01.06.2023
HOW TO CHECK IF YOU HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO THE NRA
How to check if you have arrears with the National Revenue Agency and in what amount? Information on the current amount of your obligation, together with accrued interest (if any) and the stage of the proceedings for its collection at the National Revenue Agency, can be obtained from:
The most common public liabilities are for taxes, insurance and fines.
Use Payable Liabilities Check to check and, if any, pay outstanding/overdue public liabilities. The information provided includes the current amount of the obligation, the accrued interest and the stage of its collection in the NRA.
You owe legal interest on taxes, fees, deductions from profits, contributions to the budget and other government claims of a similar nature that have not been paid within the terms for voluntary payment, not withheld or withheld but not paid in due time.
By Resolution No. 426 of 18.12.2014 on determining the amount of legal interest on overdue monetary obligations, issued by the Council of Ministers, the amount of legal interest was determined at the rate of the basic interest rate of the BNB, effective from January 1, respectively 1 July of the current year, plus 10 percentage points. Interest on interest and interest on penalties are not due. You can calculate the interest due with the NRA's arrears interest calculator.
Through the electronic services of the NRA, accessible with a PIC or with an electronic signature
On the Portal for electronic services, you can quickly make a request for outstanding public obligations within the period for voluntary performance, including those received from other administrative bodies and administrations - for collection by a public contractor at the NRA. The electronic portal also offers a service for payments of liabilities to the budget electronically - with a bank card, through the virtual POS of the NRA (with the exception of liabilities established under the Gambling Act, for which enforcement proceedings have not been initiated) or through ePay.
Through the NRA information phone - 0700 18 700, after identification with the PIC
In the competent office of the NRA (at the permanent address of the natural person or at the registration of the legal entity). In case you have not yet obtained a NRA PIC, this can be done at the nearest NRA office. PIC is issued free of charge.
31.05.2023
WHAT COSTS ARE INCURRED WHEN WORKING ON A CIVIL CONTRACT
Let us recall that under the so-called "civil contracts" work is also performed, but the legal regime of the contract is not subject to labor legislation, and the performer generally does not have the quality of "worker or employee", which is the exact name according to the Labor Code in Bulgaria. However, there are also quite frequent cases in which the parties to an existing employment relationship conclude civil contracts with each other in parallel.
These contracts have their own specifics, such as the fact that the costs of achieving the final result are borne by the contractors. What amounts should be withheld and deducted from the amounts payable under civil contracts?
Let us clarify that the parties to the civil contract are called the Performer and the Contractor. The Contractor is actually the person ordering, i.e. the person who assigns the performance of a certain work. The performer, on the other hand, is the person who is assigned to perform this work.
The law does not set special requirements for the two parties, it is sufficient that they be of legal age and capable of acting (when it refers to natural persons) or legally competent legal entities that have not been terminated due to liquidation or bankruptcy. Only the care with which the performer must fulfill the contract is different. If he is a merchant, he owes performance with the care of a good merchant, if he is not of merchantable quality, he owes the care of a good householder.
If the person who concludes a civil contract also has an employment contract concluded at the same time, he must necessarily notify the Employer of this. On this basis, the payer of the income is obliged to withhold and pay after deducting 25 percent of normatively recognized expenses, insurance contributions for the mandatory social insurance and 10 percent of income tax. Under a civil contract, no insurance is due only when the maximum insurable income for the month is exceeded or only health insurance is due if the person is a pensioner, but 10% income tax is always due.
The sums received for business trips under legal relationships that are not employment are not subject to taxation, when they are at the expense of the contracting party, such as travel and accommodation money, documented through an issued primary accounting document in the sense of the Accounting Act. The same applies to the daily travel allowance, but not more than twice the amount that is determined for persons in employment relationships - the excess over the double amount is taxable income.
When working under a civil contract and receiving remuneration, the payer of the income issues an account for amounts paid, in which the amount received, the charged insurance and tax are noted. Only for the last 4th quarter of the year (for the months of October, November and December), the payer has no legal basis to charge the tax, unless this is expressly agreed between the payer and the recipient of the income. If this arrangement is not made, the tax for the amounts paid in the 4th quarter is calculated and paid by the person receiving the income.
At the end of the year, the payer of the income issues an official note for the amounts paid during the year, which the person must attach to his annual tax return under Art. 50 of the Personal Income Tax Act.
