There’s an excellent line in Alice in Wonderland when the Queen says, “Sometimes I imagine 6 impossible things before breakfast.” I feel you’ll agree that this has got to be creativity at its best! As a small business owner this is a perfect goal to strive for…but how on earth are you able to open up your mind to the point where ideas just spill out?
Business owners are expected to be original and imaginative, otherwise how could they separate themselves from the pack? If you’ve got a sneaky feeling that creativity isn’t one among your strong points. What are you able to do to stimulate your brain and get the process started?
Be Unlimited
Too many people are ‘limited thinkers’. They have their world placed squarely confined in a box and not one thing can exist outside of that. If the media says something then it must be fact? Right? If Joe nearby says that something is impossible then he must be right. As a small business owner, you can’t afford to be a ‘limited thinker’. You have to be an ‘unlimited thinker’. Get into the habit of seeing no boundaries; decide that there are not any taboos. Have the assumption that with a touch of focus you’ll find an ingenious solution to all or any of your problems. This is the inspiration for an ingenious thought process.
To learn now to break the chains of the limited thinking I would suggest you check out this article by Brian Tracy titled “7 Qualities Of Creative Thinkers”
Be Future-Focused
Creative ideas invariably come when you ‘look’ into the future. The feeling of propelling yourself forward and seeing the matter solved may be a great motivator. Do you think you could achieve the same result if you were backward focused? I don’t think so! Train yourself to be future-focused, always looking ahead, not a traditional thinker who tries to find answers in today’s world.
Be a Writer
Once you open your mind to the thrill of creativity the ideas will quickly start flowing as if someone had opened the floodgates! Just like the river current, unless you catch it, the ideas they are gone forever. Capture all of your ideas by carrying a little pocket journal with you. The moment you come up with an idea…jot it down. It doesn’t matter how outlandish it is, you can look at it later before you go to sleep.
The fact you’re responding to the ideas by noting them will further encourage you to be even more creative – good deeds encourage more good deeds!
Be Clutter-Free
If you’re naturally an untidy person, then get out of the habit! A cluttered office will lead to a cluttered mind. You cannot expect your brain to figure efficiently when all it’s doing is constantly reminding you of how untidy your office is. Inorder to be more creative you have to declutter your life and free your creative juices.
Be Action-Oriented
All of those points are great, but if you don’t take any action on your ideas, then you are wasted your time…and time is important. An idea is nothing but an idea unless you’re taking imperfectly massive action to bring it to life. Periodically review your notebook and see if there are any hidden gems, or ideas which may be quickly implemented. A lot of your ideas might not might not seem worthy at the moment, but in there somewhere is perhaps a thought, which if acted upon, could change you or your business. Commit fully to push forward on as many of your ideas as you possibly can and move quickly.
Don’t be afraid to break down the boundary walls. To repeat what Thomas Jefferson said, “Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
Is you are able to apply the steps above and improve your creativity that will help you easily eliminate or separate yourself from your competition. If you want to learn more ways to do that, check out our article here titled: “2 Effective Ways To Eliminate Your Business Competition”
Let me close with one question – Are you able to be creative enough to be dismissed as a dreamer?
If the answer was no…Then get to work!
