The 5 Simplest Ways to Generate Great Ideas
09.12.2019
1. Generate ten ideas every day.
The simplest, and yet the best way to generate great ideas is to generate LOTS of ideas. Out of quantity comes quality.
Pick a topic each day. Then, generate ten ideas on that topic, off the top of your head. Don’t think about it too much. Just make a list from one to ten, then jot down your ideas. Keep all your ideas. You’ll be amazed at the results.
2. Read more. Skim books.
Skim most books, but download and read important books. Over time, you’ll become a thought leader in your field. Reading is vital to idea generation.
Vital: make notes on the books you read. If you read books on your ereader, highlight passages and add your own notes. Visit your local library too, and browse books there.
3. Draw your ideas to restructure them.
Can’t draw? That’s OK. Symbols and stick figures work well. Try it. Many creative people doodle, often without realizing that they’re doing it. You can doodle deliberately to generate fresh ideas from combinations of ideas.
4. Become more social.
When you meet and chat with new people, whether online or offline, you’re exposed to new ways of thinking. You’re also able to restructure and reframe your own experiences. You may find that when you describe a current challenge to someone who doesn’t know you well, you come up with some great ideas for solutions.
5. Break your patterns.
You’ve established patterns of behavior and thought over time. Deliberately start to change those patterns.
Think about a current challenge you have. Let’s say you want some capital to invest in a friend’s new venture. You don’t have any money. Formerly, you might have shrugged this off, deciding to forget this opportunity. Breaking old patterns is hard, but not impossible. Whenever you think “no,” describe the problem or opportunity. Writing things down, and coming up with ideas ensures that you will, sooner or later, come up with great ideas.