30.05.2023
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO CONDUCT TRAINING WITH VOUCHERS TO EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED PERSONS
With the mechanism introduced at the end of 2009 for financing the training of employed and unemployed persons under procedures for the direct provision of financial assistance through vouchers, prerequisites were created for the inclusion of a large number of persons in training for the acquisition of professional qualifications and key competences.
When organizing the training, the leading principle is granting the right of free choice to the specific person. Persons who have received a training voucher have the right to independently choose the type of training, its duration and the training provider. Who and under what conditions can provide these trainings, according to the requirements of the law?
Training providers who meet certain regulatory requirements have the right to carry out voucher-financed training for professional qualification/key competences. They must hold a valid license issued by the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET) to provide training for the acquisition of a professional qualification for a specific profession and specialty. The other option is to be an educational institution under the Preschool and School Education Act to provide training in the relevant profession or profession specialty.
Organizations are required to have an equipped material and technical base within the locality in which the training will take place, as well as to have teachers in theory and practice.
Employers whose workers or employees are included in training under this order have the right to be present during the training sessions and/or when taking the exams. Employers are not allowed to request documents and do a document check of training providers.
The Employment Agency pays the training providers for the specific training carried out funds equal to the value of the voucher for the relevant training, after presenting the necessary documents and the certificate received by the trainee after successfully passing the exam for the relevant level of competence. In the event of non-appearance of a certification exam without good reason, the training provider may require the individual to refund the value of the training voucher provided.
The value that will be paid with a voucher includes all the inherent costs of the training, including the taxes and fees due according to Bulgarian legislation, with the exception of the costs of scholarships and transport, when the training is for unemployed persons. Training providers are entitled to receive only the value of the voucher in BGN indicated on it.
The certification of the acquired knowledge and skills is carried out through an exam according to instructions approved by the Minister of Labor and Social Policy. Individuals who have received a Digital Competency Training Voucher must take the certification exam within one month of completing the training, and may take the exam no more than twice.
The adopted regulation on the provision of learning vouchers creates a regulatory framework to increase the participation in lifelong learning of tens of thousands of employed, unemployed and inactive persons, and increase their chances for better employment and a higher standard of living.
26.05.2023
IT'S NEVER EASY TO SAY NO
One of the things that everyone has had great difficulty with in their careers is saying no. In the beginning, we usually say yes to everything. Then a person thinks that the more commitments he makes, the better it will affect his professional development. For most people, this means they'll get more praise, better pay, and ultimately a quick promotion. Unfortunately, the final results do not always live up to these expectations.
It can be especially difficult to say no when your boss is the one asking you to join a task force, take the lead on a new initiative, or commit to another team responsibility. Can you even say no to such a request? Do you have to begrudgingly say yes and then suffer from overwhelm and regret not saying no?
Here's how to say no when your boss asks you to take on extra work:
Start by going over your current pitch list with your boss. According to a recent survey by Resumebuilder.com, 61% of business leaders surveyed say their companies are likely to see layoffs in 2023. Organizations will continue to re-evaluate their priorities, reallocate work and end projects. This is an important opportunity to coordinate with your boss the projects you're working on to ensure you're working on tasks that are still critical to the company's success.
Bosses are people, not robots. They may forget what task they originally assigned you and may not know exactly the scale of the project the entire team is working on. Before your supervisor assigns you additional work, you should give them an opportunity to review what you are currently working on. His reaction may pleasantly surprise you. He can help you make changes to your priorities and explain how this new task relates to something you're already working on. Or he may change his mind and not give you the extra work, seeing the level of workload you are currently under.
If you say yes to the job your boss suggests you take, see if you can say no to something else. Some managers may not be proactive in stopping or pausing work in progress. I once went to my former boss saying, “I understand you want me to take this new initiative now. How about we pause the project we started this quarter and reassess things next quarter?. He agreed and said he was grateful that I had proactively brought this solution up as it had not occurred to him.
It's understandable that some of us may be worried about our jobs during this era of economic uncertainty. And at the same time, to continue to impact the company, we must focus on quality, not quantity.
Remember that the more responsibilities you take on, the less influence you can have on any individual project. Also, taking on additional work does not guarantee you a secure place in the company. If you can't complete some of the tasks you set out to do, doing more may end up backfiring.
