You should think out of the box!!!
Whenever you are having the worst times of your lives where you feel stuck in all the areas, don't find a way to make a move, and it seems all the doors are shut, people will indeed suggest you think out of the box. But, what is the box? And, how should you go beyond the box?
I don't know if you ever had this question, but when my teacher used this phrase for the first time, my mind continued to attack this question.
Well, as easy it is advising someone that you need to think out of the box, trust me, it's not easy to apply in your life. When the situation comes where you need to think out of the box, you can't get over it.
The reason behind it could be, many problems already surround you, and your mind is not ready to think beyond the issues. This makes your thinking process tougher to find solutions.
Anyway, here in this opinion, we will try to see what Think Out Of The Box means in real life and how we can apply it in your life.
Think Outside The Box Meaning
With time, I have realized it; we all have become very used to our surroundings. When something pushes you out of your comfort zone, you don't like it and want to be within your comfort zone.
The Box would be your Comfort.
Great ideas never come from too many years of experience and a lot of knowledge. But, when someone pushes their limits and expands their thinking boundaries, something great comes out of it.
I agree that comfort zones can be good sometimes. After all, we all are working on getting a comfortable life. But, before getting it, you need to leave your comfort zone and think out it.
Let me explain this with an example.
You might have read the story of Akbar and Birbal when they were roaming around the coast.
So, Akbar drew a line on the sandy beach and asked Birbal to make it small without touching it or erasing it. Well, such situations come into everyone's life.
We all know Birbal was so clever. After thinking for a while, they drew a line longer than the previous one beside that. And made the first line smaller.
Were Birbal's efforts too strong?
Maybe his action sounds too evident, but it's not. We all know this story today, but if the situation had appeared before us, only the one who thinks beyond their limits could have solved the problem.
This story is a perfect example of thinking out of the box. You need to leave your comfort zone and push your limits to find a solution.
21 ways to think out of the box
You might have thought, how you can think out of the box
Even though the process should be coming from your mind, you can develop ways to get an idea. Anyway, what is thinking out of the box?
It is another way to get an idea. Right? So, it would help if you found the right idea that can solve your problem. This way doesn't depend on extraordinary efforts from your side. But just a proper way to take a step.
So, you can find some ways of thinking out of the box here.
1. Simplify it
The late Nobel Laureate in physics Richard Feynman once said,
“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it.”
Well, you are simplifying the problem sometimes itself an answer to your question. If you can't explain your situation to a kid, it means you have not understood it. So, try to simplify it. Who knows, you get it's the solution while streamlining the problem.
2. Take a class
The learning process should never be stopped.
Start learning or keep learning new things that you think are interesting for you. Else, you also can choose a topic that you are already familiar with. This way, you can get a different angle of looking at the things you already knew.
3. Write a poem
How can writing a poem help you?
Instead, I will say it will help you. When you write a poem, you take inspiration from your life or the things you see around you.
So, if you are writing about a problem, you will have a solution for it too. But you are not capable of seeing it right now. But, maybe you write down the answer with the flow of the poem.
4. Try mindmap
You might have tried this at schools or colleges to keep remembering something quickly. You can pick up a word and draw a circle around it. Now, remove the branches of it, and write the related word or phrase at each unit.
Repeat the exercise several times to get ideas. And at the end of the training, you will find many ideas on your paper.
5. Draw a picture
Drawing a picture doesn't need you to be an expert in this art. But, puck up whatever tools that you have available to you and start drawing something randomly. You will definitely find something that you drew.
The mind is never blank. When you draw something, you will see what your creative mind can generate roughly. And if you get something that can help your mind get free from problems, you can apply it in your life.
6. Work backward
This way also can help you.
I don't remember exactly where I read this, but to get the solution, sometimes working backward is also good.
If you are a successful entrepreneur, see what you have when you are the one. What do you do? How are you? What efforts did you make? And so many things. But, you will realize it only when you move backward to get an answer.
7. Invite randomness
Invite random thoughts that are coming to your mind. Sometimes the random thoughts you are having in your mind can lead to an excellent deal for you.
I once thought that the street dogs should also get cared for and get food, which we waste when we don't want to eat it. I discussed this thought with some of my fellow friends, and we then opened a shelters house for the street dogs in our area, where the street dogs get the food that people in our society don't need.
The thought was not too huge. But, the idea leads to the shelter house. This way, a small idea can also open a great way for you.
8. Take a shower
Take a shower and fresh yourself. Taking a shower might not be a solution finder, but it is. When you take a shower, it freshes your mind also, deleting the burden of your mind. Ultimately, it is the way to invite thoughts into your mind.
Though it may not give you an accurate solution, it will provide you with some answers you want to know about.
9. Ask for advice
Taking advice is not a bad idea if you need it.
Sometimes, advice can be the right solution for you. If your mind is surrounded by the problems only and is not in a state to figure out the answers, use other's brains at times.
You are seeking help or advice from others, which is all fine to get an idea. Maybe their concept can give you an option, what else you can do.
10. Turn it upside down
Try turning your life upside down. If you are having troubles, yet you cannot figure out the solutions, imagine your life is sought out. And you are living your life the way you planned it.
Now think, in such a situation, what you are seeing yourself doing. And if you could find yourself doing something that gives you happiness and satisfaction, go with it.
11. Flex your brain muscles
Give your brain a strain to think more. For example, MOTIVATION. Try to arrange this word alphabetically, starting from the letter A to the letter Z. Try out this exercise thrice a week or regularly in a month.
