Today's life dictates the need to resolve the issue, which for a long time has been imposed on us by everyone around us and by society as a whole. Non-standard thinking, unconventional, non-stereotypical allows you to go beyond the usual framework of understanding and expand your consciousness. How to go beyond standard thinking, what to do for this, read the tips below.

What are the limitations of standard thinking?

There are three main problems that hinder out-of-the-box thinking:

1. Substitution of concepts. Many people think that open-mindedness is thinking outside the box. In fact, this is far from the case.

2. As a rule, all our activities are aimed at what brings money. They don’t give us money for thinking, so many consider it a waste of time. And this hinders the development of non-standard thinking.

3. Think outside the box in a corporation or even a small company it is always dangerous - there is a risk of being misunderstood and fired.

Development of non-standard thinking

If you want to leave the standard thinking, we recommend using these tips:

1. You must go beyond standards quickly, anticipating subsequent events. Think outside the box not only about today, but also about future events. Extend unconventionality to all areas of life and time frames.

2. Cover all your targets by their breadth, capture adjacent areas. If you look to the future narrowly, you don't go beyond. Do not set yourself the only possible goal, allow for its variability.

3. Cultivate originality in all areas of life. Also, a non-standard solution should concern not only solving problems, but also preventing them in the future.

4. Let bearers of open knowledge strive to think outside the box. Separately, these are also great values, but together they help overcome a lot.

5. Recognize and define the boundaries of your standard thinking. Having outlined the boundaries, it will be easier for you to go beyond them. This applies to any field of your activity. This can be done in writing.

6. Give up mechanical thoughts. They are based on standard requirements put forward by the corporation.

7. Celebrate your successes no longer than necessary. Don't get hung up on it, don't try to reach the next level in the same way.

8. Limit risk out-of-the-box thinking. It will always be present, but it must be reduced. Give yourself a carrot for a non-standard and maximally safe solution. Conversely, if you fail, give yourself the whiplash.

9. Build a strong foundation for every new idea. Each new idea is a synthesis of several. Divide them into parts and put them into its foundation.

10. Remember that brilliant ideas do not always come as soon as you start waiting for them. Give yourself time to think things through. Success does not come spontaneously; the decision must always be conscious.

These simple tips will help you solve the problem, how to go beyond standard thinking.

Students at Stanford University were given a task: earn $600 in 2 hours. Each of the 14 teams received an envelope containing $5 of “starting capital” and 2 hours of time. Upon completion of the task, each team had 3 minutes to present their solution.

There were proposals to open a makeshift car wash or a stand selling soft drinks - in these cases, $5 would be used to purchase materials and products to get started. Quite decent options for those who would like to earn a little money in a few hours.

However, most students eventually found a way to go beyond the standards. They questioned a huge number of traditional solutions and were able to realize a lot of opportunities to create maximum value in given conditions. However, the winning teams were able to earn up to $600, and the average return on a $5 investment was 4000%! How did they do this?

Here's a hint: the teams that made the most money didn't use the starting $5 at all. They realized that this amount, in essence, would not help them in any way, and decided to look at the problem more broadly: “What if we start from complete scratch?”

One group noticed a problem common on many college towns - long lines outside popular restaurants on a Saturday night - and decided to help people who didn't want to wait. Team members made multiple reservations at restaurants. When the appointed hour arrived, they sold the right to enter the restaurant for $20 to those who wanted to get there immediately.

The other team did it even simpler. They set up a special stand in front of the student union building and began measuring the pressure in bicycle tires for free. After serving their first few customers, the team realized that cyclists were incredibly grateful.

Despite the possibility of free pumping and the simplicity of this operation, the new service seemed convenient and valuable to customers. In fact, within an hour of starting the job, the team stopped charging a flat fee and instead asked to pay whatever amount the client would deem appropriate. Profits immediately increased several times.

Each of these projects brought in several hundred dollars for the teams, and the others were pretty impressed. However, one team managed to earn as much as $650 by being able to look at the resources at their disposal from a completely different perspective.

