The one key habit to boost your creativity
Did you try the method to trigger your creative thinking and generate new ideas? Did it help you? If you feel you are still missing something or need to try another method, this article is for you. I will discuss the key habits that will help you boost your creativity and develop that creative edge.
Often, people dismiss creativity as the poor cousin of value creation or as a decoration that you add on top of a valuable, serious business proposition, like simple glazing on a cake. Creativity, however, is a vital part of value creation! Without it, we wouldn’t be able to innovate or progress. So, if you feel stuck, this key habit will help you flex your creative muscles and nourish your creative soul:
Spend time alone in the morning
Yes, alone. Yes, in the morning. Yes, time.
One of the main definitions of creativity in current literature and research is “the process of having original ideas that have value.” To have original ideas, you must achieve a level of disconnection from other people’s ideas.
Isolate to focus on yourself
When I say alone., I mean truly alone, as in NO mobile phones (leave it in another room if needed). Offline, disconnected. Just because people send you messages doesn’t mean you must read and answer them immediately. If you can’t help but check if what you are receiving might be urgent, mentally redefine this time as unavailable. Imagine that you are as busy as being in a meeting with your most important client or investor. It will be hard to disconnect in the beginning, but soon, you will discover that you can clear your mind and start your day way more relaxed and focused instead of worried or stressed. Think of it as almost like meditating, but you don’t have to be with your eyes closed, you can take time to read the newspaper, have coffee while you read a book or listen to your favorite album.
The best time: the morning
It’s sweet to think there are other moments of the day you can control (unless you have kids: then the night and early morning aren’t wholly yours and predictable either). But trust me, the morning is your best option. As soon as you leave the house — or sometimes, as soon as you look at your pending messages or lost calls — your mind spirals into what other people want of you. Their ideas. Their priorities. Their agendas. Use the moment of the day after sleeping and having been somewhat alone (either in dreams or in reality) to stay alone for a little longer and think about your ideas, priorities, and agenda.
I can already hear you say: OK, Ramón. I’m here, alone, in the morning, with my coffee (we’ll talk about coffee another day). What do I do now? What if I feel depleted, somewhat sad, and not creative? What if all I want to do is unlock my phone or laptop and start with the million pending things I have to do?
You-time
Every result requires an investment: in this case, it’s time, your time. The morning is the perfect time to devote some minutes to yourself. Think of it as the minutes you would have snoozed the alarm button — but you didn’t, because something good awaits you (remember Christmas morning? Or the morning of your birthday?). This time is a fun time; it’s your time. Once you conquer it, you won’t want to give it back.
As this is the first morning, you only have to find your favorite spot in the house: comfy, cozy, well-lit, and sit there in silence for a few minutes.
Try not to have any idea at all.
Did it work?
Of course not. I bet millions of things were racing through your mind. But pat yourself on the back because you’ve successfully started a habit.
Once you have mastered granting yourself a couple of minutes in the morning, you can begin to try three creativity prompts during your you-time that will help you trigger your creativity faster: a fun warm-up (it can be anything, from 5 minutes of yoga to running 10km), followed by a short meditation (it will help you focus and be in the present moment) and, of course, pen and paper (to write down anything that may come to your mind).
Want to know more about these prompts? Check out this post, where I explain each of them in detail and give you more ideas to make the most out of your time in the morning.