This exercise will stress your brain. And it will start rearranging things in different ways to find the best solution. Therefore, this experience is so crucial for helping you push your limits.
12. Ask yourself, “What would I do otherwise if I were beginning from scratch?”
The time comes when you need to get up again and start from the beginning. And, if you could find the right way to step ahead this time, you can get a hit.
The beginning can happen anytime in life. And, it's not at all bad. Sometimes the older things need to be changed. So, it would help if you never looked back at such times.
When you ask yourself, you are pushing your thought boundaries and trying to see what you can do else. This way, you can find the solution.
13. Take a walk alone
Take a walk if you feel stuck somewhere and want to find the answer.
When you are walking alone, your mind is bombarded with thoughts, and, in this bombardment, you may get the idea that you need. When you are walking, you also could notice the surrounding, where your solution might lay, and you are only required to find it.
14. Ask why
'Why' is a magical question. And, whenever you ask this question, something extraordinary comes out of it.
My professor used to say, 'Why' is an essential question for great inventions. And, whenever someone tries to find an answer to this question, they get something fantastic solution out of it.
15. Push your limits
Push your limits of actions and thoughts. This can be an excellent way for you to know your capabilities. You generally opt for doing things in your comfort zone and within your boundaries, where great things are constantly out of your limits.
Until you stress yourself, push your limits and give yourself a chance to do something extraordinary, nothing will work for you.
16. Put yourself in the worst situations
Well, this tip may sound weird for you, but this will indeed work for you. See yourself in the worst situation to find the answers. This way, you are also pushing your limits to see, what you can do, if you are in deep trouble.
Generally, people find the best ways to get out of the problems when they are in their worst phase of life.
17. Be calm
Along with imagining yourself in the worst situation, thinking calmly is also essential.
If you are too disturbed, having continued thoughts of problems, and are frustrated with the circumstances, you won't be able to think of any solution for your situation.
A calm mind is always ready to accept new and positive thoughts, wherein the disturbed mind will also think about the negative side of your problems.
18. Read failure stories
Well, there's a famous quote by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, l. They said,
Don't read the success stories; you will only get motivation. Read failure stores; you will get a solution.
As for this statement, I think when you see the success of someone, you want to be at their place. But, when you see someone sharing their failure stories, you get involved with it. Because you can relate yourself to their journey. And you start looking for the answers that can be the right solution for the problem.
19. Read a novel in an unfamiliar genre
You may think how reading an unfamiliar novel can help you give a pick on think out of the box; it is anyway possible.
If you read suspense novels, try out romantic ones. Also, try to find the books where the author focused on a particular issue and pulled you inside on how they would solve the problem.
Whenever you are reading a book, try to connect your issues with the book's issues and see how the problem is solved.
20. Free write
Try freewriting. In this process, you have to pick up some random topic, set a timer, and start writing on it. It would be best if you could use a pen and paper, instead of using a computer. This will save your technical errors.
Well, when you write without pausing for editing, your mind creates something creative when you have a burden of times, without any judgment. And, who knows, you may write down your solution too.
21. Ask a child what they would do
Sometimes a kid can have the solution you are looking for. And it's real. Kids are very free to speak on what they would do if something came in their way.
Even you might have seen kids playing with some random stuff, yet they create something great out of it. This proves that a kid's mind is creative. And it can give you an example that you were not able to find out.
If you were talking to a kid about something randomly, they give you options in the form of solutions that they think can solve the problem. And, sometimes their way can be the best solution for your situation.
Thinking outside the box examples
For a better understanding of thinking out of the box, I'm presenting some examples so that you can see the models and understand the actual meaning.
Business companies always come up with unique ideas for advertisement for their clients. Their unusual ideas come when they push their limits and think out of the box. For example, Thumbs up.
Some salespersons think out of the box to pitch their clients uniquely to sell their products.
Nitin is not ready to change their lifestyle, even if they are not happy with their mind. Which also means, they don't want to think out of the box to change their life.
During the corona pandemic, some police officers got ready to look like coronavirus to spread awareness about the infection.
You might have seen MBA Chaiwala. This is a loving example of thinking out of the box. That, the person has done a great business with a simple idea.
The idea of electronic devices like TVs, Mobiles, and so on came out of the box thinking. Not only this, but you can see many such live examples around you that demonstrate thinking out of the box.
Why is thinking outside the box good?
Why thinking outside the box is like, why to breath?
As breathing is a must to survive, thinking out of the box must get success. Anyway, at the same time, sometimes, the solutions may be present within your package, and you need to find them within it. But, it can't work all the time.
Whatever the great inventions that have made our life easier, the ideas may have come to the person's mind when they tried to think differently.
Thinking out of the box is also another way of expanding your thinking to find better ways to get on the right track.
The invention of comb, the toothbrush, or the pen, all these things are significant in our daily lives. But, when someone might have had a thought of brushing their teeth with something like a stick, long-lasting and having a pleasing result, they might have come to their mind.
The same thing might have happened with the inventor of Pen, rulers, bikes, airplanes, trains, TVs, rockets, spacecraft, satellites, and so on. No invention is small. Everyone has their proper place to take action.
Your idea or solution is the same as these assets. Never stop yourself and your thoughts, if it is finding different ways to deal with their problems. As, until they drag their boundaries, they won't be able to get success.
In short, the rule of getting success is Thinking out of the box.
Conclusion
Maybe thinking out of the box sounds too familiar to you. As of now, many people might have suggested you do it, sometimes in your life. But, I hope, after reading these words, you have got an exact meaning of it. And, you will try to do it. As your body and mind feel stress on it, it won't come out with outstanding.