Creative Thinking: Unlock the Key 
1. Don’t Make Assumptions. You really should not make assumptions. It is beneath you, and is rather undignified. Have respect for others; wait to gather all necessary information prior to making a judgment; then and only then, you’ll come to the right conclusion.
One story is of a customer at a Bank of America who, upon cashing his check, is turning to go, but instead returns to the Teller & says,”Excuse me, I think there is an error.” The teller swiftly replies, “I am sorry but there’s nothing I can do. You ought to have counted it. Once you leave, it is out of my hands. We are no longer responsible.”
So then the customer goes: “Well, okay great. Thanks for the extra $20.” Lesson To Be Learned: If you are tempted to jump the gun (& assume things) you ought to re-think things. Simply waiting til you have all the facts could keep you from losing money, or making some other costly error.
2. See Things From Other Points Of View. Do you have an open mind? It can be very important to see THINGS from another Perspective. It opens up the Right side of your brain, for one thing. For another thing, it can help you be a good Leader by “empathising” with another person who is under you. Have you thought about this much? You may want to learn about being an empathetic Leader here AND here.
(Then, you’ll learn to consider others’ points of view)
3. Avoid Yo-Yo Thinking. People are people. As such, they tend to swing from a highly positive mood one Minute to a highly negative one the following moment; and all this simply because they cannot “see the forest for the trees”. They just see what is directly in front of them. It’s far healthier to remain neutral and to never allow your emotions to get the best of you. Tip: Bear in mind that things are rarely as good or as bad as you imagine they are.
4. Get Rid Of Lazy Thinking Habits. Remaining in the “same old pattern” of thinking can not only hinder your ability to brainstorm or analyze things – it truly can become a stumbling block to being able to think clearly and deduce things. How about trying this as an alternative? Ask a friend or coworker to pronounce the following: MacGillicutty, MacDuff and MacPherson. Next, have the person place the term “Machinery” after these 3 words and see what happens. Most people are likely to mis-pronounce it. This is due to the fact we (as humans) tend to think in patterns and so we don’t like what doesn’t fit.
Tip: Don’t ever assume that, just because things happened in a certain way one time, that it will RESULT the Same Way the following time!
5. Try to Grow a Fresh Perspective – Think Like A Child.
Research shows that the number of synapses, or connections, in the brain is
greater in a child than it is in an adult. Why is this? Because a child, or young toddler, has no limiting world view, as adults we do. It’s like a sculptor who starts off with a large block of clay, more than he needs, and then gradually removes the clay as he moulds his sculpture. So if we utilize our brain to think like a child, this is better. We can “open up” and accept everything without judgment, thus reversing the brain aging process a bit.
Tip: Don’t worry about the myth of age. With the right stimulus and a passion for learning, you can actually improve your brain’s powers. Seek to unlock your inner guide
6. See The Detail As Well As The Big Picture. You should try to do this: see the BIG picture, & then take a step back and hone in on the detail of the situation, problem, picture, or task at hand. This will aid you in keeping things in perspective, and in the proper context.
7. Think For Yourself. It is a shame that many organizations value high volume activity (read “results”) over taking time to do creative thinking and brainstorming. Actually, many top organizations use “group brainstorming” in order to solve hard problems, come up with fresh ideas, or improve communications & morale among its employees. In reality, it really can be wasteful (& short sighted) not to use the brains and creativity of your top personnel to come up with fresh ideas, or a creative angle on doing things. If employees are pressured to only think “a certain way”, how can ANY new ideas ever rise to the surface?
Tip: Don’t Let others determine your thinking for you, or KEEP you from contributing positively to a company or organization.
As these patterns become a natural part of your routine and you invoke these 7 techniques, you’ll be pleased with what a cinch it is to come up with fresh, innovative ideas & creative solutions to all of life’s problems.
Want to help your toddler explore and be creative? Visit Toddler Reading today