Do you want to get ahead in business? One sure-fire way is through ideas. Ideas come to us every day, many more than we could ever use. We dismiss most of them, without making an effort to record them. This is unfortunate. We may dismiss an idea which would change the world. Generating ideas for business demands a totally new mindset. Here are 5 simple ways for you to generate great ideas:
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.
We’re all creative. Sadly, mostly we ignore our creative intuitions. When you set out to deliberately generate a flow of ideas each day, you’ll strengthen your idea-generation muscles.
2. Read, look, and listen.
Read as much as you possibly can Use Amazon and its “Look Inside” technology to keep up with new thinking in your field. 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. It is extremely important to make notes on the books you read. If you read books on your e-reader, highlight passages and add your own notes. Watch Youtube videos on all the topics that interest you. Listen to podcasts. Read blogs. The more ideas you’re aware of, the more you can combine ideas to create your own breakthrough ideas.
3. Draw a picture.
The best way of externalizing your ideas is to draw a sketch. 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. Think differently.
You’ve established patterns of behaviour 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.
You write down: “capital to invest.” You list ten ways of finding investment funds, finally deciding that you’ll set up a kickstarter campaign. Your contribution to your friend’s venture will be the time and energy you put into crowd-funding.
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.
Try these five simple ways to generate great ideas. One method is sure to work for you. Start generating ideas today.
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