8 Habits of Creative People

If you are someone who thinks that he or she does not have a single inventive bone in their body, you my friend, are dead wrong. While not everyone can be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs but you can surely optimize your brain for creativity by adapting and abandoning a few simple habits.

1. Meditate & Avoid Staying Up Late:

Do Meditate. Studies show that those who meditate daily for at least 30 minutes have better focus.

Don’t Stay Up All Night. You’ll have less capacity to learn. You need deep sleep for deep insights.

2. Don’t Hesitate to Experiment:

Do Be A Sponge. Constantly try new things. Seek out new viewpoints, places, ideas, music, and even food.

Don’r Wait For Inspiration. Give yourself the time and energy to address your most challenging questions.

3. Trust Yourself & Be Open To Ideas:

Do Trust Yourself. When people believe they can grow their brainpower, they become more curious and more open-minded and less likely to give up.

Don’t Go It Alone. Consider generating ideas solo, then bringing them to a group for more insights. Complex problems often require multiple viewpoints.

4. Get Inspired but Don’t Be A Blind Follower:

Do Model The Greats. Think, What are smart people doing, what can that teach me?

Don’t Be A Sheep. Just because someone else is doing it, doesn’t mean it works for you. Inspiration isn’t imitation.

5. Observe More & Pass Less Judgement:

Do Pay Attention. Listen closely. Be observant and informed. Be patient and in the moment.

Don’t Pass Judgement. The creative process is just that: a process. Work to understand the problem, not just to solve it.

6. Be Optimistic:

Do Say “Yes.” Great improv actors listen to one another and build a scene with each new comment. They have open minds and think on their feet to move ideas forward.

Don’t Say “That Never Works.”  Old patterns only bring old results. Research shows that repetitive thinking etches grooves into the brain, reinforcing the old at the expense of the new.

7. Always Reason but Don’t Argue:

Do Push Back. To truly innovate, you must diverge from the norm. Question assumptions; draw out new solutions by asking pointed, open-ended questions.

Don’t Argue. New ideas require risk. People need to know it’s safe to express new thinking.

8. Keep Moving On:

Do Get Moving. Let the body wander, and your mind will follow. According to a recent study, during and after a short walk, creative output and thinking increase 60%.

Don’t Be Lazy. Challenging ideas and even hobbies, better prepare you for divergent thinking.

So don’t save creative thinking for last-minute brainstorming sessions, make it a way of looking at your world.

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