are out of sync are those who experience all manner of problems, from obesity to depression. To keep your mood stabilized, start the day early, and go to bed when it gets dark.

 

3. Use Fish Oil

 

 

If you’re not into eating a lot of fatty fish in your diet, a fish oil supplement will give you the Omega-3s so crucial to your good health. That is what’s needed to repair your brain cells, with the added benefit of guarding you against memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

 

4. Practice Mindfulness

 

You might already know meditation will help you reduce stress, and give your brain a break. Were you aware meditation is also responsible for stopping loss of brain cells and even reversing the effects of aging? Meditate for at least 5 – 10 minutes every day to see a positive benefit.

 

5. Do Weird Stuff

 

To grow new connections in your brain and keep your neurons firing, you need to challenge it regularly. Take up a hobby, learn a language, or try something new for a definite jumpstart to get your brain going. Even doing the same old routine in an alternative way can have a positive benefit. So, brush your teeth with the opposite hand or try going a different way to work to jump-start the process.

 

As with any habit, the key is to do these things every day for the best benefit. Boosting your brain power is very simple. Commit to building new habits starting today. After all, there’s no time like the present!

Lifestyle Changes You Can Start Now to Improve Your Brain Function

You’re feeling forgetful. You missed your friend’s birthday party last week, and now you can’t find your car keys to save your life. Is there something wrong with you or are you simply getting old?

 

Chances are, the answer is neither. As we live increasingly fast-paced lives, it becomes more and more important to do proactive things to guard our brains. So, if the doctor has already given you a clean bill of health, maybe it’s time to figure out some lifestyle changes that will improve your brain function so that you can live a better life.

 

1. Try a diet that’s more brain-friendly. The Mediterranean Diet has been proven time and again to not only help you to retain your brain function as you age but will improve your brain function when continued over time. Why does it work? Because the Mediterranean Diet is rich in the right kinds of foods that contain healthy fats and antioxidants. They cut out all those foods that inhibit brain function such as processed foods, sugars, and dairy.

 

2. Learn a new language. While at first glance this might seem to be a good idea because it acts as a brain teaser to stimulate your brain in new ways, there’s a lot more going on than that. Several studies have proven that learning a language forges new neural pathways, increases brain elasticity, and helps you to process new information more quickly. A further study from the University of Edinburgh has shown that being able to speak more than one language slows down the kind of loss in brain function that’s associated with growing older.

 

3. Take up music. Like learning languages, learning how to play a musical instrument acts in many of the same ways on your brain. But there’s also some added benefit in better skills related to hearing and listening. The biggest benefit though comes from connecting the physical act of playing music with the hearing and appreciation of music and the connectivity between different parts of the brain that results from that action.

 

4. Consider exercise. We’re not talking about physical exercise here (though that’s always beneficial) but the kind that comes of challenging your brain to remember things. The idea is simple: by practicing remembering things, you find that you’re able to remember more and more in proportion to the amount of practice you put in. 

 

While some of these changes seem drastic, the benefits are huge. Learning new things and practicing your memory skills can only be seen as beneficial. And wouldn’t you want to eat in the way that gives your brain the most optimal environment for growth? Commit to change, and you’ll soon see the positive benefits that come of working to improve your brain function.

 

9 Changes to Make to Your Life to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Focused

Losing cognition skills doesn’t have to be inevitable. In fact, by making some simple life changes now, you can help your brain to stay healthy and focused, regardless of your age. 

 

Drop the Stress

 

Chronic stress can damage your brain. Start with an honest evaluation of what stress you can erase. For the rest, remember you can always learn the skills to manage it better. Try daily meditation and exercise. Time for yourself is really of utmost importance.

 

Get in Motion

 

Speaking of exercise, did you know regular physical activity is not just good for your body but brings your mind to peak condition as well? Try exercise that requires you to concentrate for added benefit.

 

Try Something Fishy

 

Those omega-3 fatty acids are good for you. Eat salmon, tuna, or some other kind of fatty fish every week if you can.

 

Drop the Sugar

 

It’s a known fact sugar isn’t good for you but did you know eating a lot of it will lead to inflammation in the brain inhibiting brain function? Now is the time to find other, healthier snacks, like veggies or nuts.

 

Spend Time with Friends

 

Getting out with people you enjoy spending time with keeps your brain engaged and challenged in positive ways.

 

Learn Stuff

 

Nothing is quite so good for your brain as engaging it and challenging it with new information. Take a class. Learn a language. Do something new. 

 

Drop the Toxins

 

Things like smoking, alcohol, and constant exposure to toxins in the environment will impair your brain function. Clean up your environment. Quit smoking. Limit alcohol consumption. Doing all these things will help you to stay sharper longer.

 

Pay Attention to your Vitamins

 

Making sure your nutritional needs are in balance will keep your brain functioning at its best. The important ones for brain health? B-12, B-6, magnesium, and folate. In a healthy diet, you would normally get most of what you need. Although you could add to this a supplement with Vitamin D if your levels are low. 

 

Sleep

 

In the end, making sure you get enough sleep is one of the best things you can do for your brain (and your general health). Make sure you’re getting 7-9 hours of sleep at night, in an environment optimal for sleep. 

 

Some attention on your brain now will serve you well in your later life. Don’t delay in making these changes. The sooner you begin, the better. Your brain will thank you for it!

 

Looking to Develop Your Creativity? Try These Tips!

Some people seem more naturally creative than others. We usually associate creativity with writers, artists, musicians, and dancers – things associated with the arts. But creativity is a valuable skill that anyone can use, whether you’re being asked to look for an out-of-the-box solution at work, or just to come up with something fun and interesting to do with your friends this weekend. 

 

What are some quick things you can do to develop that creative habit?

 

1. Decide to be creative. As with anything, you’re never going to improve in an area until you sit down and decide that you’re going to. You must commit to being creative. Then set up a plan to carry out that commitment.

 

2. Specialize. It’s hard to see a creative solution to a problem you don’t understand. Take the time to educate yourself in the area where you wish to be creative. Learn it inside and out, and then examine it again, from the point of view that comes from understanding. 

 

3. Be curious. When something interests you, take note of it. Write down your questions. Use these as jumping off points when you’re looking to be creative.

 

4. Become a risk-taker. Don’t stick with the tried and true solutions. Ask yourself how you can do things differently? Then jump in and try things that way to see how they go.

 

5. Drop the negativity. By thinking you can’t find a solution, or that it’s impossible to be creative, you have already failed. Don’t create self-fulfilling prophecies. Instead, decide you will succeed, that the solution is already there.

 

6. Brainstorm. Throw out ideas, one after another. Get wild and crazy and see what sticks. The best creative ideas come out of the silly ones. 

 

7. Know there’s more than one right way to get something done. If something isn’t working, that doesn’t mean there’s no solution – only a solution you haven’t found yet. Keep trying. Look for the other ways things might work.

 

8. Look for inspiration. Spend time exploring other people’s creativity to stimulate your own. Visit art galleries. Listen to music. Read books. Explore the world around you and see what touches off a creative spark in you.

 

9. Let things snowball. Jump from one idea into another and another and another. See where the creative path takes you. Maybe you won’t find the solution to the problem you’re working on, but you might find the solution to something else, so jot down the best ideas that crop up.

 

Creativity doesn’t have to be out of reach, even if you tend to think of yourself as an un-creative person. By working to develop your creativity, you’ll enjoy more success in your work and home life and will learn new ways to think and do things. With so much benefit, isn’t it time to find that new and exciting more creative version of you?