The Answer to Your Problems in 10 Letters!
Seeking answers to the meaning of life? Got a problem to solve? I have the answer for you -
It’s Crosswords!
Probably….
Problem Solving
Regular blog readers will know that I love crosswords. My favourite is the Sunday one which is particularly cryptic and takes me most of the week to complete (I say ‘complete’; usually there is one clue that drives me bonkers and I never solve!)
Over time I have got to know the style of the setters and try and tune into it on starting. So some I know will be tilting towards anagrams and others have a bias toward general knowledge for example. So when looking for clues that’s where I start; I’m either looking for anagrams or dredging up my general knowledge.
Stuck with a Problem?
And when I get stuck I put the puzzle down and pick it up the next day when the answer will often be staring me in the face! How could I possibly have missed it the day before?
The truth is of course, that I have been looking at the same problem for too long and got stuck in my self imposed terms of reference. As in:
“This is probably an anagram as the same amount of letters are in the clue as in the grid and this setter loves anagrams.”
When I take a fresh look and (crucially) forget about the anagram thing I seem to leave space in my mind for the answer to appear!
Like life, eh? Sometimes we have a problem that we’re just stuck with no matter how much time we have devoted to solving it. Sometimes we need a fresh pair of eyes to look, either our own or someone else’s. And sometimes we have to let go of our sacred cows, our own internally imposed restrictions and parameters.
Problem Solving Exercise
If you’re problem is a person try to imagine them as someone else. Let go of your preconceived ideas of what you think they are like and try to really LISTEN to them afresh. Imagine you know almost nothing about them. Your ideas of where they are coming from probably means you’re not really hearing them but instead are:
a) thinking of your next riposte
or
b) only hearing the bits that fit your preconceived idea of what and who they are.
Neither is particularly helpful in arriving at a good outcome.
And if your problem is not people focussed, try leaving it for a while and coming back to it. Go for a walk, try doodling, listen to music. Put your focus elsewhere and give your brain a boost and then come back to it and get creative!
If you enjoyed this, take a look at this article from the archives on problem solving. If you’re facing a problem there’s lots of advice on the blog – hope it’s helpful to you!
And if you’ve been thinking about working one to one I have some spaces available very soon! Give me a call on 01761 438749 or use the contact page. I promise you I don’t talk in anagrams!
Photo Credit: Katia Grimmer-Laversanne
Are You Colourful Enough?
If you follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn you will probably have heard me talking about my trip to the spa recently. I went with my daughter as my darling family seemed to think I needed a treat and who was I to argue?
It was wonderful, pure and unadulterated relaxation. One of the most relaxing and yet stimulating ‘activities’ (if you can call lying on a couch in a white towelling robe an activity) was also one of the most simple.
It was in a circular room, draped in white fabric tented style with luxurious seating, candles, low lighting and soft birdsong type music. All the senses were indulged. In the centre were four different sized glass columns full of gently bubbling water which changed colour every few minutes. The effect was very gentle and calming yet sitting there I did more thinking about Life and the Universe than I have in ages. It was a great experience for my business as well as for my health.
Colour Your Life
It’s well known that colour can have a great effect on our imaginations and problem solving abilities. Yet I still visit workplaces which are dull and uninspiring, where the dominant colour is battle ship grey. If you work in such a place you are probably not consciously aware of the dulling effect it may have on you.
So try and jazz it up. Introduce some colour into your workplace, maybe with plants, posters, crayons on desks. This is particularly important if you don’t have access to a window and can’t see natural light. In those circumstances orange (sun like) can be a good colour to introduce somehow. Have some fun.
Some companies instinctively do the right thing. For example,I am in discussion with a large organisation looking with some advice for managers in helping staff be more creative, more involved and energised. They have chosen a very stimulating environment for this day and are busy incorporating lots of fun in amongst the serious stuff. I know they will get at least as good results, if not much better, than if they had gone down the standard team day route!
How much colour is there in your life? How could you zest up your life with a little bit of colour and relaxation?