These students determined that their most valuable resource was not $5 or 2 hours of time, but 3 minutes of presentation on Monday, and decided to sell this time to a company that wanted to hire students. They created a three-minute commercial for the company and showed it to the students instead of talking about their activities the previous week. It was a great decision that no one else had even thought about.

What prevents us from going beyond our usual thinking?
There are three main obstacles that prevent us from breaking out of the boundaries of our standard thinking:

Barrier No. 1. Previously, for many, breadth of thinking was associated with some crazy ideas, the implementation of which did not bring anything useful or good into our lives.

Below we will look at several recommendations that are aimed at those areas where, by concentrating on them, we can make a qualitative leap in our thinking.

Barrier No. 2. Due to the fact that we receive payment for our work precisely for certain actions, and not for our thoughts, many people are not inclined to spend extra time on abstract thoughts. And it is precisely this obstacle that is one of the most “slowing down” us in going beyond stereotyped thinking. Barrier No. 3.
If you decide
Recommendations for Maximizing the Results of Thinking Outside the Box
1. Going beyond the boundaries of standard thinking should be quick, but at the same time anticipate further events.

Try to start thinking unconventionally not only when solving current problems, but also when thinking about what you want your future to look like. Work on the system as a whole, don't limit yourself only its contents.

2. Your thinking must be able to embrace the breadth of your goals.

When choosing a subject for your thoughts, you do not need to limit yourself to any boundaries. For example, when solving a cost problem, pay attention to sales too. If you have no idea where you are going, you can end up anywhere. But if you clearly know where you must go, then you will not open new horizons.

3. Try to think outside the box in all areas of your life.

If you want to make a qualitative breakthrough in your thinking, act within the widest possible boundaries. Focus not only on solving the problem, but also on ways preventing it in future.

4. Encourage holders of hidden knowledge to overcome the framework of standard thinking.

A qualitative breakthrough is possible only when deep knowledge is combined with creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Knowledge in itself is valuable, as is out-of-the-box thinking. But when one is supported by the other, the chances of success increase significantly.

5. Identify and become aware of the boundaries that prevent you from going beyond your usual limits.

In every area in which you have to look for ways to solve problems, identify the boundaries that limit you. Be specific about them, perhaps even in writing. And then think about whether it's worth it stick to them or you are capable of more.
If you decide
6. Stop thinking mechanically.

When a company constantly adheres to the same rules, without making any adjustments or changes, repeats the same truths and postulates, employees develop mechanical thinking. To empower employees to think outside the box and concentrate on goals, eliminate some of the boundaries that limit them.

7. When achieving each new goal, don't get hung up on its past success.

Many who have achieved success probably have their own set of rules and laws, thanks to which they achieved this success.

8. Reduce the risk of out-of-the-box thinking.

Every unconventional idea must have minimal risk. Use the “carrot and stick” method, where the carrot should go to those who think outside the box, and the stick to those who do not want to go beyond the usual boundaries.

9. Build a strong foundation.

Every new idea that comes into your head is a combination of several ideas, at least two. If final the idea is divided into parts, then they will represent something like “semi-finished products” of ready-made ideas. Use them as the foundation for creating your own breakthrough.

10. Adhere to the principle “the morning is wiser than the evening.”

Don't think that brilliant ideas have to come to you instantly. By allowing yourself to think carefully about a problem, your ideas for solving it will be much more effective. We often say and hear phrases such as “I need to think about this,” “I need to digest this,” “let’s come back to this a little later.” Approach solving problems consciously; rushing in this matter will not lead to success.

Convincing someone to think outside the box is as pointless as forcing a penguin to fly. But it also makes no sense to expect a different result from repeated actions. If you're tired of stepping on the rake, try looking at things from a different angle.

Our whole life is a continuous choice. We choose whether to get up at dawn or sleep longer, drink tea or coffee, walk or take the bus, buy or not buy, study or get married...

