One way you may be limiting your options is by springing upon the first solution to a problem that shows itself. But “your first answer is likely not to be your best,” says Jeff Salzman, vice-president of CareerTrack, a Colorado-based consulting company. Instead say, “Okay, I have one possible answer-let’s see if I can find something better.”
The cerebral world of chess offers a perfect example of the importance of creative thinking. According to Michael Valvo, one of America’s top-rated chess players, the downfall of many in chess-as in life-is that they “concentrate on only two or three moves, while at least seven or eight are usually available.”