5 Exercises to Improve Creative Thinking Skills

Creative Thinking Skills

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein

There are loads of exercises you can try to boost your creativity during these trying times. Doing regular activities to improve your cognitive abilities can improve your memory, you can work better, and boosts your overall mood.

Studies have shown that our brains shrink in performance when we’re burdened by chronic stress, so exercising your mind can actually be a great idea to jumpstart your creativity. Do one or more of the tactics below to stay sharp and focused on your work during this uncertain time.

Read: 6 Ways to Keep a Healthy Mindset During Uncertain Times

Do a hands-on activity.

You may practice doing something rather than learning from books, articles or magazines. It can be a chore like organizing your desk, cleaning your living space, or preparing your favorite snack. It will be a big help to refresh your brain and come back to your workload with full energy and vigor. 

Do a visual note-taking.

In sketchnoting, you can do visual notes created from a mix of handwriting, drawings, shapes, and visual elements to keep your creative gears up. Through sketchnoting, you might unlock fresh ideas and it will help you make yourself feel more accomplished and motivated. You can also do this to share ideas and tools to your team.

Do mindstorming.

Perhaps the best method of stimulating creative thinking is what is called the 20-Idea Method, or mindstorming. What you need to do is to take a problem that you have and write 20 possible solutions. Doing this tactic can stretch your problem-solving muscles. This isn’t only practices your creativity but also upholds your confidence in the face of business obstacles. 

Read: 5 Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Must Avoid When Scaling a Business

Test your efficiency with time tracking.

A simple gamification can help boost productivity. It is about how quickly you can complete a task on your to-do list. By setting a time-tracker, it allows you to be productive at unprecedented levels. Tracking time helps in identifying problems and making strategic plans to improve productivity for next time. By this, you can measure your output and race against the clock.

You can conduct self-studies to understand your time management skills whether it is helping you reach your business goals. It is also the key to an understanding how you spend your time, personally and in business. It is key to productivity, insight, and a healthy workflow. Knowing which tasks take the most of your time, you can reflect on whether that time is well spent.

Embrace freewriting.

Since the common obstacle to problem-solving is block to apathy, this method will help to fully filter ideas. When you write continuously for a set period of time without regard to spelling, grammar, or topic, it produces raw and new ideas. If you need to shatter writer’s block, this approach may do the trick, especially for entrepreneurs who thrive in high-pressure situations.

You can go to Squibly’s Most Dangerous Writing App to practice freewriting. This free desktop app lets you assign a length of time to write about continuously. If you pause for more than five seconds, everything you’ve written will be erased. 

Above all, the ability to focus on innovative solutions is valuable than ever, especially with these times in our economic climate. With these methods, you can sharpen entrepreneurship and increase your sales to elevate your innovation even during a pandemic.

Read: Why This Habit Is More Important Than Technical Skills