There is a close relationship between the "ha-ha" of humor and the "aha!" of discovery.

If you make an error, use it as a stepping stone to a new idea you might not have otherwise discovered.

Open your mind up to things that have no connection with the problem you're trying to solve: subscribe to an unusual magazine; spend a morning at an elementary school; go to work two hours early; test drive an exotic car; attend a city council meeting; ...try an Indonesian recipe.

Most people think of success and failure as opposites, but they both are products of the same process.

If you don't execute your ideas, they die.

It's difficult to get your creative juices flowing if you're always being practical, following rules, afraid to make mistakes, not looking into outside areas, or under the influence of any of the other mental locks.

It's easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out-of-date.