Seven Qualities of Innovative People

By: Think Simple Now

Have you ever looked at super creative or innovative people, and felt they are special beings blessed with gifts? Have you felt that you are not as fortunate? I used to feel this way. I have since learned that creativity is more about psychology than intellect, and there are no secrets to being creative. Actually, there is no such thing as being more creative, you are already a creative being.

Here are seven habits found in highly innovative and creative people that I’ve organized and summarized from Scott Berkun’s The Myths of Innovation.

1. Persistence
Innovation involves more than just great ideas. We need faith, hard work and a laser sharp focus for the end result to keep persisting for our vision in the face of roadblocks. We tend to see the end result of a creative idea in awe, but what we don’t see are the actions, hard work and persistence behind the scene to make the vision a reality.

“Invention is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration,”—Thomas A. Edison

2. Remove Self-Limiting Inhibitions
Under the spell of inhibition, we feel limited and stuck. We need to free ourselves from these mind-created constraints by removing assumptions and restrictions. This is what we refer to when we say “think outside the box.” Encourage ourselves to be open to new ideas and solutions without setting limiting beliefs. Remember, innovation is more about psychology than intellect.

3. Take Risks, Make Mistakes
I believe that part of the reason why we create self-imposed inhibition is due to our fear of failure. Expect that some ideas will fail in the process of learning. Build prototypes often, test them out on people, gather feedback, and make incremental changes. Rather than treating the mistakes as failures, think of them as experiments. “Experiment is the expected failure to deliberately learn something.” (Scott Berkun). Instead of punishing yourself for the failures, accept them, then take your newfound knowledge and put it towards finding the best solution. Live up to your goal of producing the best result, but understand you might hit roadblocks along the way.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”—Thomas A. Edison

4. Escape
Our environment can and does effect how we feel. The more relaxed and calm we are internally, the more receptive we are to tap into our flowing creativity. This is why ideas sometimes come to us in the shower or while we’re alone. Each of us have different triggers to access our creative energy. I get into the ‘creative zone’ from sitting at my dining table, with a warm cup of chai, and my noise-canceling headphones. Many great thinkers go on long walks to help them solve problems. Experiment and find what works for you.

5. Writing Things Down
Many innovators and creative people keep a journal to jot down ideas and thoughts. Some keep a sketchbook, scrapbook, post-it notes, and loose paper. They all have a method to capture their thoughts, to think on paper, to drop their inhibitions and start the creative process. Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous notebook was purchased by Bill Gates for $30.8 Million dollars.

6. Find Patterns and Create Combinations
Ideas come from other ideas. Did you know that Edison wasn’t the first one who came up with the invention of the light bulb? He was the first to build a workable carbon filament inside a glass bulb, that made light bulbs last longer. You can increase your exposure to new ideas, look for patterns, and see how you can combine ideas to improve upon existing solutions.

7. Curiosity
Many innovators are just curious people who are inquisitive, and like to solve problems. Practice seeing things differently. For example, when seeing the solution to a problem, ask yourself, “What are some alternative ways to doing this?” Ask a lot of questions and challenge the norms or existing methods.

Here are some techniques you can apply to cultivate creativity:

• Keep a Journal - Practice writing every thought, idea, and inspiration down. Practice, brainstorming and thinking on paper.
• Solve the Opposite Problem - Scott talked about this technique. The idea is to invent and brainstorm by solving the opposite problem that you are trying to solve. So, for example, if you are trying to create “The best laptop design”, then start with ideas to create “The worst laptop design”. For each idea you come up with, flip it. For example, if “heavy and clunky” is one idea for “The worst laptop design”, then flipping that might give me “light and sleek” which can be used in “The best laptop design”.

  This technique works especially well when brainstorming in a group.The technique sounds so silly that people will become playful when answering. Humor brings down inhibition and encourages people to say things out aloud. People feel less insecure and more open.

