Brainstorming Methods

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Author:
Stephen Pierce

Copyright 2005 Stephen Pierce
So, you have a problem that you need to solve quick. You have agonized over this issue for hours, days, months, or even years and you still can't resolve it. Well, don't worry my friend; the answer is already within you. You simply need to call forth your creative energy in order to bring the answer into your focused mind.
How do you do this? It is easy. You simply utilize creative problem solving, that's how. Creative what? Creative problem solving. You see, creative problem solving is the powerful act of utilizing internal out-of-the box creativity to solve everyday problems.
Creativity that is already inside of you and the good news is that it can be done by anyone with any type of problem. It matters not if you're a toddler or a sassy sexy citizen, it matters not if you are a housewife or a neurosurgeon, you can solve problems creatively and you can do it without stressing out. All you have to do is follow these basic creative problem solving steps:
1. Visualize ultimate success. Don't dwell on negative thinking for doing so will block your creative energy. Instead, you should always revel in the fact that the answer is already within you. You simply have to pull it forward from your creative mind. Visualizing failure will block your creative energy and visualizing success will bring it forward.
2. Be still and know that the answer is within you. There is absolutely no need to fear that the problem can't be solved. The answer will come to you if you stop worrying and take a more relaxed approach. Be quiet and still and allow the creative ideas to come forth. In addition, always be willing to just sit still and let your thoughts wonder freely.
3. Be patient. Don't rush the creative problem solving process. It sometimes takes a while for your creativity to solve a problem so don't become frustrated if the problem isn't resolved right away. Instead, enjoy the creative process for what it really is, an internal process and be open and receptive to allowing those new solutions to come forward.
4. Create a positive environment. The creative mind flourishes in a healthy and positive atmosphere so if you are having a hard time creatively solving a problem then you may need to create a more positive and uplifting environment. This can be done by cleaning up, adding plants, burning aromatherapy candles, or doing whatever you can to create a creative and positive environment. For once you have a creative environment in place; your creativity problem solving skills will burst forward.
5. Take time away. If possible, take some time away to really allow your creative problem solving abilities to materialize. Sometimes you need a change of scenery and other times you just need time away. However, you must be willing to give your spirit what it needs, a mini vacation to sort through your thoughts and come up with the perfect solution.
6. Engage others in the creative process. If you get stuck and can't seem to get out of a rut, it may be a good idea to discuss your problem with others. Sometimes they can provide creativity problem solving techniques that will help you. They may also be able to solve the problem for you. The important thing however is to only enlist the help of like minded and positive people like you. You don't want to ask someone to assist that will instill negative energy into your mind.
7. Meditate. Meditation is one of the best ways to engage your creative problem solving skills. By elevating yourself to a different level of consciousness you become more intoned with your thought processes and can truly see the connection better than when you are distracted. For this reason, meditation is a great way to engage creative problem solving.
By following the above basic steps, you can and will creatively solve any problem that may come your way. You'll solve problems with confidence and less stress than if you simply followed traditional methods. So, enjoy the problem solving process by using creative problem solving techniques now and for the rest of your life!
About the Author
Stephen Pierce business strategist who provides strategies that make growing profits in your business a fast reality. Learn how to get Marketing Momentum for real business success. To receive your free online video coaching visit: http://www.stephenlive.com or request your free Innovation Audit at http://www.innovationmarketers.com

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Brainpower... Mind Maps - Brainstorming for Business Success In the business world, people often hear the term "Think outside the box", with little or no explanation as to how to actually do that. Everyone is just expected to know how, figure it out, or find another job. Brainstorming sessions often lead to a slew of ideas from a group, but with little or no structure, it's difficult to tell what ideas are worth pursuing and which are wasting space. There is a brainstorming strategy that, when used with a couple of other follow-up methods, will allow for creative thoughts to come from the group and still home in on the ideas that will actually benefit the overall goal. The three steps of the strategy are mind maps, t-analysis and action plan creation. Let's look at the first step, mind maps. This step does a couple of things for a group brainstorm: it acts as an ice breaker, it gets people's brains pointing in the right direction and it can produce ideas that might not otherwise surface during just a normal call and response brainstorm session. Break your group up into smaller groups of at most 4 or 5. With each group should be a large sheet of paper (lecture board paper will do fine) and several different colored markers. The groups should be instructed to write the focus of your brainstorm in the middle of the paper and draw a circle around it. So if you were interested in brainstorming new ways to market a particular product, you'd write the product name in the middle of the paper. If you wanted to brainstorm on ways to control costs, you'd write Costs in the middle of the paper. Once this is done, instruct the groups to draw lines branching out from the center and to write down anything that relates to the central thought. Remind them several times during the exercise that it doesn't matter how relevant or not...