Inculcating out of the box mindset!

An Idea Log of creating and developing a unique mindset of regular out of the box tactics :

1. Jot down ideas to build your creative muscle.

Write down 10 ideas, for those who remember them still write down 10 ideas as it would matter to cross delete when you go back on a repetitive one.

Ideas can be 10 books you may wish to write, 10 businesses you execute, 10 ways you deliberate on the political system, 10 status on your Watsap or 10 ways to define your CV, yourself.

At the beginning of every week, encourage 7 prompts you will jot down in a week.

Every day, pick one of those prompts and write down 10 ideas.

But by the end of the year, if you have 3,650 ideas, at least 30 of them will be worth pursuing.And along the way, you’ll be forced to think outside the box and improve your creative skills.

2. Prove Yourself Wrong

Most of us have strongly held beliefs about something…

Religion, politics, morality, philosophy. Whatever.

And most of us are wrong about (more than) a few of these beliefs.

To think outside the box, you must think in ways you’ve never thought before. And that starts by challenging your ideas on a regular basis.

If you’re a practicing Christianity or Hinduism, pick up a book by Thoreau or Kalidasa .

If you’re an ardent atheist, pick up a book on spirituality or apologetics.

If you’re a liberal, read books from conservatives and vice versa.

Challenge your ideas and, as Charlie Munger says, “Try to throw out one strong belief every year.”

If you will do this, you’ll learn to see problems from different angles and focus on FACTS and the truth over your subjective feelings. Which will make it easier for you to connect different ideas in the future.

3. Expand Your Horizons

Most ambitious people fall into what I call the “Self Help Trap”.

They read hundreds of business and personal development books that all say the same damn thing.

Instead of exposing themselves to new ideas, they consume the same information over and over and over again.

Stop.

Expand your horizons and read books that are completely unrelated to your specific industry or ambitions.

Read history, biographies, books on quantum physics, spirituality, biology, and psychology.

The more diverse your knowledge, the more diverse your thinking will be.

Expand your horizons and become a student of life (not just business and success).

4. Watch Great TV and Movies

That’s right, I’m actually encouraging you to watch more TV and movies.

With a caveat.

Whatever you watch needs to be excellent…Not entertaining, but excellent.

The movies and television shows you consume should be works of art. Whether it’s the cinematography (like Planet Earth and Life), the story telling (Breaking Bad and American Horror Story), or some combination of both (Chef’s Table), entertain yourself in a way that fosters creativity and growth.

Documentaries are your friends. And great storytelling will help you develop new ideas in a way that few other things can.

5. “What if I did the opposite”

A simple question posed by Tim Ferriss in his book Tools of Titans that has the power to change your life.

Most of us get caught up in a specific way of doing things. Whether it’s the hours we work, the places we frequent, the goals we pursue, or the people we spend time with, we get locked in habitual patterns that stunt our creativity and limit our view of the world.

So ask yourself…what would happen if I did the opposite for 48 hours?

What if you worked from 5 am to 9 am and then 4 pm to 7 pm instead of 9–5? What if you didn’t set goals around income, but impact? What if you didn’t go to parties but hosted them yourself?

This thought experiment can be insanely powerful when used correctly.

Look at areas of your life that have become mundane or frustrating and test doing the opposite.

Hope this sparks your creativity and gives you some new ideas to play with.

Stay Grounded,