Impose a Constraint
Remove the obvious resource. What would I do then?
When you're stuck or your thinking feels stale, artificially remove your most relied-upon resource. Ask: What would we do if we had half the budget? Half the time? No access to our main tool? Write three answers. The constraint forces creative alternatives that abundance makes invisible. The best answer might be one you'd never have considered with full resources.
Innovation has stalled, thinking feels predictable, or you suspect you're solving problems with resources instead of creativity.
Resources are already genuinely constrained and adding artificial constraints would be counterproductive.
Why it works
Abundance creates laziness — when every resource is available, you default to the familiar solution. Constraints force your brain to explore paths it would never consider in conditions of plenty.
Creativity doesn’t thrive in unlimited resources — it thrives under constraint. When everything is available, your brain defaults to the proven approach because there’s no pressure to find a better one. Remove the default and alternatives appear. ‘No budget for advertising?’ forces you to think about organic growth. ‘Ship in a week?’ forces you to identify the essential core. The constraint isn’t a limitation — it’s a creative forcing function. Some of the most innovative solutions in history emerged from severe restrictions, not because restriction is inherently good, but because it makes the familiar path impossible and forces exploration of unfamiliar ones.