Introduction
Planning is often a creative endeavour. We like to think about ways we can improve our plans and how we can help others with their planning projects. However, not all planners are naturally creative. Some of us may find it easier to be more technical or analytical when working on planning projects while others have a natural ability to see things differently and think out of the box. But no matter what your style is, there are ways you can develop your creativity in planning so that you’re able to do even better work!
Also read: The Best Digital Planner For 2023 To Simplify Your Life.
Why does creativity matter in planning?
Creativity is a skill that can be developed. It’s important for problem-solving and innovation, making connections between ideas, and helping you think outside the box.
In order to develop creativity in planning, it’s important to understand what creativity means. In this article, we will look at some of the main aspects of creativity and how they relate to planning.
How do you develop creativity in planning?
To be clear, planning is a very important part of the creative process. But if you’re not able to be open to new ideas, you might miss out on some great opportunities. Be adaptable and flexible-don’t get stuck in your ways!
There are many ways that you can develop your creativity in planning: try something new, get inspired by something else (or someone else), think about what makes you tick as an artist or writer or director…and don’t forget to ask for help from colleagues and experts along the way!
Planning involves not only the technical aspects but also the creative ones
While planning is often thought of as a technical process, it’s also very much a creative one. In fact, planning involves many different aspects:
- Imagination-You need to be able to imagine what the finished project will look like when it’s finished.
- Organization-Your plan should be organized so that you know what needs to be done next in order for the next project to flow smoothly from start to finish.
- Decision-making skills.
Also read: The Learning And Development Plan For Lifelong Learning (2023).
There are many ways to develop creativity in planning
There are many ways to develop creativity in planning.
- Take time to think about your work and what you want to achieve with it before you start planning. This will help you get clear on your goals so that when you do begin the process of developing a plan, it’s much easier for your mind to focus on them and come up with creative solutions.
- Think about how each part of the project could be different from what’s already been done before – this encourages innovation! It might sound obvious but it’s important not just because it makes things more interesting but also because an innovative approach can often lead directly towards better results than sticking with tried-and-tested methods every time (which may no longer work as well).
Understand your creative thinking style
The first step to developing creativity in planning is to understand your own creative thinking style. There are many different types of creative thinking, and it’s helpful to know which one you prefer so that you can apply it in your daily life and work more effectively.
You can take a test from the Creativity Center at Duke University or learn about your creative thinking style by looking at how you work, think, and solve problems.
Ask yourself questions to become more creative in planning
One of the best ways to develop your creativity is by asking yourself questions.
Asking questions helps you understand the problem better, think about things in a different way, and find new solutions to problems. It also encourages you to think creatively.
Always consider the end result
Developing your creative skills means being mindful of the end result. It’s important to consider what you want to accomplish, and how you want to feel when the project is finished. This can help you stay focused on what matters most: creating something great–and having fun doing it!
Determine your goals
The next step to developing creativity in planning is to define your goals. And I don’t just mean “I want to be a better planner” or even “I want to plan an awesome event.” You need to get specific and ambitious because otherwise, you’ll find yourself getting bogged down in the details before you’ve even started.
For example: If I were going to develop my creativity as a planner, one of my goals would be “to be recognized as one of the top planners in my city.” That’s not specific enough! So I’d change it up a bit: “To win an award for being one of the best planners in my city by 2024.” Now this sounds more like something achievable–but still ambitious enough for me (and hopefully others) who might read this article and think: “Wow! That seems really hard…but maybe if he did it then maybe I could too!
Look at different creative projects
When you are looking at other people’s work, it is important to look at the end result and see what you can learn from that. You also need to look at the process and see what you can learn from it.
If there is something in particular that catches your eye about a project or if there is something that makes a project stand out as being creative, take note of these things because they could help inspire future ideas for projects of your own.
Take a break to clear your mind
Take a break when you need it. Don’t feel guilty about taking a break. It’s important to take breaks, especially when you’re working on something creative and challenging. If you find yourself getting frustrated or feeling like your creativity is blocked, take a few minutes (or hours) away from the project and do something else entirely–even if it’s just watching Netflix or going for a walk in nature.
Take time off from planning if needed too! Sometimes we get so caught up in planning that we don’t give ourselves permission to explore other options or ideas, which can lead us down an unproductive path. Giving yourself permission as well as time off will help keep things fresh and exciting when working on future projects.
Be open to new ideas
It is important to be creative in planning, but being too rigid can limit your ability to think outside of the box. It’s okay if you don’t know all of the answers or even have an answer at all! In fact, it might be better if you don’t have an answer right away because that means there is still more research and learning ahead of you.
Don’t get discouraged when something doesn’t work out right away; instead use this opportunity as motivation for future success by asking yourself questions like: “Why didn’t this work?” or “What could I do differently next time?” These types of questions will help guide future decisions so that next time around things go smoother than before!
Be adaptable and flexible
- Be open to new ideas.
- Listen to others and their opinions, even if you don’t agree with them at first.
- Try something new-you never know what might come out of it!
- Change your mind if a different approach is better for the project or client than the one you have been working on so far, even if this means going back to square one and starting over from scratch again (and again).
Don’t be afraid to try something new
As a planning professional, you are likely faced with many challenges. While some can be overcome by hard work and determination alone, others require creativity in order to find solutions. You may feel like you have tried everything in your power but still come up short when faced with a difficult situation. The truth is: there are no magic tricks or quick fixes for overcoming these issues; however, being open to trying new things will help bring out the best version of yourself as well as expand upon your skillset as an urban planner.
