25 Jan Problem Solving

If you are someone who tends to solve problems and come up solutions that are unlike that presented by your peers, there is a good chance you are more creative than average. This assumption is based on the theory that if you ask a substantial amount of people how they observe a particular thing or setting i.e. a wardrobe in an empty room and if your answer is unique in comparison to the answers in general then you are more creative.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

Albert Einstein once said that. In order to solve problems from a different thinking than when we created them takes creativity. The higher your creativity the more likely you are to accept a different perspective to the problem and therefore a offer more possible solutions. This quote is for those out there with the need to solve problems when presented. Whether that problem arises during a hike through the woods, or while working on a highly complex web application; changing your mindset on how you see the problem can be a beneficial strategy. This quote resonates with me, and hopefully with most of you, during those eureka or aha moments after your  mind wondered away from the problem. It isn’t a coincidence the solution to problems that demand a creative approach come to your consciousness while your distracted or wandering about something completely unrelated to the problem. Next time you run into a problem that seems impossible to solve just take a break and make an effort to think about something unrelated for a bit. This is great way to give your subconscious the opportunity to bring to surface thoughts that you would have otherwise been trapped and never exposed. Give it try and see what happens! Recommended Reading A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel J. Levitin