7 Ways to Get Ideas

Ideas are important!

Well look around yourself. Everything useful is an idea. The phone you use, the bike you ride, and almost everything just started with an idea.

So what is an idea?

Simply put James Webb Young said: “An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements.”

But if ideas are so powerful yet simple why can’t everyone come up with ideas. Ideas like everything come to people who keep looking for ideas. For example try to notice only red colour around you –funnily enough you would notice red colour easily. Why is this? It’s because our brain works like that.

So how to get ideas?

1) Have Fun:

It is counter intuitive to think that to get ideas one must have fun. Actually, many of the ideas that changed the world came to the thinkers when they were not actually looking for it. If you don’t love what you are doing then certainly you are not going to have fun.

2) Be More like a Child:

When I was kid I gave my grandfather a headache. He told my mom not to send me along with him. He was absolutely bored, and tired answering my endless questions. But those were curious questions, and I think I came out with more creative ideas. But when I grew up, I stopped asking questions. I simply accepted things. Big Mistake! If you are like a child then you can get more ideas.

3) Become Idea-Prone:

As I mentioned before if you keep looking for ideas, you are going to get ideas. Sometimes they don’t come in the regular way, but keep your mind open to get the ideas and use it.

4) Visualize Success:

Jack Canfield claims in his book that he visualized endlessly about making money, and he actually made money after he got ideas to make money. If we visualize success, we are bound to be a success. Similarly if you visualize that you are successful and are getting lots of ideas, then you will certainly get more ideas.

5) Team up with Energy:

If you are going to join a bunch of lazy sluggards, you are certainly going to be like them. If you are around people who say they never get ideas, I can predict you are going to say the same thing. If you are with a creative team then you are going to get amazing ideas. Energy is required to come up with great ideas.

6) Learn How To Combine:

Well, I read modestly. Yet, I have learnt how to read from different genres. By reading from different books we can come up with more funny ideas. But to see a connection in all that you read, and see is the trick. Learn to do this, then you can come with amazing ideas.

7) Put the Idea into Action:

Ideas are good, but if you don’t use those ideas then those ideas are wasted. Put the ideas you get into action immediately. Once you take action, you seem to get more ideas along the way. That’s what we would call flow.