How to Cultivate a Different Way of Thinking

Creative Problem Solving. Thinking differently is a form of creative thinking because it looks at problems beyond the limits of conventional thinking. Instead of settling for an answer that doesn’t change anything or offers no answer at all, you can try solving the problem by asking, 'What if I try this approach instead?' Thinking differently encourages the exploration and consideration of new and unconventional methods, fresh opportunities, unique ideas, and/or innovative solutions.

Engage Your Right Brain. While the left hemisphere is responsible for logic, analysis, and control, the right hemisphere is where we tap into creativity, intuition, and emotional expression. It plays a key role in thinking differently, and creative problem-solving relies on it. Differentiated thinking is often spontaneous, free, and beyond boundaries. It uses one-sided, non-traditional, and unique thinking approaches.

Different from conventional problem-solving methods often taught in schools. Creative thinking is essential for problem-solving, but it’s not commonly used in classrooms. Instead, a typical example is solving multiple-choice tests, which require convergent thinking. This is not how differentiated thinking solves problems, as it involves four key characteristics:

• Fluency – the ability to quickly generate many ideas or solutions;
• Flexibility – the ability to think of multiple ways to address a problem at once;
• Originality – the ability to come up with ideas that most people wouldn’t consider;
• Elaboration – the ability to not only think of the positives of an idea but also how to implement them.

Learn to think and reflect. Explore different ways of learning, and then create new patterns. Once you’ve completed this, think about them. For theoretical ideas, find ways to relate them to your life experiences and what you’ve learned from the experiments you’ve conducted in the past.

Force yourself to see things from unusual perspectives. Do this even if it seems silly. For example, imagine life is a banquet, and you are a dish at the table. Now, evaluate the banquet from the perspective of the guests.

• What do they expect to see on the table?
• What will they be disappointed to miss?
• Is there anything absurd on the table, like a hair dryer?
• How would you rearrange things to make it more appetizing, and what would ruin the appeal of the banquet?
• By challenging your imagination, your mind will become accustomed to new thinking frameworks, making it easier to generate new ideas.

Learn how to ask the right questions. Unique thinking is not so much about finding the answers but about asking the right questions that lead to those answers. Ask the right questions, and you'll find what you're looking for. The challenge lies in identifying the correct question.

• The more specific your questions are, focusing on differences, the more likely you are to succeed.
• Break down complex problems by dividing them into smaller parts. Then, explore each part by asking, 'What if?'

Apply your mind to generating ideas. This method is a tool built around ideas. One idea leads to another, which sparks yet another, and so on, until a list of creative, random ideas is formed, with no specific pattern. When brainstorming in a group, encourage everyone to think freely. Avoid pursuing a practical solution right away. Instead, focus on gathering ideas that seem least related to the problem at hand.

• Do not criticize any ideas, and make sure all of them are recorded.
• Once a lengthy list of ideas is compiled, you can revisit and assess their value.

Keep a notebook. A notebook helps capture and document spontaneous ideas that people may have at unusual times or places. One team member may be tasked with writing down these ideas. Later, the notebook will become a source of ideas that can be developed and rearranged.

Write freely. Focus on a specific topic and write about it for a short period. Write everything that comes to mind, as long as it relates to the topic. Don't worry about punctuation or grammar. Just keep writing. You can organize, edit, and review the content later. The goal is to choose a topic and then generate a variety of thoughts on it within a short time frame.

Create a visual mind map or topic outline. Transform your brainstorming ideas into a visual map or drawing. Ensure that the visualization illustrates the relationships between concepts. For instance, your theme could be how to start a business.

• Write "Starting a Business" in the center of the page and circle it.
• Let’s say you come up with four smaller sub-topics, including products/services, funding, market, and workforce.
• Now, draw four lines, each representing one sub-topic, extending from the circle containing your main topic. Your drawing will now resemble a child's sun-like illustration.
• At the end of each line, draw a circle and label it with one of the four sub-topics (products/services, funding, market, workforce).
• Next, assume that within each of these smaller sub-topics, you create two even smaller sub-topics. For example, under "products/services", you may think of "skirts" and "shoes", and under "funding", you might come up with "loans" and "savings".
• Therefore, draw two more lines from each smaller circle to make it resemble a tiny sun with two rays.
• At the end of each line (or "ray"), draw smaller circles and write the name of each sub-topic inside them. For example, under the sub-topic "products/services", write "skirts" in one circle and "shoes" in the other. Under the sub-topic "funding", write "loan" in one circle and "savings" in the other.
• Once completed, this map can be used to further develop the topic. It includes both divergent and convergent thinking.

Organize your ideas creatively. To achieve the best outcome, it’s crucial to apply both divergent and convergent thinking methods. They play an essential role in this process. Divergent thinking fosters creativity, while convergent thinking analyzes and evaluates these creative ideas, narrowing them down.