Challenges

Restrictions breed creativity.

A great way to either get better at something is to challenge yourself to do it without the most obvious tool or method. For instance: get from your home to your office, but you can’t use your car. Or: make and eat an ice cream sundae, but you can’t use any spoons. Stuff like that.

Immediately the most basic of tasks forces you to engage creatively. You’ll figure out new methods and think in new ways in order to overcome the challenge this once-simple task now presents.

And sometimes – not every time, but sometimes – you actually find a better method, because the most obvious route isn’t always the best one.

Here’s a real-world example: go find a new job, but you can’t use any online “job boards.” Stay off of those sites. For a lot of people, that’s actually a better way to go – eliminating the most obvious tool.

Try it. Challenge yourself. See what you find.