We make simple choices without straining ourselves. We agonize over difficult things, sometimes calling on friends for help. Our destiny depends on the choices we make. Like in a fairy tale: if you go to the right - ?.. If you go to the left - ?.. If you go straight - you won’t collect any bones.

Fearing making a mistake, a person faced with a choice usually follows the majority. After all, there is an opinion that the majority is not mistaken. However, the German philosopher Hegel said: “When everyone thinks the same, then no one thinks especially.”

To think like everyone else means to think standardly, in accordance with stereotypes. An example of stereotypical thinking: you definitely need to get a higher education, because people without a diploma are losers. Or: if a girl is beautiful, then she is stupid. Or: a successful person must have a car of a prestigious brand.

Do we think so ourselves or are we supposed to think so? Most people try to keep up with others, and if they do not conform to stereotypes, their self-esteem decreases. Stereotypes drive people into boundaries, limiting their ability to think, analyze and draw conclusions on their own.

It is easier for people to think in stereotypes, figuratively speaking, to ride on well-trodden rails - this will be standard thinking. Non-standard thinking can be compared to an arrow that moves the train to another path.

In our educational institutions they give knowledge, but do not teach them how to think, because people who think in a standard way, like everyone else, are easier to manage. (By the way, most of those who respond to a request to name a Russian poet, poultry, fruit and part of a face name chicken, apple and nose. Their answers are not original. How many will be able to answer the question: what comes first - the seed or the tree? Of course , a seed, the majority will say. But where will the seed come from if there is no tree?)

Knowledge can be called the raw material for decision making, but without the inability to think outside the box, it will be of little use. French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said that “to see clearly, sometimes it is enough to look from a different point of view.” To think differently than everyone else means to think outside the box, to be the master of your own destiny.

Why think outside the box

Why do some people manage to “catch the Firebird”, unlock their potential, become successful and happy, while others are said to be “neither a candle to God nor a devil’s poker,” while they themselves whine about missed opportunities and “villain fate”? The difference in the destinies of the first and second is in the ability or inability to go beyond standard thinking.

A person who thinks differently than everyone else is a creator, a seeker who has escaped the captivity of templates and stereotypes. Would our outstanding contemporary and other great people be able to make discoveries, realize themselves, leave their mark on Earth if they thought in a standard way? Of course not.

Gray mediocrity, who are comfortable thinking like everyone else - in stereotypes, which means not thinking at all, constitute a gray mass that blindly follows the person they have chosen as a leader. Even if he leads them to a dead end.

A gray life, gray thoughts and gradual degradation - that’s what the inability to think outside the box is. The harm of stereotypes is that they relax the brain, which no longer wants to do anything, and a relaxed brain means a degraded one.

And vice versa, life drive, the joy of creativity, a sense of personal strength and inner freedom, pride in oneself, recognition and respect - all this is received by a person who has escaped the captivity of stereotypes.

People who dream of becoming successful as individuals must learn to think outside the box, to move the arrows of their lives to a different path - away from templates, routine and boredom.

However, there have been, are and will be people who think in stereotypes. And they can even become professionals in some narrow industry. But, as a rule, they see life in a gloomy light, and they do not love themselves or people. They walk along the narrow corridor of life, not imagining that behind its walls a vibrant, interesting life is seething.

Rebooting to outside-the-box thinking and breaking patterns

How willing we are to think outside the box can be tested by asking questions like: “Are we willing to step out of our comfort zone or prefer not to? Are you doing something you don't like, but don't dare change jobs? Are we grumbling about how we’re fed up with everything, but not changing anything? How do we perceive something new - do we immediately reject it or think about it first?”

People who think in stereotypes really don’t like to leave their comfort zone. They will whine that everything is bad, but they won’t lift a finger to get out of the usual stagnation. All kinds of changes frighten them. Someone jokingly remarked on their behalf: “Dreams, adventures, great things called me. But the sofa screamed loudest.”

