Have you heard the phrase ‘Think Different?

It was popularized by Apple Inc. in the late 90’s for an advertising campaign and was a great success for the company.

Think different makes for a great slogan and can make you successful in business and life, but how do you think differently?

If all you do day in and day out is socialize with the same people, repeatedly consume the same popular media and never get out of your environment then how is thinking differently ever going to happen?

Truth is that it probably won’t.

Thinking differently requires two specific things.

First you have to expose yourself to different environments and information which will help you spark new ideas.

And the second one is also right there in the phrase. You need to spend time thinking.

Now I know you’re super busy and have a million things going on, and that’s fine, but if you really want to have different thoughts and ideas then carving out time to think has to be a priority.

But wait!

How do you think?

Were you ever taught how to think or were you just told to do so?

I had to learn for myself so let me share what works for me and maybe it’ll work for you too.

A quiet environment with no distractions, a blank sheet of paper with two columns with the headings work and non-work, and then I just jot down every thought that comes to my mind and see where they lead.

I know it’s not very scientific but it seems to work.

Give it a try.

Set aside some time this week to practice thinking. Who knows you might start thinking differently too.