The paperclip creativity exercise - part two

This is where this exercise gets really exciting.

You probably have quite a short list. There really aren't that many uses for paperclip, are there? Unless you are one of nature's genuine creative types, you may have thought up ten or so ideas, and you're probably wondering what on earth I am on about ...

Step two:

Make another list. This time, list everything that you cannot use a paperclip for.

Go for it. You may need to set a time limit for this part of the exercise. Maybe 10 minutes.

Is this list longer than the one you made yesterday? I bet it is.

Now the power step - Step three:

Look carefully at everything on your new list and ask the question, "If I really wanted to, could I use a paperclip for that?" Turn the answers in your list around and discover the possibilities.

You now have a list of amazing, creative uses for paperclips that you probably never dreamed of. Okay, so some may be impractical, some might involve giant paperclips that haven't been invented yet, some might just be completely bizarre.

That said, your mind's creativity has been unlocked.

Next time you are faced with a "how can I do something" problem, try the "list all the ways I can't do it" and turn them around ...

And remember the only limits to the paperclip are the one's your mind imposed :)