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I have baths late at night. Filling and emptying are noisy procedures. Now I put a big sponge under the faucet while the bath is filling and float it over the plug hole while its emptying. Noise gone!
©Daniel Stevens & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

When making a banana sandwich I find the best results come from squashing the banana in your hands with the skin still on rather than slicing it onto the bread or mashing it onto the bread with a fork. I have also noticed that once treated in this manner the banana often splits along its length with 3 way symmetry.
©Matt Reed & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

I hate pinning ID badges to my suit jackets. To avoid this in the future, take one of your business cards and along the short edge, pin or clip the ID badge. Then slip the business card in your jacket breast pocket. You meet the need to have the badge exposed without trashing your jacket.
©M.D. Gonzalez-Rubio & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

With heavy reference books that you need to carry around: select the chapters that you need on any particular occasion; cut the book down the spine to separate out those chapters, using a sharp cutting knife (I use a scalpel); seal the front and back pages with transparent tape; take only the parts of the book that you need with you and leave the rest of it behind.

Additional possibilities: you can also photocopy the contents page relevant to each section and tape it to the front of that section.
©Adam Pirani & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Use your computer's mouse with the hand that you don't (commonly) use to write. This will make it easier to make notes when browsing the web et cetera and also encourage the use of your 'wrong' hand.
©Richard Boyce & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Apply a radium/ glow-in-dark sticker to flash lights. When the power fails, you can spot and head for the flash light in the dark.
©Szar & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

I would often run over a spring electic gate (practically invisible) strung across the lane to keep livestock and dogs in the yard. Now each time I put the gate up I place a weighted 20 liter pail on the lane as a reminder to move the gate. Have yet to run over the gate again. The concept is applied in other small ways, for example , the small yellow paper sticky stuck on my monitor to remind me of an outstanding task to be done on-line.
©Jim Handyside & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

If you have a whole page that has to be read while connected to the web, it is a better idea to simply select the page, and save it on a word processor page. You can then read at leisure, and not waste money on phone line.
©Szar & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

FAXBACK: If you want colleagues to answer information requests quickly and reliably then list the reponses you want on an attachment headed with your fax number. The colleague marks up the form, perhaps adds comments and gets your request off his desk and 'to do' list immediately.
Benefits: reduce misinterpretation slash response increase response rates lower costs: research, formal response, typing, post etc.
©John Schaub & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

In restaurants and cafes when I have soup and a roll or a scone with butter, I find that the butter is nearly always too cold and hard. I suppose this is because the company needs to make sure the butter stays fresh and also does not melt, but it ruins the bread. I always massage and squash the butter for a while (still wrapped), rather like a piece of clay. Then when I unwrap it (which is still easy, despite it's sloppy state) the butter spreads without a problem. You can also be sure that you can cover the whole roll and you don't need to use so much butter (if you're watching your weight). It is interesting that I have done this since childhood without thinking it strange (though I get some funny looks). That is really the kind of idea you are looking for I suppose.
©Robert Sanders & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Our stay on this planet is very brief, so don't waste timesearching for happiness down roads that have no significance. Go where it iswarm for you. Enjoy "the flowers by the way-side"
©Bronwyn Bain & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Look for the blessing in each day.
©Margot Sharman & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1998

Always photocopy a book back-to-front. Your pages then appear sorted.
©Marty G. (Australia) & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1998

I get one of those free-email address for my subscription and for other registering details sometimes required by a website. That way, I don't get spams at my personal email.
©Evelynn Kwan & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1998

My Mother always complained regarding the fact that her dishwasher in kitchen was too low (placed on the floor) and it was a difficult exercise bending down each time to load and unload the dishes.
We were due for a new kitchen and the designer had once again planned the dishwasher in exactly the same place. I enquired as to why? The designer stated that "this is the height we always place them". I insisted that it be placed up higher so the door opened at waist level. My Mother has never regretted this decision and was so thankful for this idea. The kitchen designer although a little stunned at the time also appreciated this different yet simple idea.
©Steven Makaroff & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1998

When you push to make things happen the way you perceive they should happen, you are actually pushing them away from you.
©Bronwyn Bain & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1998

Listen to those small messages that gently touch your mind when you are busy with something else. The messages we say "I don't want to think about that" to.
©Bronwyn Bain & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1998

An easy way to open a jar whose lid is stuck: turn the jar upside down, bang it down several times on the counter, turn it upright and twist open the lid.
©Igor Kusyszyn & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1998

Put a splash of kerosene in your rinse water when washing the car. The oily film it leaves behind is invisible, but prevents road grime and bitumen from sticking to your car's paint.
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1998

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