Thinking Outside of the Box

I cannot even count how many times I have heard people tell me to “think outside of the box.” It seems easy enough but when you actually have to think of something new you realize it’s not as simple as one, two, three. So how exactly do we “think outside of the box?” Here are six ways to help open your mind and spark that creativity you may not realize you have:

1. Learn something new! Take a class or watch a webinar online about something you aren’t an expert in. This can help you to understand different aspects of your industry and can help you to expand the way you look at problems and the possible solutions you could come up with. Looking at the same problem you are faced with from a different perspective can help open your eyes to the solution.

2. Write it down! You are always thinking and sometimes you will be getting your coffee and come up with a great idea but by the time you get to the office you completely forget about it. Don’t let this happen to you because sometimes the greatest ideas come to you in the most unlikely ways. Make sure you write it down! Sometimes just making a list of ideas can help you actually see it and sometimes putting them all on one paper can help you make connections and see things differently.

3. Switch it up and flip it around! Sometimes when trying to come up with a new idea you start traveling in a circle getting stuck within the same thinking and can’t get any new ideas. It can be helpful mix it up a bit. Draw a picture, flip your paper upside down, try working backwards, or change your environment. Working in the same place every day is not always good when you’re trying to get your creative juices flowing. So take walk, do a puzzle or watch a funny clip. Just do something that can take your mind to a different place because sometimes the best ideas aren’t the ones you can find easily.

4. Make mistakes and relax! Today, people associate mistakes with doing something terribly wrong and when we do something wrong we get stressed. But the truth is mistakes help us realize things that before we couldn’t see. So relax and make mistakes because sometimes making mistakes can lead to something greater. Let yourself be free to mess up!

5. Be Curious! Sometimes acting like a kid and asking question after question can be the greatest thing when trying to “think outside of the box.” Keep it simple by asking questions that start with why, when, what, who, where, or how. The answers you get will help you too see the whole picture and sometimes might help you realize something you never did before.

6. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable! This is probably the most important thing because in order to “think outside of the box” you have to defy the social norms! No one has ever been called original for doing the same old thing. You have to do something new and daring. Just be random!