The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks. ~ Christopher Hitchens

We’ve spent an enormous amount of time this week talking about how to think in class. It might sound funny, but we’re analysts. We’re paid to think, to come up with ideas, to be creative. This used to make me laugh when I was a strategic planner and we were told to keep certain hours. What were they going to do, sit us around a table and go, “Okay, ready…think!“

It sounds systematic to say that there are methods and steps to creativity, but they do call it the creative process for a reason. Ironically, they’re not too different from the methods I’ve been telling you that I use to plan trips. And since I’m in the process of planning out more trips for this summer – we still have family to visit in Colorado and California and an Alaska cruise to take – let me refresh you on that:

Start by brainstorming. Go wild. Seriously. No limits. This isn’t out of the box thinking. At this point, there is no box. Look at and think up all the possible options for things to do, not just things you immediately want to do, but all the things you want to do.
Once you’ve got all your ideas down, start categorizing. You want to make connections between the things you’ve come up with. You can use this to figure out if you’ve got overlap in ideas, or one thing that can accomplish many goals, or just to see what strings together nicely in a sequence. This is more art than science – just find things that fit together.
Time to start screening the list. This is the science part. Start eliminating redundancies. Start fitting things into the budget. This is where those package deals that hit multiple goals come into play. Think about the time you have and the money you have and start fitting options.
Come up with multiple possibilities. Don’t just settle on one list. Make two or three possible lists or itineraries of events that you’ll be happy with. From that list, you can weigh and measure and figure out which one is the best.
Don’t compare them right away. Sit on it for a while. Then come back when you have fresh eyes and take a look. See if you still like your alternatives or if they need some adjusting. This is a lot easier to do when your brain isn’t worn out from brainstorming. When you’re ready, still don’t compare the lists right away though.
What are your objectives? What’s the purpose here? You may not know it, but you started with a purpose. Maybe it was traveling to a conference, or going to see family or friends, or going to see a place you never saw before, or going on an adventure. Think about what you really want to get out of this particular venture, and list it down.
Screen your options against your objectives. Pick the option that best meets your objectives. This part can be as scientific or as fuzzy as you want it to be. Given that we’re talking predominantly about a trip here, go ahead and be fuzzy. You can always shift things around a little.
Evaluate. Before you travel, as you travel, after you travel. How did everything work out? Did you discover any new tools or resources that would have been useful in your planning process? Write them down. Did you discover anything that didn’t work? Write it down so you don’t do it again! If you don’t learn from your experiences, there’s no point!

Congratulations! You now know a pretty solid methodology not only for planning out a truly awesome trip, but for thinking creatively about a problem that may be large or small, scientific or not, or even strategic in nature. It might sound like just a set of steps, and it might sound like common sense, but believe me, you only stand to benefit by making use of your wonderful brain!

Hope everyone’s having a fantastic weekend so far – enjoy your day!