Talk to Yourself!
Have you tried talking to yourself lately?
One of the reasons people find coaching so helpful is that it gives them an opportunity to rehearse ideas with a neutral person. We often don’t know what we think until we say it loud.
Sometimes we have an idea that we’re not actually ready for the world to hear because we haven’t heard it made real.
Mirror, Mirror
If you find yourself in this position, try this. Stand in front of your mirror and pitch the idea to yourself!
Think about it as your literal reflection time!
Who helps you bring ideas to fruition?
Boost Your Creativity in 3 Minutes!
Any time you’re feeling jaded and a bit lacklustre in your thinking, try this quick mental booster in creative thinking.
Look
Spend one minute looking at the pot of tulips opposite. Notice everything you can about that picture, the light playing on the boards behind, the various colours in the petals, the shades of the leaves, the type of fencing in the background. Really play close attention to the picture.
As you observe the details of the picture, just be conscious of how you are breathing. Don’t do anything to your breathing, just notice it while looking at the gorgeous spring tulips.
Invent
Now for one minute invent a story to go behind the picture. Who put them there? Where are they? where did they come from? Amsterdam? By air? By sea? Home grown? Who picked them? Who planted them? Who took the photo?
Allow your imagination to wander where it will for one full minute.
Doodle
And for your final minute doodle your own bunch of tulips or any flower you care to imagine!
Three minutes to refresh your thinking!
Do let me know what techniques and tips you use to refresh your thinking!
Think Weird!
When I’m working with groups at seminars, or one to one coaching, I often ask them to think weird!
Surprisingly, weird thinking can produce amazing results. When we have an issue or problem to work on I’ll often ask people to come up with as many solutions as they can. They can have as many sensible thoughts as they like as long as they include at least one that is completely bonkers and off the wall!
It is amazing how often the off the wall idea can be tamed into submission and become the one eventually used to solve the problem. This is because when we’re thinking in a left brain logical way we continually judge and censor our thoughts. When we really let our imagination run wild we are accessing the right side of brain which is creative. It helps us tap into our subconscious and produce more original thoughts. And it makes us smile!
So, next time you are faced with what seems an insoluble problem, think weird. It’ll really open your mind to life’s possibilities!
Slow Down Your Thinking
Slow Thinking
The idea of slow thinking feels contrary to our Western take on problem solving. However, there has been some scientific research that demonstrates that the more patient, slow type of thinking is more effective than deliberate, logical thinking when we are trying to solve a problem that is ill defined; when we don’t know exactly what we are looking for, what the parameters are, or simply where to start.
You will probably have experienced this already. For example, how often do good ideas come to you at odd moments, maybe in the shower, or when you are on the brink of sleep and your brain waves have slowed but you are still awake? (Incidentally, this is why visualisations are so successful as they take your mind to that point just before sleep but leave you mentally alert).
Allowing your mind time to unwind is not a luxury, or being lazy, but positively good for you. So when you next have a problem to solve don’t force yourself to an answer.
Contemplate
To tap into these slow ways of knowing, or our inner wisdom, we need to throw off for a time our Western need to do everything fast, know why we are doing it, and have a theory to explain it. This was well 
understood by many of the great thinkers of our time. Einstein, for example, was often found just sitting in his office staring into space and Sir John Harvey Jones (ex-Chair of ICI) said that a meeting without long silences meant that no one was thinking.
In my seminars and courses I always try to build in some reflective space. I encourage participants just to wander for a while, actually or figuratively, to allow some of the ideas and strategies simply to percolate round in their head. It’s something we rarely get a chance to do in the fast paced world of work but it costs little and can greatly enhance your problem solving capacities, your mental well being, and your enjoyment of life!
Slow Thinking Time
Put some time in your diary now. Slow Thinking Time (STT), and see what happens – you may be surprised! And if colleagues scoff, tell them you are employing a well known technique from Einstein!
Suggestions for Further Reading available from Amazon or your local library,
Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind by Guy Cla