The final option is to offer the commitment you want to say no to to someone else. Years ago I was assigned to organize our department's quarterly meetings. It was a great opportunity to work directly with senior executives from our company and bring in great external speakers. However, this commitment required a lot of work in addition to my daily duties. By the second year of performing this role, I was already suffering from burnout. Then I remembered a colleague who had expressed a desire to have more contact with our senior management. When I approached her with a proposal to take up this initiative, she welcomed the idea with excitement and enthusiasm. My boss accepted the change and liked the idea of me handing over this opportunity to another employee.
Remember, you should never delegate work without first asking someone for permission. Make sure you are familiar with your colleagues' commitments and career goals before offering them such an opportunity.
It's never easy to say no to your boss. But when you keep saying yes to every job, whether you realize it or not, you're quietly saying no to another job you have. The ability to say no is just as important as the ability to say yes. Saying no to your boss is a critical skill you must learn to successfully manage your career.
25.05.2023
THIS IS UNPLEASANT!
Every workplace is filled with interesting individuals - including disappointing ones. If you feel like you are surrounded by hard-to-communicate people at the office, rest assured that you are not alone in this situation. Studies show that one in eight people leave a job because of problems with colleagues.
Colleagues who like to gossip can be the most problematic of all. Not only are they distracting, but they can have a detrimental effect on your professional reputation.
There is a psychological phenomenon that whenever you are involved in workplace gossip, people begin to perceive you as a gossip and may stop believing the things you say.
In a professional setting, there's really no excuse for bad mouthing, whether it's your client, colleague, or executive. Here are some ideas on how to deal with gossip at work.
Empathy and redirection
Gossip is a compensatory strategy often used to cover up low self-esteem or feelings of powerlessness. It's likely that your co-worker is communicating this way, albeit passive aggressively and manipulatively, in search of a relationship. There's a simple formula you can use to distance yourself from him while keeping the relationship intact: empathize and redirect.
First, empathize. Reflect on your colleague's reaction, addressing the deeper, human need. Perhaps the real reason he gossips is because he wants to feel heard and understood.
Then use a redirect. You can nudge the person toward a decision by saying something like, “Ugh, it sucks to feel so undervalued. You need to speak directly to your boss about this." Or encourage them to focus on the things that are working by saying, “I understand that the situation is still bothering you. This is unpleasant. For now, let's talk about how things are going with the new project you're working on."
Be confident
Many people, especially those who are kind and compassionate, never learn how to set limits on gossip. They play the role of "good listener" but inadvertently get themselves into drama. If this sounds familiar, it's important to learn how to set boundaries with passive-aggressive gossipers and develop more assertiveness skills so you can apologize when you hear gossip about a co-worker.
Be the change
Instead of dwelling on the negatives of your conversations, focus on the positive gossip. Learn to say nice things about people, acknowledge their good qualities and applaud their efforts. Celebrate their successes. So you will find that the good vibes come back to you.
25.05.2023
CAN I WORK ON A CIVIL CONTRACT DURING MATERNITY?
In the fast-paced everyday life and the opportunities offered by the labor market in Bulgaria, many current or future mothers are almost forced by circumstances to combine care for children and the family, as well as to participate equally in the contribution to the general family budget.
In no way should we underestimate the fact that many mothers manage to cope with the challenges of life all by themselves, which already makes the dynamics of everyday life even more difficult and busy.
There are not a few women who, despite being devoted to motherhood, find the strength and time to combine their commitments with parallel work in different formats. As we all know, mothers are entitled, under certain conditions, of course, to receive compensation from the state during their maternity leave.
In order to be able to raise more funds for themselves and the family, mothers often ask if they have the right to work on a civilian contract during maternity, while at the same time retaining the possibility to receive the compensation they are entitled to from the state.
Working under a civil contract (without an employment relationship) is not an obstacle for a person insured for general illness and maternity, during pregnancy and childbirth leave or for raising a small child up to 2 years of age, to receive cash compensation during pregnancy and childbirth for a period of time 410 days, of which 45 days before the birth or, respectively, after the expiration of the pregnancy and childbirth benefit period, during the additional paid leave for raising a child up to the age of 2.
This is because mothers are insured persons for this period, which means that if they enter into a civil contract, regardless of whether the remuneration under it is below or above the minimum wage for the country for the relevant year, social security contributions must be withheld from them. This in no way prevents the mother from continuing to receive maternity benefits from the National Social Security Institute.
