Ever feel stuck for an idea? Sometimes we get in a situation that is stalled and we just don’t know what to do. We think we have tried everything and we remain stuck where we are.
2009 has been a bit challenging for some people to say the least. And we need to be more creative than ever to:
- Get in front of decision makers
- Find some sense of balance in our work/life
- Close sales
- Meet and beat our goals
- Move a stalled or stuck situation
We can throw a lot of ideas down on paper and that helps. But to really tap into our creativity to get unstuck and unstalled, we might need to tap into both sides of our brains – logical and creative!
Martha Beck outlines the Kitchen Sink approach in her article, Half a Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste. When you are stuck and need to open your mind to find new ideas: 
- Sign your name in differnet ways. Sign normally. Sign with your opposite hand. Sign it upside down. Now backward.
- Write the question you want answered with your dominant hand. “How can I connect with ___ prospect?” Then switch the pen to your opposite hand and write whatever pops into your mind.
- Move! Get out of your chair and walk a few steps. Notice how your arms swing opposite your legs? Now walk with your right arm going forward with your right leg. Same with your left leg/foot.
- The kitchen sink – think about your opportunity or problem. Now stop thinking about that subject and read about totally unrelated subjects (a sports article, a recipe idea, a biography, a blog :)) think of the situation again – read – think of the situation. This might trigger totally different ideas or actions!
This works. Sunday evening I was stuck as I was brainstorming an opening for a sales training workshop on Tuesday. I went through this process and within 15 minutes I had it! It was simple, something I had used in an unrelated workshop years ago – and when I delivered it, the sales reps LOVED it!
To get ready to relax this weekend – get creative in answering a problem, challenge or opportunity that is stuck and weighing on your mind. Use the kitchen sink approach to identify real alternatives and actions – which will take that TO DO off your mind and allow you to enjoy a more restful weekend.
What other ways do you get un-stuck?
