Be creative this year!

It is a new year, and with it comes new plans, new strategies and renewed ambitions. And rightly so, every new start signals yet another chapter to try something new, or refocus on something good already planned. There is a reason for each one of us to set a new standard. To evolve into a better being, to change into what we have always wanted to become. Change, a great philosopher once said, is the only constant thing in our lives. Any standard we can set for ourselves is achievable, because I strongly believe that there is no such thing as a target that is too high to be achieved, just unrealistic timelines. We have all set our focus on how to be more productive, eat healthy, jog every day, hit the gym…etc. but somehow we never get to lift our weights around our goals. This means we never get the consistency and rhythm that is needed to achieve significant results. Last year, I had set a target of reading a specific number of books, amongst other life improving activities. Needless to say, like most of us, I did not make half way through my list, but 2019 is the year! Right? The New Year is always the year! James Clear, a New York Time’s bestseller describes in his book ‘Atomic Habits’ how we ought to start small and focus on consistently changing minimal habits for an overall change that we want to see. Clear uses scientific studies to show how just 1% change, with the right consistency will give very interesting, even shocking results over time. If you want to start reading books, do not create a long list, just pick up the first book and read a page a day! Do this over a period of time and before you know it, you will have the right momentum to keep going. Then pick another. I have chosen to be creative this year. We have been told, even inspired to be hardworking, to work smart, to have the right attitude… but guess what, this culminates in creativity. Working smart with the right attitude seldom leads to being creative. Become a creative person this year, and results are guaranteed in all aspects of life; in the work place, at home, in relationships etc simply because you will be able to see the world better and respond with agility that will always elevate you to a vantage point. Being creative basically means you have considerable cognitive flexibility, you are able to communicate easily and more effectively and you have the intellectual curiosity on how situations and tasks can be handled better, because there is always a better way of doing whatever it is that you are tasked with. Solve your own situations with creativity and soon enough it will be your own way of life. The world is earnestly looking for problem solvers and as such, only creative thinkers will find the spot in it. One great Hungarian mathematician called Prof George Polya made fundamental contributions to combinatorics and problem solving analysis, which is a great piece of work, which I consider to be great place to start in our quest for creativity. Prof Polya summarized problem solving as a 4 step process; • Understanding the problem: When faced with a problem, or a situation, as are all days of our lives, never dive into problem solving mode before fully understanding the problem itself. If you do, as it has been proven, you only reduce the chances you have at a brilliant solution to mediocrity. At best, this can only end up in problem pushing/shelving, or what we call sweeping under the carpet. Even worse, you will end up creating even worse problems and inevitably blame game. • Make a plan; Once the problem is properly understood and the necessary problem solving tools identified, spend some time studying to fully develop a full circle step by step analysis of how you will apply the skills and knowledge you have, using the tools and time at your disposal to reach at the best and most preferred outcome. Check whether the informations and skills you have are sufficient to arrive at a solution and hey Presto! If you realize you do not have enough resources to provide a solution, planning will enable you to get an understanding of how and where to get the necessary information you need to arrive at a desired solution. • Implement your plan; what good is a plan if the plan is just a plan? After all, the point of all this exercise is to carry out this plan to resolve the issue at hand. This is actually what problem solving is all about. And finally, • Consider your solution, and ask yourself ‘How could it be better?’ At this point, we are asking critically about the genesis, solution and implementation of the solution. What was the root cause of the problem? And how can we make sure it doesn’t recur? One of the easiest and most detrimental options that people tend to take is to look at the problem from a bird’s eye view and ask ‘who caused this?’ And then ‘who can we blame for it?’ This I can guarantee is a quickfix that only compounds the issue and doesn’t add any value. You may be convinced that finding the culprit is a top priority but I encourage you to focus on the main issue and not fall for quick hacks, however seductive that might be. It appears to work in the short run but in the long game, it a dangerous adventure that will kill you far more quickly than putting in the work for a sustainable solution. Focus all your energy on the real issue and always try to keep a clean and open mentality and positive results are almost guaranteed. Do not cut corners, that is not creativity.