Stuck for ideas? Here are Some Ideas to Unstick You!

Take a Shower 

 

You may laugh - but most entrepreneurs find that taking a shower (or running) help them come up with new ideas. 

 

When we focus intently on a task at hand we tend to see only one part of the big, sprawling picture in front of us. It's when we get away from the chore of idea generation, that our brains start to work with associations. 

 

You may find that when you run or cycle, you begin to see common ground. It happens all the time that you see bloggers who write posts such as "10 things marketing departments need to learn from triathletes" or "How to do business like Richard Branson by thinking like Arnold Schwarzenegger". 

 

These ideas come from associations we have - but then the shower afterwards engulfs us in a field of negative ions. The pleasurable response to these ions injects dopamine into our systems, and dopamine, combined with a positive state of mind helps encourage the flow of positive ideas. 

 

Mentally Model Yourself After Someone Else 

 

Ever hear the expression "What would MacGyver do if he were here now?" It's mentally associating yourself with someone who you believe would have the answer. It doubles your creative workload, because it also breaks down barriers that you might otherwise believe existed to prevent you from finding the right solution. 

 

If, in the TV program, MacGyver could use a matchstick to escape jail, then if you think like him, you should at least be able to find a way to get out of your locked bathroom without resorting to the embarrassment of shouting out the window to your next door neighbour. 

 

Get Out of the House 

 

Another reason running and travel work so well to stimulate ideas is that by getting out of the house we move and take in more oxygen. Increased oxygen helps boost brain function, and a change of setting helps the brain start react in different ways to wards different stimuli. 

 

Accept Your Bad Ideas 

 

Yes, there's a dark side to this super power of awesome ideas. It's the really stupid, impulsive ideas that come with them. 

 

In reality, there are no really stupid ideas. There is only the stupidity of acting on bad ideas without giving them enough forethought. Don't get down on yourself for having a bad idea - it's all part of the process. Just accept that - after examining the idea - it was a bad one. Ditch it and move on. 

Effective Brainstorming

The pressure to come up with ideas can be overwhelming. Constant content creation seems to be a requisite of the workplace these days. There's a demand from your boss to find new ways to improve the workplace, your college lecturer wants to see a different approach than anyone else has shown, or you're an entrepreneur and you recognize that without flagging yourself as someone who stands out different to the rest, you're going to sink among all the other "me too" product creators. 

 

Can you create a mental spark of new ideas as simply as you see a spark when you touch two wires together? The answer is - you can. 

 

The first thing you need to do is quit thinking of ideas as things that just happen. You've heard of brainstorming, right? That's a situation where people decide to cognitively generate ideas. They make the decision that they will create ideas within a timeframe - not that they will sit around the office for days, weeks or months waiting on some mysterious Muse to appear and give them a sign. 

 

How Do We Brainstorm Effectively? 

 

First, write down all known facts and assumptions about the subject at hand. Then for each fact or assumption, ask "what if...?" Take the opposing view in your question. 

 

"What if something else could create the same result?" 

 

"What if we didn't have a specific resource, then how would we create this?" 

 

"What if everyone called in sick one day, then how would we minimize the damage?" 

 

"What if I had only 10 minutes to do this - is there a template I could use over and over again to speed things up?" 

 

Always challenge assumptions. 

 

Strip Things Away 

 

Often, we get caught up in finding new ideas to add to the existing processes we have in place. But it's as valid to think about cutting away ideas as it is creating new ones. You might have two different products in mind to create, and two different websites to market them through. But by focusing on cutting out ideas you may discover that there is a core group who require both products - and then build just one website aimed at that core group. 

 

Ideas that take away work are sometimes more beneficial than those that do. 

 

Use Different Discovery Tools 

 

Many people swear by mind maps. Some prefer a word processor document - and others prefer spreadsheets. Get away from your comfort level by using a different medium to dump your ideas out into. The process will feel different and make your brain respond differently - and often more creatively.