EDUCATION
Learn How to Think Better
Everything in the world today began life as a single thought
Creative problem solving is not something that I learned at school. It simply wasn’t on the curriculum.
Our brain is a muscle. It responds to training in much the same way as our bodies. When we lift weights our muscles grow. If we exercise our brain, our cognitive function improves, our ability to think grows.
“Don’t shy away from living your own truth.”
— Sean Kernan
You can learn to think better. We all can. This applies to everyone. If we put in the effort we can improve our thinking ability.
This article will discuss creative thought for a better future.
Think about it
Thinking is an untapped resource for some. Yet creative thinking is one of the most sought after skills in the world today.
Businesses seek out and pay highly for thinkers, intelligence, expertise when hiring a consultant or an employee.
Business investment is driven by the potential gain from a consultant or a person's ability to solve problems. Business problems.
Yet highly qualified people can lack the ability to solve problems. In contrast, unqualified people can learn to be effective problem solvers.
Innate intelligence is not as important as how well we think.
Motivation
Personal growth is a great motivator. Teaching people how to improve their thinking, improves their thinking. It’s true. We all believe that effort to improve our thinking increases our intelligence, thus encouraging effort.
That said, learning how to exercise our brains by making time for regular practice leads to improved results.
Facilitators that praise effort, not intelligence, is a motivating factor in education. Research found that students who are taught to develop a growth mindset perform better with better grades than those who are not.
Our brains are like muscles — the initial effort is high before getting easier.
Read and share
The brain is a muscle. I can't stress this enough. Like any muscle our brains need stimulation to grow. Reading exercises your brain and encourages those around you to do likewise.
Information that we acquire from reading improves our thinking ability.
Most people have never read a business book. In fact, close to one in three people do not read books at all.
Encourage your friends and family to read. To read with purpose, taking notes and sharing what they’ve learned — learning together is a powerful ally.
“After years of personal growth, I can say books played a significant role in my development. During the last five years, I read one book per week.”
— Sinem Günel
The lesson from Sinem is to invest in a bookcase and fill it with brain nutrients — books.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurs are thinkers. Many entrepreneurs that I work with make time for thinking exercises in their daily routine. They even introduce thinking exercises at meetings, inviting creative thought from others — it’s their source of energy.
Daily brainstorming is an inherent trait in entrepreneurs.
Some entrepreneurs can come across as crazy. Labeled as weird by fellow professionals. But trust me, they're crazy smart.
Entrepreneurs know when their team is thinking creatively they’ll figure things out. Unlock new ideas. Discover better ways of doing things.
“If you haven’t been told “You’re weird” a few times along the way, you aren’t doing it right.”
— Sean Kernan
For entrepreneurs, thinking is the incubator for innovation.
Final Thoughts
We all have the ability to improve our thinking. Exercising our brains to think more creatively is our duty as human beings.
To conclude, below are 10 tips to develop your creative muscle.
- Develop mind maps — How is one idea connected to another?
- Create an ideas bank — Record every idea, think of it as a savings account that will payout in time.
- Reverse conventional thought — Challenge assumptions: If we change this or do something else what would happen?
- Reconsider the features of a brand, product, or service — How could this be different, be better?
- Investigate viewpoints: Opinions that support or resist — Ask why? Then ask again, in fact never stop asking.
- Learn, adapt, and connect things — Be forever curious.
- Imagine the future — What does the world need? What will it look like? What changes can I bring to the table?
- Groupwork — Solve problems collectively. Find the balance between ticking off agenda items alone and with others.
- Embrace good and bad ideas — Ask questions of others, good and bad. Keep an open mind to cultivate breakthrough ideas.
- Read — Get into the habit of reading, every day. Reading dissolves the boundaries of thought to unlock the impossible. Reading is the nutrient for invention.
Walk a mile in their shoes — Picture yourself as someone else, change your viewpoint, and imagine the world from a whole new perspective.
What do you see? How do you feel? What are you thinking?
Ask questions. Read. Solve problems. Write. Think in a group. Think alone and break things.
Our ability to think creatively, to solve problems, is what sets us apart. But there’s always room for improvement.
To paraphrase the words of George J. Ziogas, “get off the ‘I need approval from others’ merry-go-round” and start thinking smarter.
Your thinking is of vital importance to invent tomorrow.
