THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

You’ve undoubtedly heard that it’s a good thing to think outside the box. But what exactly does that mean, why is it an amazing thing and how can it benefit your career? Without a doubt “thinking outside the box” is amongst the most widely-worn phrases in the business world. Every so often, it is also known as the process of lateral thought.  It is supposed to mean thinking creatively, freely, and off the beaten path. The quotation, or cliché, has become widely used in business environments, especially by management consultants and executive coaches, and has spawned a number of advertising slogans. Moreover, it’s the kind of thinking that — in an age of increasingly powerful algorithms and neural networks — amasses significant attention. To think outside the box is to look further and try not to think of the obvious things, but try and think beyond that!

The foundation of the phrase "thinking outside the box" is unclear; but it was popularized in part because of a nine-dot puzzle, which John Adair claims to have introduced in 1969. The puzzle proposed an mental challenge—to connect the dots by drawing four straight, continuous lines that pass through each of the nine dots, and never lifting the pencil from the paper. The problem is easily resolved, but only if you draw the lines outside the confines of the square area. The phrase "thinking outside the box" is a restatement of the solution strategy. The puzzle only appears to be difficult because we tend to imagine a boundary around the cluster of dots which ultimately becomes our biggest clampdown.

Below are the strategies that can help you think “outside the box”— in the way that the origin of the term suggests:

·        Ask kids what they would do- with their striking imaginations, thought- innovation comes naturally to them.

·       Conduct idea-association- Write a word or phrase. Draw a circle around it. Draw a branch and a related word or phrase. Circle that. Repeat. The practice unlocks new ideas and thoughts.

·        Being discrete - If you aim at the same target everyone else is aiming for, your shots will end up where everyone else’s do. My point is that the minute you introduce a goal in your thinking, you’re introducing a limitation. Your mind now has a direction, and it will tend to go in that direction. This is why so many businesses bring in outside consultants to help come up with new ideas. The consultants don’t carry the burden of constraints on their thinking. They can dream up and provide with wild new ideas that get people excited and lead to innovative launches.

·        Pour your ideas onto paper- Also known as freewriting, it is the act of picking a topic, setting a timer for a short amount of time, and writing as fast as you can without stopping to edit. The timer adds some pressure to keep writing, forcing your brain to think creatively instead of conventionally.

·        Learning something new- Taking new classes can help you look at the things you already know how to do from a completely different point of view.

·        Expand your horizon of thinking- Keep every realm of thinking on the table. Don’t discount anything as unrelated or unconnected. It is often that kind of thinking that creates the kind of problems that demand “outside of the box” thinking in the first place.

By Anjali

(CONTENT WRITER)

#Thinkandcreate #Thinkbeyond  #Thinkoutside #Eliminateyourboundary #Banishyourconstraint #Ideasontopaper #Ideasattractsuccess #Growyourintellect