Think Big
So, in addition to long-term thinking, another key to success is creative thinking. Unfortunately, this is one that many people (especially in the business world) struggle with. A common refrain is “I just don’t have a whole lot of creativity”. There are two key issues that I’d like to point out to combat this type of thinking. When you really take these keys to heart, you’ll free yourself to begin thinking creatively.
The first key is to realize that the vast majority of us are born creative. Studies have shown that 2% of adults are truly creative by the time they reach the age of 40. Studies have also shown that 2% of 30 year olds are genuinely creative. In fact, studies have shown that the 2% “creativity rate” holds true all the way down to early childhood, where approximately 90% of 5 year olds are deemed “creative”. What happens? What causes such a drastic shift? The theory posed by these individuals that conducted the studies is that children are instructed to, in a sense, abandon creativity as they grow up. With the focus on seriousness and attention to facts that begins to invade their lives as they begin school, these kids literally have the creativity squashed out of them. The ability to think creatively, to attack problems and questions from innovative angles, is not valued nearly as highly as is the ability to remember facts and retain information. Consequently, kids begin to focus on these skills and cease to use their formerly strong creative abilities.
There’s a lesson here: creativity is forgotten if you don’t use it. It follows logically that, the more you use your creative abilities, the more creative you become. Just as muscles that aren’t exercised regularly atrophy, so too does imagination and novel thinking. So, in order to become more creative, you have to focus more on exercising the creative abilities you have. It may be hard at first, and you may need to start small, but you will become better at it as time goes by.
The second key to creativity is to remember that there are no unique ideas. The greatest minds throughout history have built upon the foundations left by the thinkers before them. As such, you can rest assured that any idea you have, someone else has had before.
This may be discouraging to some, but to me, it’s a liberating concept. I don’t have to do something revolutionary in order to consider it creative! I don’t have to reinvent the wheel! I simply need to be willing to consider all possibilities for solving any of the challenges that I face on a daily basis. Many ideas have been conceived before, but not all of them have been executed properly. You don’t have to invent the mousetrap, you just have to refine the concept and execute it.
So, there you have it. Be willing to attempt creative thoughts and activities, and remember that you don’t have to do anything earth-shattering. Creativity is much less daunting if you deal with it in this fashion. You owe it to yourself to give it a shot.
