We all want to have great ideas like successful billionaire entrepreneurs, but let’s face it—they can be tricky to come up with sometimes. In this guide, you will learn to have great ideas more often by unlocking and nurturing your creativity.
Many people are under the false impression that great ideas should magically appear in their heads. While this may occasionally happen (think sudden inspiration in the shower), most ideas take work.
This article will explore how your brain works through the creative process and how you can use that process to come up with fantastic, innovative ideas more frequently.
Big ideas:
Some of the world’s wealthiest and most influential people climbed their way to the top with one great idea. For example, Sergey Brin and Larry Page came up with the idea of an innovative search engine that focused on relevant links instead of just keywords. As you might guess, that search engine is Google. Today, each man has a net worth of more than $40 billion.
Like many other innovators and entrepreneurs, they put their creativity to work to create one of the most important businesses in the world today.
If you’re ready to accelerate your creativity and spawn some great ideas of your own, try these seven tips.
People-watching can be one of the most stimulating activities you can do. Head to a popular park, the zoo, or even a mall. Take a seat and absorb all the activity around you. You will probably see some interesting behaviors that will make you wonder why people do what they do. This can help you start thinking differently.
When you see the same people day after day, you can easily fall into a thinking rut. Consider joining a new club, signing up for a free class at your local library, or rekindling old connections on your preferred social media platform. As you meet new people, you get the chance to tell old stories about yourself and hear new perspectives. When you do this, it may refresh your thinking and trigger some new ideas in your brain. Plus, you might even make new friends.
Think of the common saying, “You are what you eat.” In addition to food, we all consume media in the form of TV shows, movies, books, and more. Vegging out in front of the TV can be a good break from the grind now and then. However, when you continually fill your head with “junk,” you shouldn’t expect high-quality ideas.
If you want to trigger new ideas, you need to feed your mind with high-quality content. You can:
Have you ever noticed the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button on Google?
Click on this magical button, and it will give the search results for a random word or phrase. Explore this for an hour or so each week to see what your brain can come up with.
We all have specific, closely-held ideas or beliefs. Explore some alternative viewpoints. When you see things from a new point of view, it may help you open your mind to new ideas.
Another way to develop this growth mindset is by studying opposing views on the same idea. It does not have to be a controversial topic.
For example, you could look at the different ways people view productivity. Some people think working remotely increases productivity, while others believe our productivity is determined by whom we sit by. You don’t have to agree or disagree with what you read. However, learning about these different viewpoints can help you form your own thoughts on the topic.
As you think of new ideas and gain new perspectives, it is essential to talk about them. Sometimes, speaking out loud can help you iron out some wrinkles in your thought processes. This is because speaking uses a different part of your brain than writing or visualizing does. The person you’re talking to might even have some valuable feedback.
One of the most important things you can do to foster great ideas is to take notes. This could include some of the following:
When you write down your ideas, you keep those ideas. Think of all the times you had a great idea, didn’t write it down, and then quickly forgot about it. To keep track of your ideas, build a habit of taking notes on paper or using a note-taking app on your phone.
These seven ideas are an excellent start for fostering great ideas. For even more inspiration, watch this short TedTalk from writer Richard St. John.
As you work through these brain exercises, you may realize just how many great ideas you do have. If you need a place to put those ideas to work, join our team at Vector.
Work on your own schedule and at your own pace. Learn valuable skills that will stay with you throughout your career… and might just inspire your next idea.
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