6 simple habits to be creative, according to science | People management

The Inc. website. listed six simple habits you can apply to your routine to make your ideas more innovative. Check it out below:

1. Have a creative attitude

For Robert Sternberg, a psychologist and professor at Cornell University, creativity begins when you decide to go against the grain. This means that many people will think that you are wrong, after all you are looking for something new and different.

Sure, Airbnb’s founders were labeled crazy by some when they proposed that people rent out rooms in their own homes to strangers through the digital platform. Just as it may have happened with the founders of Uber: how can we believe that people will drive their cars to transport strangers from one place to another?

Being creative means being seen as different, and that may not always be positive – at least for a while.

The first idea that comes to mind, generated from a familiar view of the problem, is usually not the best solution to a question. For example: you are a leader and believe that an employee is performing less than necessary due to a lack of motivation. Of course, this will be the reasoning you will follow to solve the problem.

To be creative, pretend the first answer that pops up doesn’t exist. Pretend that the problem cannot be solved this way. By taking this option off the table, even for a moment, you train yourself in new ways of finding solutions.

Sternberg has the theory of the creative triangle:

• Have the courage to question your faith
• Having the courage to go against the beliefs of others
• Have the courage to challenge the status quo

If you want to do something different, you need the courage to embrace what you don’t normally do. You also have to deal with other people’s questions about your idea, first from those closest to you and later from the public.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has said that he believes that evidence of high intelligence is open to change of mind and new perspectives.

Creative people seek new information and perspectives. They may have strong opinions, but these ideas are easily shot down. Making mistakes is part of the creative process.

5. Embrace contradictions

Do you have an idea for a new business but don’t have enough capital to get it off the ground? Accepting contradictions can lead you to look at an old problem in a new way, also to find solutions that were not originally thought of. When there is a shortage, you have to think outside the box to make things happen.

6. Sleep is good for creativity

According to a study published in Journal of Business Venturingpeople who sleep little:

• They have worse ideas than those who are rested
• Has a harder time distinguishing between good and bad ideas
• They are more impulsive

According to researchers, rest for entrepreneurs is key to creativity. 77% of the daily variation in creativity comes from individual variation, but only 23% is related to other people. In other words: other entrepreneurs may be creative, but if you’re rested and energized, you’ll be much more creative than your sleep-deprived self.