We’ve all fallen into the trap of doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. Some people call that the definition of insanity. 

Here’s how it plays out in our daily lives: You are trying to figure out how to close a deal that won’t close. You want your client to realize your true value and provide opportunities to sell the rest of your services. You’ve been trying for months to land that big client. Whatever it is, it’s like running on a treadmill—you’re working hard but you’re not going anywhere. Why? Because you need to see things differently to get different results and get them faster. 

The key to velocity is creativity—the ability to see things in a new way so you can unlock the results you are after. To hone your creativity, I suggest you buy the app Wordscapes by PeopleFun. I’m not kidding.

WARNING: Wordscapes can be addictive. We take no responsibility for your pending addiction.

Wordscapes gives you six to seven random letters, and your job is to fill in the blanks with those letters to make up the words the game is looking for. It is a great game to keep your mind active, but it has also taught me some valuable lessons about creativity and problem-solving.

I’ve noticed that after I fill in the first few blanks, I get stuck in my point of view and cannot find any more words. If I leave the game, even for just a minute or two, I can go back to the same format of letters and suddenly see the letters differently and find a few more words. Or, if I hit the reset key to rearrange the letters, my viewpoint is renewed and I can find more words. This told me a lot about problem-solving.

My most important discovery, however, is that I found myself gaining velocity when I trusted myself. Instead of beating my head against the wall trying to force myself to see new words, I learned that if I took a break or hit the reset key, new word formats would become apparent. It took the stress away. All I needed to do was trust the fact the words would appear if I stopped wasting time and blaming myself and instead looked in different directions for the answers.

Thanks to Wordscapes, I have three helpful rules for unleashing creativity and gaining velocity:

1. Take a break to clear your mind so you can look at things differently.
2. Keep rearranging the puzzle in your mind to look at it from all angles.
3. Trust you will come up with the answer.

If you embrace these rules, your creativity will take you to new heights. You’ll see the answers and achieve your desired results faster. Trust me.