Our cultural hypnosis might have us thinking, "Okay, the holidays are over. Back to my routine." This kind of dull, gray, winter thinking is the silent killer of creativity. And who wants to be around someone who thinks in dull gray, 'ho-hum' mode all the time? Not your family, or your friends, or your coworkers.

To shift into a more creative mindset, pick a week and try at least one of these suggestions daily:

• Take a different route to the office. No, you don't have to add hours to your commute with your Creativity Detour, so don't start nay-saying yet. If you drive, try the bus or train for a day. If you always take the same route through the city, map out another and try it for a day. If you catch a connecting bus to the door of your office, walk the remaining distance instead.

• Increase your 'noticing quotient' for 15-30 minutes. Just stay open and take notice. If you take public transportation, observe various other passengers instead of zoning out or reading the paper. Go to lunch by yourself and notice passersby, or take a brief walk around the building or block with the purpose of noticing at least five things you haven't noticed before.

• Change something in your work space. You probably can't rearrange your furniture, but you can make some small changes that make a difference. Bring in a new photo, calendar or print. Add a small vase of fresh flowers. Use a different colored pen. Modify your voicemail greeting.

• Question yourself. Ask yourself at least one question per hour on a given day to make room for creativity or new ideas. For instance: What other options might exist? Why do I think that's the answer? Who else might be able to contribute a good idea? Why do I automatically do things this way? How else could I see this?

• Wear a color that's outside your routine palette. Usually wear neutrals? Wear a bright tie or scarf or shirt or boxer shorts or socks (my particular favorite). If you routinely lean toward brighter colors, try something softer or more neutral. Add to the fun by changing the texture, too. Think of it as your secret for the day (don't scoff; you'll be surprised at just how entertaining this can be).

How else can you make little alterations in your routine that may make a big difference in your thinking? Be creative!

Hungry for more tips? Go back to Brain Food Cafeteria.

VIP Membership and PDF Tip-Kit Store: Use Ivy Sea skill-building materials for your training and communication programs: Our VIP Membership gives you access and reprint authorization for Ivy Sea's online library of copyright-protected skill-building materials for your training, development, intranet, change-management, and communication programs. In addition to Ivy Sea's public web library, the VIP Membership Content Center features a special private collection of "VIP-only" articles, tip sheets and issue-papers. Becoming a VIP is as easy as can be! Find out more about our VIP Content Collection and PDF Store.