Creativity is a must-have trait for anyone—not just artists and writers and musicians. Creativity drives innovation and helps us come up with new ways to solve old problems. It enables us to think beyond the status quo and discover a perfect solution that we previously thought was impossible. Contrary to popular belief, everyone has the capacity for creativity. Sometimes all we need are ideas for how to harness that creativity to find solutions to problems.

I’ve benefitted in many ways from creative thinking. Being curious and open to innovation has helped me develop new ways to coach athletes, run a business, and form a non-profit. Below are some habits that have nurtured my creativity. I hope they do the same for you!

Get Moving
This may seem simple, but getting outside and going for a walk is one of the best things you can do to stimulate creative thinking, especially if you are in the midst of what seems like an unsolvable problem. Many great thinkers throughout history have taken walks outdoors to boost creativity, like Aristotle, Einstein, and Steve Jobs. A recent Stanford study found that “walking boosts creative ideation in real time and shortly after,” and that “walking increased 81% of participants’ creativity” on a test of divergent creative thinking. If you make regular walking a part of your workday, you will not only get a bit of exercise, you will also allow your mind to wander and think freely. Your next great idea might be waiting for you down the street!

Have Margins in Your Day
Our days are filled with non-stop action as we rush from one thing to the next, but it is often in the quiet moments that our brains think better. Ever wonder why people say they do their best thinking in the shower? It is one of the few moments of downtime in the day. One way to increase these moments is to add more margins in your day. Scheduling things back to back doesn’t give your mind time to synthesize everything, and leaves you feeling frazzled. Try leaving some empty space in your day, even if only for 10 or 15 minutes. Allow yourself to sit outside, or in a coffee shop. Let yourself be bored for a few minutes, and see what insights come to you. By making a regular habit of margins, you might find yourself better able to focus and think up creative solutions when problems arise.

Learn Something New
A hundred years ago, it was common knowledge that our brains don’t change. Thankfully this has been disproven by today’s research, and we now know that repetition over a few months helps create new neural pathways in the brain. These neural pathways help us to think differently about problems. By learning something new, like a language or a musical instrument, we encourage our minds to stay flexible and elastic, which in turn allows us to think creatively. If you don’t have time to learn a new language, sign up for a workshop taught by a coach you admire or take a drawing class or learn to garden. An added benefit to some of these options is the ability to work with your hands, which also helps stimulate creative thinking.

Get a New Perspective
To harness the power of creativity, you need time alone, but also time with others. Getting a new perspective by brainstorming with a friend or colleague is sometimes just the right thing to get the creative energy flowing. Choose to brainstorm with someone who has a different background, and who often does things in ways you don’t typically do. If you don’t have a particular project in mind to discuss, just having stimulating conversations about topics you are interested in can keep your mind fresh while protecting you from the dangers of black and white thinking. Another way to get a new perspective is to make a point to try new things in your everyday life. Eat at a new restaurant, go see an exhibit at a museum, take a different route home. The key to harnessing creativity is to challenge yourself, so you don’t get stuck in old ways of thinking.

Creativity is one of the most essential traits for anyone who wants to have a full and meaningful life. We all have the capacity for creativity. Thinking creatively, like many things, requires time and attention for it to become second-nature. But once you learn to harness your creativity, the possibilities are endless!

*Image from Unsplash

Coach DJ Taylor is a strength and conditioning coach, the founder and director of Athletic Foundations Inc, and the co-owner of Blockout Strength and Conditioning. He also instructs “Weight Training” at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is a National Strength and Conditioning Association - Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach , with Distinction (CSCS, *D).