1. Zero in

What, exactly, is the task before you? State it clearly—in one sentence, if possible. This may take time, but it's worth it. "A problem well-stated is half-solved," said American pragmatist John Dewey.

2. Take off

Start thinking and don't hold back. Write or sketch everything that comes to mind. Don't get hung up on the right answer. There isn't one.

Not comfortable free-associating? Then force yourself to think in patterns: What's similar? What's opposite? What's more specific? What's more general? What does it look like, sound like, smell like?

Think hard, but go fast. And don't get too fond of anything yet.

3. Talk it over

Grab a colleague. Lose your ego. Brainstorm together, leapfrogging off each other's.

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Every possibility, from landing the contract to the romantic evening hinges on your ability to relate. But neither profit nor pleasure are the primary motivation for teamwork. Productive teamwork moves you toward challenge, through change, with more confidence. Working well on any team generates energy and enthusiasm for life.

Some are More Skilled than Others

Manyara Ranch Conservancy Global Vision Award

Manyara Ranch Conservancy is the winner of Travel & Leisure's Global Vision Award (Conservation) 2011. The 35,000-acre Manyara Ranch Conservancy, on Tanzania’s northern border, serves as an important wildlife corridor in a country whose population has increased by 230 percent in just 40 years. Through partnerships with national conservation organizations, Manyara is working to restore the region’s habitat and make wildlife protection a profitable enterprise for the resident Masai community. The Conservancy also offers a luxury tented camp, which opened last year.

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Tanzania says goodbye to plastic bags

A total ban for the manufacture and use of plastic bags is in the offing in Tanzania, as the government finalizes the required legislation. Responsible for clogging drains and killing livestock, it is thought that plastic bags will be replaced by bags made by the local sisal industry, thus boosting both employment and the economy. When they come into effect, the new laws will prevent the manufacture, distribution, importation and use of all plastic carrier bags by shops and consumers alike. Similar measures have already been adopted in Rwanda, where they were put in place in 2008. It is hoped that Kenya, Uganda and Burundi will follow suit.

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