According to the law, maternity benefits are suspended when the employment relationship is terminated or the use of pregnancy and childbirth leave is terminated. The reason for this is that the compensation is granted and received on the basis of the employment leave, which has nothing to do with civil contracts.
It is also important for current and expectant mothers to know that contributions to the General Sickness and Maternity Fund are not deducted from the civil contract. This, in turn, is another reason for mothers to continue receiving their cash benefits. The insurance of persons who work under a civil contract is specifically regulated in the Social Security Code.
However, let's not forget that remunerations under the civil contract should be declared to the National Revenue Agency by submitting the relevant annual tax return, as well as the taxes under the contracts should also be declared, in accordance with the established legal order.
Reference:
Art. 4, para. 3, items 5 and 6 of Social Security Code
Art. 46, para. 3 of Social Security Code
Art. 51 of Social Security Code
Art. 53 of Social Security Code
para. 1, item 3 of the additional provisions of Social Security Code
23.05.2023
EXPERIENCING GUILT? USE IT!
Most likely, there have been moments in your work where you felt bad about something. Maybe you told a co-worker that he did amazing in the last presentation, even though he didn't do particularly well, and later felt bad that you didn't give him more realistic feedback. Maybe you missed a deadline on an important project and made a colleague's job difficult, then felt bad for the next few days until you finished your work.
In other words, you knew what you were doing was wrong, but you carried on anyway, and now you feel bad. The feeling of shame is a close cousin of shame, but it is directed towards the external environment. Usually, a person feels shame when they have done something wrong and others have found out about it (or are afraid that they will).
Feelings related to human emotions have two dimensions - direction and strength. The direction determines whether the emotion is positive or negative, and the force is responsible for the energy behind the emotion. Feelings of guilt and shame are highly negative emotions.
This is important because the strong energy behind these emotions is a powerful psychological force. A person experiences strong emotions when he is motivationally engaged with something strongly negative or strongly positive. In the case of feeling bad, you are disappointed that you didn't do what you should have done. This is where the benefit of guilt lies - as long as you use it in the right way.
The potential power of guilt…
As we have already said, behind every emotion there is a strong energy (especially behind negative emotions). In most cases, people use the energy of guilt in a wrong way. You walk around the office, try to forget about the incident by watching some funny youtube videos, or indulge in deep thoughts about where exactly you went wrong and what you could have done better.
In other cases, you may focus your energy on things that do nothing to improve the situation. In our work, we have seen people create elaborate schemes to cover up their mistake when a simple apology could have solved their problem.
...and turning it into a productive force
In either case, you are not using the energy generated by guilt in a productive way. When you feel bad about your mistake or decision at work, there are two things you should do.
First of all, you need to eliminate the source of the guilt as quickly as possible to avoid diverting energy to thoughts about it. If you are late with a report that a colleague needs, finish it as quickly as possible and give it to them. If you've made a mistake, find a way to apologize to those affected by it. There is no problem at work that you can solve by ignoring it and hoping it will go away on its own.
Second, you need to harness the energy coming from the guilt into the next task you tackle. If you're feeling down about something that happened at work, but you're at home right now, you might be using the energy you've got to do something you've been putting off, like cleaning your room or going to pay your bills for the month.
On the other hand, if you are overcome with guilt while in the office, your job is to impress the people who think they might be affected by your mistake. Turn your sense of nastiness into a strength that strengthens your relationships with your colleagues.
Over time, you will learn to recognize the mistakes, actions, and decisions in your work that have a real impact on others. Everyone has responsibilities in their job, many of which come with deadlines. Early in your career, you may find it difficult to distinguish the priority tasks that must be completed on time from the rest. As a result, you may feel bad about anything that isn't completed perfectly and within the deadline.
Talk to your colleagues and supervisors about the different tasks you need to complete to find out which ones you need to prioritize. These conversations will help you separate the things that are worth feeling bad about from the things that don't really matter. This way, you will minimize the guilt you feel while working. If there does come a time when you feel bad about something, you already know how to use your guilt in a productive way.
22.05.2023
THE EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT WAY TO APOLOGIZE AT THE WORKPLACE
To be able to apologize effectively in the workplace, you need to know how to word the apology and how to choose the right moment. With a positive company culture, employees are not afraid to take responsibility for their mistakes. Refusing to say "I'm sorry" can undermine your relationships with your colleagues and be perceived as a show of disrespect. At the same time, taking responsibility can reset your relationship with your colleague and get it back on track.
