When confronted with a problem we can become locked into a frame of thinking that gets us stuck. Looking for a solution, or an answer, though natural, can be a bit limiting.

Instead, if we ask ourselves about possible solutions we allow for more…. possibilities. Just because we could take a particular course of action, it doesn’t follow that we have to. We can consider things, even ridiculous or outlandish ones, and if we just let our minds do what they are good at, exploration is usually more fruitful (if it’s not, it might be that you need more practice, old habits die hard). The trick is allowing ourselves to build a list of possibilities without editing or pre-judging.

When we look for a solution, or an answer, the mind can quickly jump to finding reasons why it won’t work. By contrast, the process of creating several possible solutions (or partial ones), opens up our thinking and starts a different process.