Spring is a natural season for new ideas and fresh perspectives. In honor if World Innovation & Creative Thinking Day (April 21), try one of these quick, 2-5-minute thinking boosters to get your ideas flowing.

Micro-Tools to Jumpstart Creativity

The “What If” Flip
Take a current challenge and ask, “What if the opposite were true?” When you do this, it nudges your brain out of it’s usual groove and helps you see possibilities you might not notice otherwise.

2-Minute Idea Burst
Set a timer for two minutes and jot down as many ideas as possible. With this exercise, there are no bad ideas, so no editing and no judging! Stop when the timer goes off, then choose one idea to explore for 60 more seconds. Moving fast gets you past the inner voice that wants to evaluate everything, letting more original ideas slip through.

Assumption Breaker
Write down the biggest assumption about your task or problem, then imagine it’s not true. What becomes possible? Why it works: We often build solutions around rules that aren’t actually rules. Once you toss one aside, new options tend to appear quickly.

The Five-Step Brainwalk
This exercise can be done literally or through visualization. Take five slow steps and with each step, think of one fresh approach, tool, or resource that could move your work forward. A little movement, either physical or mental, can loosen up rigidity and help connections form more easily.

Want More Ideas?

Give one or two of these a try the next time you feel stuck. You might be surprised at what pops up! Explore additional resources in our Creativity & Innovation playlist for more ways and practical tools you can use to strengthen your creative thinking skills.

Acccess Playlist

Content Credit: Carey Musburger, Sr. Assistant, Learning and Organizational Development