However, apologizing can seem like a daunting task if you don't know when is the best time to do it. Moreover, an apology at the wrong time or with a thoughtless statement can be worse than no apology at all. To find the right tone, employees and employers must also find the right circumstances.
Is an apology necessary? How to decide
Before resorting to a hasty apology, first consider whether one is necessary at all. Over apologizing can be a big waste of time, highlighting minor mistakes and diminishing the impact of the act itself. Instead of giving a long or detailed apology, try a short "sorry about that" for some minor mistake. More extensive apologies become necessary when the mistake causes harm to the business, results in a greater workload for colleagues, or is part of a long-term pattern of behavior.
However, even accidents can lead to unexpected results. With this in mind, emotional intelligence and body language can help determine, for example, whether a colleague's distancing reveals a need to pay more attention to a given mistake. Remember that HR advisors and your colleagues can offer helpful perspectives on whether an apology might be helpful in a particular situation. A sincere apology reflects consideration and responsibility, setting a positive tone for a relationship.
How to apologize professionally
After deciding to apologize, consider the reasons for the incident, the impact on others, and ways to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
Choose the right environment for an apology. To make both parties feel comfortable, choose a place where everyone can freely share their feelings, such as a conference room. During the apology, try not to give in to the impulse to fumble the apology in order to get out of the awkward situation as quickly as possible.
Instead of rushing, apologize clearly and carefully, allowing time for the other person to respond. When it comes to big mistakes, an apology can take a few minutes to cover everything – acknowledgment of the problem, proactive suggestions for resolution and prevention, and a chance for the affected party to accept the apology and offer forgiveness.
The most important thing is to remember to listen more than you speak when apologizing. Apologies are an open and honest conversation between two people, not a list of things to check off. No one looks forward to the moment when they have to apologize, but apologies can help restore and deepen trust between people.
19.05.2023
GET RID OF THESE PHRASES IF YOU WANT TO SOUND MORE CONVINCING
If you want to inspire more confidence and sound more convincing, you should get rid of a few phrases, or at least reduce their use:
"If I'm being honest"
This is one of the most commonly used expressions of this type. It also occurs as "honestly speaking" or "let me be honest". When you resort to this caveat, you're effectively telling your audience that everything else you're saying isn't true or sincere. Take for example the following statement: "Our team will complete the project on time, but to be honest, it will cost us a lot of effort." The second part of the sentence, which begins with "if we're being honest," calls into question the otherwise decisive position. Why create doubt in your audience when you are confident in your abilities? Remove this warning and be specific.
"In my opinion"
This phrase is also extremely popular, as with it the speaker wants to soften what he is about to say. Among her variations are "this is just my opinion" or "in my humble opinion". When you call your views "just opinion," you undermine their effect. This suggests that your statement reflects personal bias and some kind of bias, rather than a logical and well-argued position. If you want to sound more humble, you can replace this phrase with "I believe," but to show real confidence, it's best to state your views directly.
"You may already know this, but…"
People use this warning to sound more humble. However, in reality, this phrase suggests that what they say is superfluous and not worth hearing. Think before you speak. If you think others are aware of what you are about to say, either don't waste your time at all or present the information in a new way. People don't mind getting a different perspective on a topic they've already thought about.
"I'm not sure"
We often hear this from people who are actually quite confident in what they're saying, but don't want to sound arrogant. Take for example the sentence: “I'm not sure, but I think we could cut the time we spend on team meetings by half an hour. Here's how we can do it." By the time we get to the proposal itself, all team members have already written it off as worthless. Don't use phrases that effectively say "don't listen to me." Don't be afraid to share your ideas. Others will listen to you and take what advice they think is good.
"I could be wrong"
This expression shows weakness and insecurity. What reason do people have to listen to what you have to say if the information may be misleading or wrong? If a financial analyst says, "We expect inflation to rise, but I could be wrong," we won't know what to really prepare for. Forget about this warning and approach more tactfully. Taking the example of the financial analyst again, he might say, “We expect inflation to rise. The reasons for this are the following…”. Present a variety of potential outcomes to avoid giving the impression of a lack of preparation and knowledge.
