This post is inspired by a quote from Albert Einstein: “A problem cannot be solved at the level of consciousness in which it occurs.”
Think about one problem you’re currently dealing with and find a completely different way to solve it. To create new ways of doing things, we have to think very differently about possible solutions. This requires us to actually “see” differently, that is, we must be able to look at our difficulties with a completely different perspective in order to create new solutions to them.
One of the great benefits of working on a team is that you can ask a team member how she or he views a situation. In asking for another’s point of view, we gain a different perspective, and this allows us to see something in a new way. This then enables us to also seek a different solution.
Changing your environment can alter your perspective, too. How oftenhave you found yourself sitting at your desk laboring over possible solutions to a problem, just to find that your mind is continuing to circle around the same solutions you’ve already tried that aren’t working? If at that moment you decide to get up and take a short walk outside, you can easily change your state of mind and have access to more creative thoughts. It’s as though the cobwebs have cleared, and you can literally see the problem and possible solutions in a different light.
I often ask my husband how he might solve the problem. We have very different approaches to problem solving and his perspective always gives me more food for thought.
Try experimenting with different ways to solve a problem. If you’re able to allow an outside influence to alter the way you see a problem, you may find the right solution.
Kathleen