One suggestion I have for developing creativity is not being afraid of failure (or even making mistakes) along the way–this applies both personally and professionally! If something does not work out exactly as planned now does that mean it was all for nothing? Absolutely not! Even if we fail at something once there are still valuable lessons learned which allow us to grow stronger over time rather than becoming stagnant due its failure alone.
Get inspired to become more creative in planning
There is no better way to develop your creativity than by looking at other people’s work and processes. The more you learn about what others have done, the more ideas will start popping up in your head about how those same concepts could apply to your own projects. It’s also important that you look at problems other people have faced, because these will help inform how you approach similar issues with your own planning process.
Find what makes you tick
A great way to begin your journey toward a creative planning process is to find out what makes you tick. The first step in this process is knowing your strengths and weaknesses, as well as finding out what you are good at, like doing, and passionate about. The second step is improving upon those skills that need improvement and enjoying the things that come naturally for us (or not).
The third step is all about motivation–what motivates us? What gets us up in the morning?
Ask for help from colleagues and experts
One of the best ways to develop your creativity is by asking for help. If you’re working on a project, ask someone who has more experience than you and can give you advice about how to approach it. You might also want to find an expert in the field who can mentor or coach you. Or maybe there’s someone who could give feedback on your work as it progresses–maybe even just by looking at drafts as they come along.
If none of these options are available, look around online: There are plenty of forums where people discuss their projects with each other, often sharing tips and tricks they’ve learned along the way!
Think about the big picture, not just the details
When you’re planning a project, it’s easy to get caught up in the details. But if you want to develop your creativity, try thinking about the big picture first.
You can do this by focusing on the problem and not the solution. Ask yourself: What does this project need? What do I want it to accomplish? Who are its users and how can they use it best?
For example, if you’re designing an app for shopping online at home or work–and especially if there are many competing apps out there–you’ll want to think about how yours stands out from others before worrying too much about what specific features it will include (or even whether or not people will download and use it). That way when you start working through all those specifics later on in development stages like MVPs (minimum viable products), prototypes, etc., they’ll be informed by strategic decisions made earlier rather than being arbitrary choices made purely based off intuition alone.
Learn from mistakes and feedback
It’s important to learn from mistakes, feedback and criticism. If you’re not getting the results you want, take a step back and look at your plan with fresh eyes.
If there are things that don’t seem right or could be improved upon then make changes accordingly. Try something new! Don’t be afraid of failure; it’s part of the learning process and will help you improve upon future plans.
Look at your work from a different perspective
If you’re having trouble getting started, try to look at your work from a different perspective. Instead of focusing on the details, look at the big picture and think about what your project will accomplish.
- Think about how other people might react to what you’ve done–and why they would react that way.
- Think about how others could use this information in their own projects or presentations. This can help get you thinking outside of yourself and give an outsider’s view on things (which could be helpful when trying to find new ways of doing things).
Explore new methods of brainstorming
- Explore new methods of brainstorming or working through problems or challenges you face as a planning professional.
- Try different methods of brainstorming to find the one that works best for you, whether it’s using sticky notes, writing down ideas on paper or typing them into a document on your computer.
- Use your strengths and weaknesses to your advantage when trying out different types of brainstorming techniques. For example, if someone has trouble coming up with ideas when writing down words on paper but does better when speaking them aloud (or vice versa), then this person should focus on those strengths when choosing their preferred method of brainstorming.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with various types of brainstorming techniques until one sticks! You may find that there are multiple ways in which they work best: maybe some days I prefer using sticky notes while others call for penning my thoughts down onto paper; sometimes I like talking through problems out loud while at other times writing everything down seems more effective…it varies depending upon my mood 🙂
Carve out a little time every day for creative thinking
Creativity is a skill that can be developed. The more you practice being creative, the better at it you will become. In order to develop creativity as a skill, it’s important to understand that there are some basic steps that anyone can take.
First, be open to new ideas and possibilities when planning. Think outside of the box and don’t assume things need to be done in only one way or manner–there may be multiple ways of accomplishing the same goal! This will allow your mind space for creativity rather than thinking about all of your previous experiences which could lead down unproductive paths for planning purposes (and life in general).
Second secondly, learn from mistakes made during previous projects so they don’t happen again!
Creativity is an important part of planning and you can develop it with some simple steps!
Creativity is an important part of planning. If you want to be a better planner, then it’s time to develop your creative skills!
- Take time to think about your projects and what they mean for the future.
- Think about how different people will use your product or service. What are their needs? What do they like about it? How can we make them happier with our work?
- Look at old ideas from different angles and ask yourself if there’s any way those ideas could be improved upon in the future (without changing the whole concept).
You can develop creativity in planning by being open, and letting go of assumptions
You can develop creativity in planning by being open, understanding the big picture, learning from mistakes, and letting go of assumptions
In order to develop creativity in planning, you must be open to new ideas. You need to understand the big picture and be able to see things from different perspectives. You also need to learn from your mistakes and let go of assumptions when they don’t fit with reality.
This can be difficult for some people who are used to doing things a certain way or seeing things only one way; however, if you want something new or different–and thus more creative–then this is what you have got do!
Conclusion
Creativity is an important part of the planning process, and it can help you come up with creative solutions to problems that may otherwise seem impossible to solve. In this article, we’ll discuss how to develop your own creativity so that it helps make your planning more effective!
In conclusion, we have seen that developing your creativity can be a fun and rewarding experience. It doesn’t matter if you’re an artist or not; all it takes is some determination and practice!
