Are you one of the 75% of entrepreneurs that believe they are not living up to their creativity potential?
We have all gone through periods in our life where our creativity juices are not flowing, and find it hard to concentrate on certain tasks. The creativity side in everyone is just like a muscle, so if it’s not being used, it will be lost.
Working with hundreds of small businesses has taught me that creativity is a sometimes lacking, but with a few simple tricks, you might find yourself even more creative than ever before.
Here are 7 simple, but extremely effective ways to increase creativity as a small business owner.
1. Love What You Do
You might find yourself lacking creativity because you are in a job that you do not enjoy. There is a strong link between creativity and doing what you love because the more unhappy you are, the less likely you are to create something great.
2. Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy which in turn, increases productivity. I have recently joined a new gym, and having been loving working out 3-5 times a week as it takes away a lot of stress, leaving me ready to effectively increase my creativity.
3. Learn From Others
When my creativity is low, I always look at thought leaders in my industry, to inspire me. Regardless of whether I am looking for inspiration for content, or marketing; I always do my research to see what my peers are doing to give me the inspiration I need to come up with something creative.
4. Collaborate With Others
I have a number of great channel partners which I work with on a regular basis through articles and webinars and one of the biggest reasons why I do this is to not just build a great relationship, but to also find inspiration to create something special.
5. Relax
This is a one of the best pieces of advice I can give you. Our weeks are filled with meetings, phone calls, and various other important, time consuming tasks. To find your creativity, you need to step away from your laptop, and any other technology and just relax. Your muscles needs a break from working out 5 days a week and the same goes for your brain.
6. Ask For Advice
If I am working on a new project, I will always ask my team around me, and my family for advice and feedback. The more people you get input from, the better your product/service will be. If you are a one man band and don’t have family you can talk to about work, reach out to your audience and ask for their input.
7. Challenge Yourself
Larry Kim from WordStream said that coming up with an awful product/service idea, and find the best in this awful idea is a great way to stretch your creativity and challenge yourself and I agree. Sometimes the best way to become more creative, is to give your attention to something completely different.
I hope the ideas I have shared with you will help you increase your creativity.
What other techniques do you use to increase your productivity?