Stop Being Self Centered: Strategies for Broader Creative Thinking

Occasionally, we get so caught up in our daily routine of going through our comfortable motions of life as we've established them that to shift gears suddenly and do something totally different, or think about something from a completely different cognitive perspective than our own can surprisingly be quite a challenge. It is not that we are selfish or rigid in our beliefs, it is simply that by human nature we develop habits. And while these habits allow us to proceed with our lives in a fairly organized and functionally healthy manner, it is good exercise for everyone to practice moving outside of their own thinking mind from time to time.

Getting out of your own way, logic thinking, process thinking and cognitive perspectives that allow for pondering outside of your thinking mind all serve to describe the practice of forcing yourself to approach situations or ideas from perspectives you may not have ordinarily ever considered. This act is also referred to sometimes as thinking outside of the box. Not only is the regular habit of undertaking this challenge important to help strengthen your relationships with other people, but it also can be an excellent tool to help you succeed in your traditional or freelance career. Thinking outside the box is a challenging way to play with the abstract parts of your thinking mind. It leads to creativity, inspiration and very often an explosion of ideas for writing or artwork.

If you tend to be a practical thinker and often find abstract or more creative and less defined language and artwork difficult to follow or understand, I would encourage these thinking outside of the box and thinking mind exercises even more. And for those who are not lacking in any sort of abstractness, well, then you are already prepared for this creative thinking fun.

Use the following ideas as starter points to help you get out of your own thinking mind and view things from new perspectives. Adapt them as you so desire to suit your own needs and enjoyment: