Creativity is an important aspect of our productivity. Think MacGuyver who seems to always have the solution to a problem or even Wile E. Coyote with his countless hilarious yet ingenious attempts at capturing the Road Runner. Simply defined, creativity is the ability to come up with solutions to a problem with the resources you have on hand.
Thank heavens for systems and technology for amplifying our productivity in the workplace. But even the most advanced Xorcom IP PBX or the latest high-end computer armed to the teeth pale in comparison to a sharp and creative mind when it comes to being productive at the workplace.
10 Ways to Develop Greater Creativity for Greater Productivity
1. Resolve to keep growing creatively.
For you to keep moving forward with your creativity, you need to commit to it daily. Set goals that you need to accomplish every day in this area and ask others to help you out by keeping you accountable.
2. Stay curious.
Instead of reprimanding yourself for your curiosity, you must look for different ways to explore and learn new things. When it comes to creativity, curiosity is not an indulgence but a necessity.
3. Take risks.
Staying within your comfort zone isn’t a bad thing. However, when you start settling in it, you limit your growth until it gets to the point that you become stagnant. Learn how to take risks in different ways every day.
4. Develop greater confidence in yourself.
One of the roadblocks of creativity is insecurity. Most people who suffer from insecurity are restrained by it creatively. They feel that what they have to offer has little to no significance and is laughable at best. However, those who dare to take risks become more confident especially when they learn new lessons with each and every failure and success.
5. Set aside regular time to create.
No matter how busy you are, find time in your schedule daily to do something creative. Draw, write, sculpt, make music, tinker, come up with ideas, anything that gets your brain working, even if your ideas may seem illogical. Your goal is to create, not to rationalize.
6. Do not be afraid of failure.
Somebody once said that practice is a controlled failure. This is perhaps one of the best ways to break a person’s mindset about creativity.
7. Learn to look at things from different perspectives.
They say there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Similarly, there are other promising ways to handle a situation. You just need to learn how to see things from different points of view and consider all the possibilities you can think of.
8. Look for other sources of inspiration.
When you feel like you’ve ended up in a dead-end, take a break and look for inspiration elsewhere. The more you do this, the better at it you become. Even if your brain stops working, it never does especially when you expose it to something that breaks its monotony.
9. Keep a creativity journal.
Have a creativity journal handy for all of your ideas, no matter how simple or ridiculous they may be. You might not have any use for them now but perhaps sometime soon, they’ll be valuable to you and your work.
10. Keep challenging yourself.
Don’t settle for where you’re at. The moment you do, you start becoming comfortable. While comfort is good, it also leads to a plateau. You need to continually and consistently challenge yourself creatively. Look for ways to solve problems or create something new and different. It is only when you push your limits that you grow and expand.
Creativity should never be taken lightly, especially when it comes to being productive. It is not just limited to artists and creative people. It is a skill that can be learned with constant practice and use. So yes, it is very possible even for you to become ultra-creative.