• Find A Creative Environment - Find a relaxing or inspiring environment that triggers your creativity. Try different spots until you find some that really bring out the best in you. I alternate between my living room (which I have carefully decorated) and a couple of local coffee shops.
• Do something fun - If you’re stuck on something, shift your thoughts by going to do something fun and completely different. Come back to it with a fresh mind.
• Partnering - Find creative partnerships with another. New ideas can surface as a result of two forces that would not have been arrived by a single person. Brainstorm together.
• ‘Commit to Failure’ - “Commit yourself to taking enough risks that you will fail some of the time. If you’re not failing, we’re not doing something sufficiently difficult or creative.” -Scott Berkun
• Talk to Someone About It - I have found that when I try to articulate a particular problem to someone, that I’ll somehow articulate my solution, as well. When explaining my situation, I’m not expecting them to solve my problem, but rather act as a ‘bouncing board’ for ideas.
• **Plan for Roadblocks -Commit to efforts to overcome potential setbacks. It’s worthwhile to identify and have a plan for non-creative items that may inhibit creative thinking. Scott talked about the most common roadblocks people face: Loss of motivation, ran out of money, unable to convince key person.

http://thinksimplenow.com/creativity/7-habits-of-highly-innovative-people/

A Time Management Skill That Will Save You Hundreds of Dollars

By: Shannon McGinnis

Everyone is inundated with mail, bills, paperwork, and projects. The following time management strategy will help you concentrate, unclutter your desk, and be become organized for success.

The Fifty-Minute Hour to Sort and Organize
Set a timer for fifty minutes. During this time, focus on clearing clutter and organizing one area only. Whether this is the top of your desk, your inbox, or just one file cabinet drawer. Take a moment now to decide what area you would like to focus on for fifty minutes. Now ask yourself “What doesn’t belong here?” Scan the area. Is there food or cups on your desk? Are there papers or a project that you can pass on to someone else? Can some of those files in your drawer be relocated to long-term storage? Before you set something down, ask yourself, “Is this where this belongs?” If not, take and extra minute or two to put it in its proper place.

During this fifty-minute hour, sort the items in this area into four categories: Trash, Delegate/Donate, Recycle/Shred, or Keep. An important time and stress management tip is the one-minute task rule: if it takes less than one minute, do it now. That means that you can probably make a decision about each piece of paper on you desk in less than one minute, so decide if the paper you are holding in your hand is Trash, Delegate/Donate, Recycle/Shred, or Keep.

Trash is definitely anything broken, chipped, cracked, or any items that no longer work. If you don’t love it, need it, or use it, get rid of it. On my instructional CD, I teach you the Seven Clutter Clearing Questions as strategies for how you can eliminate clutter in your life.

Keep a Delegate/Donate bin, box, or bag in a common place in your home or office (i.e., front hall closet, laundry room, or garage) so that everyone in your house can add to it whatever they have outgrown or no longer want something. Donations are an act of generosity for others who may not be able to afford to purchase new items. “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

Recycling/Shred: it is very important that every home and office has a shredder to prevent identity theft. Have you heard about identity theft? The statistics are staggering: one in five people will have their identity stolen! If you become a victim of identity theft, your entire financial life will be disrupted for months to a year. Identity theft is preventable.

For $20 to $80, you can buy a shredder that will also cut credit cards. This is an important and necessary business expense for you, your family, and your business. I encourage you to buy the best shredder you can afford, as these important pieces of equipment have a relatively short lifespan. Please shred anything with your name and address on it, especially credit card and mortgage offers. Someone looking to steal your identity can take those credit card offers with your name and address on it and fill it out with their “recently moved” address and their signature! Then the new credit card is being mailed to their address, with their signature, and you may not find out about it until they have charged $1000s on this credit card you didn’t even know existed.

Now its time to give everything you want to keep a home, putting like items together. At the end of the year, pull out and store all of the old files in another location so that your desk has room for the files of the new year. Also remove anything completed projects or previous client files so that you have space in your file cabinets for expansion.

Try adopting this one simple strategy to help save you time and money while reducing stress. Make time for a focused, concentrated fifty-minute hour during which you do not answer the phone, check email, or other wise get distracted. I guarantee that you will become more organized incorporating this principle into your daily life.


http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22155/52778-management-skill-hundreds-dollars