Avoiding the Einstellung Effect

Einstellung (German: approach / prior belief)
When faced with a problem, the brain works according to familiar patterns (avoiding Combinatorial explosion)
I.e. When I think I know the answer, my vision tunnels. I’m a hammer, so the problem is surely a nail.
When the actual solution is beyond this immediate response, a helpful approach is to assume the ‘first answer the brain comes up with’ isn’t possible
The result will be an opening of further possibility (the search space expands for new solutions to be found)
This appears to be a key element of creative thinking