Every day we perform the same actions and, as a rule, in the same sequence. We already do many things “automatically”, and our brain gets used to not thinking and relaxes. Simple ways to "enable" it are:

1. Do non-standard things

We are used to getting to work on the same road, we know all the traffic lights, bumps and potholes, we almost say hello to strangers whom we are used to meeting every morning? Let's change the route - this will force our brain to awaken, cheer up, and turn on attention.

After work, we rush home, but if there are no urgent matters waiting for us there, we will try to change our usual routine - we will invite our wife or husband, boyfriend or girlfriend, without waiting for the weekend, to walk through the park, look into a cafe. Or maybe we’ll go to the pool or workout, or go for a run if we haven’t done it before.

Are we waiting for a vacation to go on a short trip to the country or to a familiar resort? Let's change ourselves and go to an unfamiliar place, country, to the mountains, and not to the sea. Let's take a vacation in the winter, and not in the summer, as usual, and learn some winter sport. Let's try hitchhiking or riding bicycles.

Are you used to dressing in neutral colors? Let's buy ourselves something bright - look at ourselves in a new color! Do we avoid people and don’t like to communicate? Let's make new acquaintances. Or maybe you should change your job? For the best, of course.

If some ideas seem crazy to us, we don’t get indignant, we don’t immediately say “no,” but we analyze whether there is a rational grain in them. In any case, our brain should not sleep, but work. As the poet Nikolai Zablotsky wrote: “In order not to pound water in a mortar, the soul must work day and night, and day and night!”;

2. Break the usual sequence of actions

All our actions are practiced to the point of automaticity: did you wake up, wash your face, have breakfast, get ready, run to work? During the break, do we sit with our eyes on the computer? After work - home? Is one day the same as another? It was just Monday - and now it’s Friday, and it’s the weekend. On weekends - cleaning, walking. And again all over again: Monday - Friday, weekend. We go to the same store for groceries, communicate with the same people, go to the same cafe on the same days.

This means we break out of the usual rhythm and load the brain with new tasks. Of course, you won’t go to work on a day off, and you won’t be able to arrange one for yourself on Monday. But let’s try sometimes to switch from a car to public transport, take the time to walk a few stops, and start cleaning not in the usual manner and not on weekends, but little by little throughout the week.

Buying groceries in different stores, going to unfamiliar cafes, tasting unfamiliar dishes, changing the diet and breaking the usual order of actions - all this makes the brain “not sleep”;

3. Work on the right hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for talent, creativity and innovative thinking.

There is an opinion that among left-handers there are more people who think outside the box, and all because their right half of the brain is more developed. Therefore, we involve the left, non-working hand in the work, and arrange training for it in writing and drawing.

They improve non-standard thinking and dancing: they develop coordination, motor skills, the ability to distinguish musical rhythm and follow it. We learn to see the unusual in the ordinary: imagine what a cloud or a pattern of leaves reminds us of.

For those who seriously want to engage in the development of the right hemisphere, we can recommend the book written by psychoanalyst Marilee Zdenek, “Development of the Right Hemisphere.” The author offers 67 exercises to do over the course of a week, and interviews with famous people about how they develop innovative creative thinking;

4. Read David Schwartz’s book “The Art of Thinking Big”

American professor David Schwartz, a famous author of books on motivation, believes that in order to think outside the box, you must first forget about the negative particle “not”. The words “impossible”, “it won’t work”, “we have never done this” need to be thrown out of your vocabulary and not uttered even in your thoughts.

In order not to think in stereotypes, you need to have a broad outlook. David Schwartz advises communicating with people of different professions, from different social groups, because communication with them fills us with new ideas, thanks to which we can look at the situation in a new way and find new ways to solve problems.

To avoid stagnation, we must periodically ask ourselves: can I do more, can I do better?

10 fun challenges to develop lateral thinking

See the answers in the comments at the bottom of the page.

