When we do something differently we are usually challenged to think a lot more carefully about our actions, why and how we’re doing what we do. Think back to when you had to drive on a different side of the road for the first time; whilst it’s a little fun and a little scary we are making new connections in our brain and stimulating creativity. Then, without noticing, the driving becomes automatic and a bit monotonous.  Whilst something is new we are making new neural connections and generally increasing our brain’s connectivity - which is great for creativity. To develop and maintain creativity it’s good to seek new experiences and new ways of doing things. As lazy humans we often like to settle for the familiar and do things how they’ve always been done. We seek the same solutions and use the same buzz words at work. We usually get the same results. But what would happen if you were to play opposites? The YES/NO game Challenge yourself to say no instead of yes and yes instead of no. Try blocking actions you’d normally take and permitting things you might normally stop. Try asking ‘what if we said yes this time?’ Then Work through a hypothetical situation. The worse case scenario Instead of planning an ideal outcome, plan a total disaster. What measures do you put in place for abject failure? What does this tell you about what you need for success? Start at the end Imagine a world with your solution already in place. What steps have you taken to get there in your imaginary world? Don’t speak Resist the temptation to always generate ideas verbally in a team. Challenge everyone to draw a map or a diagram of an idea and express their ideas visually, rather than verbally.

Being consistently creative is a discipline that we can each learn. We might not all by highly creative, just as we won’t all be world-class sprinters. We can, though, learn to be more creative, just as we could train to run a little faster than we do now. By learning your own creative style and strengths, it is possible to work out a training routine that ensures creativity comes just a little bit more easily to you.