"That's probably a stupid question"
By using this expression, you are doing yourself a disservice. Listeners will immediately ignore the words you say after it. Imagine a job interview where the candidate asks, "This is probably a stupid question, but could you tell me if you offer a work-from-home option." In most cases, this is a really stupid question, as employers explain these things in the job postings themselves or on their sites. Asking this question demonstrates that the candidate has not done their homework and familiarized themselves with the terms and conditions offered by the company.
18.05.2023
THE THREE THINGS ON WHICH YOUR SUCCESS DEPENDS
Before he passed away, beloved MIT professor Patrick Winston regularly gave a compelling lecture to students about the value of good communication. In his introduction, he drew attention to the Uniform Code of Military Justice in the United States, which provides for the court-martial of any officer who sends a soldier into battle without a weapon.
Winston said there should be similar protections for students and even entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners. According to him, no one should go through life without being armed with the ability to communicate properly.
"Your success in life will be largely determined by your ability to speak, your ability to write, and the quality of your ideas, in that order," he said.
Winston, who was a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence, knew the power of emotional intelligence. While he recognized the value of brilliant ideas, he placed even greater importance on the ability to communicate those ideas in an impactful way.
The ability to speak
The best speakers know how to inform, persuade and guide their listeners. They speak with confidence and conviction. In turn, they motivate their audience to take action. So how can you improve your speaking ability? Here are three tips that can help you in this endeavor:
If you have very extensive knowledge on a given topic, you can easily deliver a completely incomprehensible speech to a more unprepared audience. However, if your audience is well-informed about the subject, then you can easily bore them. That's why it's important to ask yourself, “How knowledgeable is my audience about this topic?” If you can tailor what you're saying specifically to your audience, you'll maximize your impact.
No one's interest will be piqued by what you have to say unless you yourself are enthusiastic about the subject. Think about what role this topic plays in your life and what value it has for others. Practice talking about it out loud. And if you're the type of person who gets nervous when talking to others, try to turn that nervousness into enthusiasm.
The problem with passion and enthusiasm is that they make you talk faster. Here again we come back to the specifics of your audience. You need to slow down to the point that what you say is understandable (If you watch a lecture by Professor Winston you will see that he speaks at a very slow, very deliberate pace).
Deliberately practice slowing down when you speak. Record yourself when you are in meetings or giving a presentation, and then listen and analyze what you said. If you find yourself speaking too fast, try taking more pauses while you speak. For example, if you ask a rhetorical question, you might pause and silently count to three before continuing. Or, if you're asking a direct question, make a conscious effort to wait until you get a response from the other party.
Finally, use phrases like "in other words" and "simply put" to reiterate key points in a way that's easy to understand.
The ability to write
Jeff Bezos conducts CEO meetings based on narrative-style memos that take several associates a week or more to write. Jason Freed, founder and CEO of Basecamp, says that at the company, they make all hiring decisions—from programmers and designers to marketers and receptionists—based on a candidate's writing ability. Why? Because clear writing indicates clear thinking.
The written word has a special power. It can be taken at your own pace. It can be continuously improved and improved. It influences and motivates. And as more and more jobs offer the option of remote work, the ability to communicate in writing in a concise and easy-to-understand manner becomes increasingly important.
How can you improve your writing skills? Well… by writing.
Many experienced copywriters have started their careers with an exercise that involves copying the work of other great copywriters. This works because when you write, you can't help but slow down and think. This helps you absorb what you've written while enhancing your own skills. Over time, you create your own style while borrowing from the best practices of others.
You can do the same. Is there a website you really like? Copy a text from it, word for word. Then try to do it again – this time with your own product or service in mind, but using the same writing style.
The quality of your ideas
The ability to generate high-quality ideas begins first with consuming high-quality ideas. Begin by studying great thinkers and reflecting on their discoveries. Make connections between what they discovered and what you have learned in your own life.
Then focus on ideas that solve real-world problems. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, strike while the iron is hot. When you have a problem that you've just solved (or are trying to solve), record your work process and the progress you've made. This will help you build on previous thinking foundations and increase the quality of your ideas.
Now you need to take time for deep work. This means regularly setting aside time for creative thinking and brainstorming. Focus on one task or idea at a time until it is completed or until you have made significant progress. Finally, don't underestimate the power of a walk that can boost your brain's dopamine levels as well as your creative thinking abilities.
If you want to increase your chances of success, remember the advice of the late Patrick Winston: "Don't go into battle without your weapon." Practice speaking, writing, and thinking, and use the process described so far to improve each of these abilities.
