Creativity is a skill, like riding a bicycle or operating a computer, that can be learned and developed with practice.

In the work place There seems to be a direct relationship between the quantity of new ideas that you generate in your work, and the level of success that you achieve.  I think that if you improve the quality of your thinking, you improve the quality of your life.

 

Some of the ideas below which can be implemented right now, are more appropriate to a company or work situation, but nevertheless may be of interest to individual application.

 

Every single idea that improves the way we live and work, in large or small ways, is an act of creativity.

 

In his/her line of sight, each average worker sees improvements that can be made and Successful companies encourage a steady flow of suggestions and ideas for improving the way the work is done.  Small incremental improvements to cut costs, increase quality, boost customer satisfaction, etc., can translate into huge increases in profitability.

 

Happy, valued and appropriately rewarded employees and executives are more creative.  People can have a natural tendency to resist new ideas but it can help with creativity to move out of your Comfort Zone and sometimes take some calculated risks and be open to new ways of doing things. Optimism, cheerfulness, positive expectancy and laughter can all trigger creativity.

 

 

Normal creativity is stimulated by three things:

a. Intensely desired goals. Intense emotion of any kind is a stimulant or trigger to creativity. The more you want something, the more likely it is you will find creative ways to accomplish it. What are your most intensely desired goals?

b. Pressing problems. What are the most pressing problems facing you at this time?

c. Focused questions. The more precise and focused the questions, the more rapidly the creative reflex operates to generate workable answers – not sure about this one.

 

 

Any organised method of problem solving can be more effective in generating higher-quality solutions than no method at all. Here are seven steps you can follow:

a. Define the problem clearly—in writing.

b. Read; research; gather information; get the facts. Many problems exist simply because no one has gathered sufficient information about them.

c. Discuss the problem with others; ask questions of informed people; consult experts and others who may have had a similar problem in the past.

d. Try consciously to solve the problem. Consider every possible alternative.

e. If you still have not found a solution, turn the problem over to your subconscious mind, and get your conscious mind busy elsewhere.

f. Review the problem just before sleeping, and ask your subconscious for a solution.

g. Be prepared to write down the answer and act on it when it appears.

 

 

Brainstorming can be a powerful and effective way to solve problems and achieve goals – a way of using focused questions for concentrating the power of your mind.

a. Write your most pressing problem or most keenly desired goals at the top of a page in the form of a clear question (for example, “What can we do to increase our sales by 20 percent in the next 90 days?”)

b. Force yourself to write 20 answers to the question, without stopping. (If you haven’t done this before, it could be difficult at first.)

c. Review the answers, and select at least one for implementation immediately.

d. The more you practice this method, the more creative and alert you will become.

 

 

The creative mind is stimulated and triggered into action by focused questions. The more questions you ask, and the better they are, the more accurate and creative will be your thinking. Some examples:

a. What are you trying to do?

b. How are you trying to do it?

c. What result or outcome do you desire?

d. How could you approach it? Is there a better way?

e. What are your assumptions?

f. Could they be wrong?

 

 

a. They have the ability to concentrate single-mindedly, 100 percent, on one thing, to the exclusion of all distractions.
One method: Write down every detail of the problem you are working on right now. “Swarm all over it.” Focus totally on solving your most important problem.

b. They have the ability to see the big picture. They remain open-minded flexible, almost childlike in examining every possible way of approaching a problem.

c. They take a systematic, orderly approach to solving each problem. They ask questions such as: Why? Why not? Why not this way? Could there be another way? They have the ability to suspend judgment and to avoid becoming attached to, or enamoured of, their own idea.

 

 

Here are some key questions to stimulate your creativity:

a. What are your three most important goals in life right now?

b. What are your three most pressing problems right now?

c. Describe the ideal outcome you desire from a problem facing you right now.

d. What one thing would you dare to attempt if you knew you could not fail?

 

 

Creativity must be focused on removing the most important obstacle to your success.

a. What is the major obstacle that stands between you and your major goal right now?

b. What could you do right now to be removing it?

c. In every process, there is a “limiting step” that determines the speed at which the goal will be accomplished. What is the limiting step in your work? 

 

 

Well – you know what I believe – yes – the deliberate use of the Subconscious mind – the other 88% of the mind. I have a meditation process called “Tapping Your Creativity” which is available as a CD here or available as an immediate download. I encourage you to read the success stories below.

 

 

R. Buckminster Fuller was  a man of many talents – he is considered as one of the greatest innovators of the 20th century. His entire adult life was spent as an inventor - practical, inexpensive shelter and transportation, engineer, architect - the best known creation in this field is the geodesic dome - poet, and star-gazer. Most importantly, “Bucky,” as his friends referred to him, was a creative thinker. He was responsible for the invention, development, and implementation of over 170 patented ideas. He published more than 30 books and made fifty-seven trips around the world sharing his abundant supply of ideas with others.  As a young, nonconforming student, Fuller was expelled from Harvard in his freshman year. His enthusiasm and creativity remained undampened. Fuller would often spend up to 22 hours a day studying math, architecture, and physics.

His self-acquired knowledge, combined with his creative ideas, made him a man ahead of his time and a leading innovator.

 

Murray Spangler developed a mindset similar to Bucky Fuller’s. As a department store janitor, Spangler suffered considerable discomfort from the dust his broom stirred up. The wheezing and coughing prompted him to find an unconventional way to clean floors. “Why not eliminate the sweeping,” he thought, “and suck up the dust instead.” His friend, H.W. Hoover, financed the first awkward but functional vacuum cleaner. Spangler’s futuristic, uncluttered thinking allowed him to overcome personal discomfort and go beyond conventional thinking.

 

So, know that Creativity is a skill that can be developed.  I have used the CD I spoke about in number 8 above to come up with all my product including seminars, books, CDs, DVDs and Packs – it was like the ideas kept coming by deliberately using the subconscious mind!

 

All the best

 

 

"Your gift from God is your potential – Your gift to God is to use it."