Take Your Inner Child to Work

With the school year in full swing I thought it might be fitting to take you back a few years (okay…it’s more like a few decades or more for most of us) and channel a child’s imagination and perspective.

When it comes to curiosity and creative problem-solving, kids have the process down pat. They are expert problem solvers. So put your own inner child to work for you! Here's how this playful yet effective creative thinking exercise works:

1. Determine your inner child’s age
Simply add the first and second digits of your age. If you're 41, for instance, 4 + 1 = 5. This method works, more or less, until you reach your late 60s and wind up in the I-know-more-than-you teen years.
    
2. Behave like your inner child
Recall the kinds of questions you asked at age 5, 8, or 10. You were filled with wonder and curiosity! You constantly asked: “What if?” “I wonder why?” “Why not?” “How come?” Ask these questions as you face some of your most challenging projects. To get in the mood, keep some Silly Putty or Play-Doh at your desk. The smells alone will take you back.
    
3. Come out and play
Take out some crayons, colored pencils and large sheets of drawing paper. Don’t linger too long with the blank page and wonder what you should do, just dive right in and start drawing, writing random words or making a list. Do this for ten minutes and then see if you can find any common threads. If you don’t see any, no worries. Take a snack break and try it again tomorrow.

4. Don't let your inner child out of your sight
Stay in character as much as possible. Go to lunch with your inner child and order off the kid’s menu; decorate your office refrigerator with finger painting; cut the crusts off your peanut butter and jelly sandwich; play with some blocks or bounce a small rubber ball around your office.
    
By putting yourself in the mindset of your inner child, questioning everything and seeing the possibilities in the impossible, you just might discover solutions that your adult self couldn't see.


Share Your Ah-ha Moments With Us!
Did your inner child thinking reveal any new ideas or inspirations? Share with us the insights you discovered during this play time and how it gave you some clarity or helped you solve a problem. Connect with Élan’s online community by posting a comment to this blog or chatting with us over e-mail, Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.