1. The hotel has 7 floors. The first floor accommodated eight people, each subsequent floor accommodated 2 more than the previous one. On which floor of the hotel is the elevator called most often?
2. It was given to you, and it belongs to you now. You have never passed it on to anyone, but everyone you know uses it. What is this?
3. If it rains at 12 o'clock at night, can we expect sunny weather 72 hours later?
4. A tin can was placed on the edge of the table, tightly closed with a lid, so that 2/3 of the can hung from the table. After some time, the can fell. What was in the jar?
5. There are a ruler, a pencil, a compass and an eraser on the table. You need to draw a circle on a piece of paper. Where to begin?
6. One train travels from Moscow to St. Petersburg with a delay of 10 minutes, and the other from St. Petersburg to Moscow with a delay of 20 minutes. Which of these trains will be closer to Moscow when they meet?
7. Three swallows flew out of the nest. What is the probability that after 15 seconds they will be in the same plane?
8. There are two coins on the table; they add up to 3 rubles. One of them is not 1 ruble. What coins are these?
9. How fast must a dog run without hearing the clink of a frying pan tied to its tail?
10. A satellite makes one revolution around the Earth in 1 hour 40 minutes, and another in 100 minutes. How can it be?

Creative thinkingopens up to usunlimited possibilities.Creative thinkingallows you to go beyond artificial limitations, find non-standard solutions, new opportunities, and therefore achieve success that is simply impossible within the framework of standards and templates.

Creativity gives a clear advantage - you are a more interesting person, you are more competitive, it helps you see opportunities where there are none at first glance, find solutions in seemingly hopeless situations, turn problems into success.

What is creativity? This is the ability to think outside the box, break out from the power of patterns and rules, see the situation from a different angle, generate ideas, perceive alternative points of view. Creative thinking is constructive and constructive.

Creativity is simply making connections between things. When creative people are asked how they did it, they feel a little guilty because they didn't actually do anything but just noticed. This becomes clear to them over time. They were able to connect different pieces of their experience and synthesize something new. This happens because they have experienced and seen more than others, or because they have thought about it more. S. Jobs.

Children, not yet driven into the framework of rules and standards, are distinguished by creativity, but then this ability is gradually lost under the influence of upbringing and society, the imposed need to follow generally accepted rules. Accustomed to following the same beaten path, the mind becomes limited and clumsy, creative thinking is replaced by stereotyped thinking as unnecessary.

According to research, peak creativity is possible at any age. How to return a lost one?

Creativity is influenced by the emotional state - lighter, cheerful people who control their emotions and are not susceptible to depression and despondency are more creative. Physical condition is also important - sufficient sleep and a balanced diet. Excessive seriousness does not go along with creativity. Take an example from children, their carefree games are always creative.

Flexibility and independence of thinking are also important, when a person does not suffer from faith in the inviolability of authorities, but treats any statements with healthy criticism. To develop this quality, you can train yourself to always consider alternative options.

Creativity presupposes constant self-development and self-education. How does the creative process work? First, information accumulates, and then consciousness connects some elements of the accumulated information and creates something new from it. The genius of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs consists of only 5-10% of a flash of insight, the remaining 90-95% is gigabytes of studied information. A moment of creativity is the result of a gigantic preliminary work.

Breaking patterns is another step towards creative thinking. This is not easy to do, because in the routine of everyday life, habitually repeating the same set of actions, we forget that there is something else in the world. This is where breaking away from habitual behavior can help. For example, try to take different roads when returning home, change your diet, go to new places, constantly learn and try new things. Of course, there are special techniques that allow you to develop creativity and creative thinking.

To test your creativity, you can do a small test:

Draw several rows of crosses:

Now try to create pictures from these crosses, for example like this:

You can use not only crosses, but any other icons from which you can make pictures.

Following generally accepted rules and standards will lead you to the same standard results. If you strive for more, then develop creative thinking. This also works in the world of money. Standard actions can bring only modest income; big money requires a creative approach.