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By Beverly K. Bachel
When you feel like screaming, "I'll never come up with anything creative!", it's time to turn to goal setting. Setting goals will not only help you become the successful person you aspire to be, but goal setting can foster creativity.
Ironically, when we most need creativity, we tend to be in an emotional state where creativity is least accessible. Fear and distress shuts off the part of the brain where creativity and problem solving live. Maintaining a clear, confident, goal-setting frame of mind is the antidote to fear and the wellspring of creativity.
Here are the top five ways goal setting can help foster creativity:
1. It helps you take risks.
2. It pushes you out of old, familiar grooves.
3. It helps you make mistakes freely.
4. It helps you stay organized.
5. It helps you accomplish new things.
So how do you get on the goal-setting path? Here are some ideas to get you started:
Think outside the box
Break out of familiar grooves. For example, set a goal to spend five minutes every morning coming up with a new answering machine message that may reflect your mood or attitude. Have fun with it.
Make connections between two unfamiliar things
Every day, make it your goal to think of five different ways you can combine two unrelated things to produce something new. For example, a book and a bubble, or a chair and a wheel. Freewheeling propels you toward inspiration.
Go after what you're afraid of
Write down one thing every day that you're afraid to do, and do it. Invite a prospective employer out for lunch. Volunteer to sing in the church choir. You may be surprised at the creativity that will flow once you leave your comfort zone.
Change your perspective
Next time you're stuck on a particular problem, think about it from another person's (or animal's) perspective. How would your grandmother view the situation? Your dog? Set a goal to view a situation from another viewpoint at least once a day.
Hone in on your target
Divide your big goal into small pieces. Chopping up big things into little things not only makes your goal more attainable, it also give you more hooks to explore and solve the problem, which may add up to produce a remarkable evolution.
Need some motivation to keep you on track? Here are some tips to help keep you moving toward your goals:
1. Write them down. Write your goals and the date by which you want to achieve them on a piece of paper, and keep them in visible places so they will serve as constant reminders.
2. Ask questions. Stuck on your goal? Write down every thought that pops up in your mind when you're trying to solve a particular problem. For example, "Why is this taking so long?" or "What do I know about this problem?" or "What other kind of problem can I relate this to?" Questions whet our appetites for ideas and provide the means of cooking up new ideas, as well.
3. Spread the word. Telling friends and family what you intend to accomplish helps hold you to your word.
4. Give yourself a reward. After successfully meeting a deadline or taking one step toward accomplishing your goal, reward yourself with a phone call to a friend, renting your favorite video, a night to yourself, or another incentive that will keep you motivated.
5. Visualize your success. Your mind produces what it dwells on. If you see yourself reaching your goal with ease, you're far more likely to succeed. And the more often you visualize your success, the more motivated you'll feel
6. Ask for help. It's true that reaching a goal is a personal process. But this doesn't mean you can't ask for help when you need it. Believe it or not, people in your life (family, friends, coworkers) will most likely want to help in any way they can.
Making goal setting a part of your everyday routine will lead you to a wealth of creativity and accomplishment. So what are you waiting for? Get goaling!
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Beverly Bachel is a writer, artist, consultant, business owner and author of What Do You Really Want? How to Set a Goal and Go For It! A Guide for Teens (Free Spirit, 2001). To purchase a copy of her book, contact Bev at bbachel@qwest.net.
Welcome to the place where you can finally get to work on your dream!
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