I've started reading LifeDev recently and found earlier this week (via LifeHacker) a post on how to be ready for catching ideas (good and bad) when they come and how to brainstorm a little better.? Here are the 7 tips in the post:
1. ALWAYS carry paper
2. Be descriptive when writing it down
3. Plan for not planning on it
4. Good environments matter
5. Think big picture down
6. Organize your thoughts
7. Know when to stop
Here's a good quote on one of the big problems people have with brainstorming, they try to force it:
One problem with the way we typically brainstorm is this: it?s unnatural. We bang our heads against the wall while chanting ?think, think?. If you?re like me, your brain doesn?t like to be told what to do. The second I sit down and ?make? myself be creative, my brain goes on lockdown. Nothing in, nothing out. There?s no such thing as forced creativity.
This is a problem we all face when trying to write a post, start on a paper, or whatever.? That voice that screams in your head: THINK!!!.? That doesn't work for me.? I don't know if it works for anyone.? Here are some tricks that I've found work for me.
- Take a shower.? As goofy as it might sound I get a lot of great thinking done in the shower.? Maybe it breaks my routine, maybe it's some kind of mystical water-brain thing, I don't know, but it helps me focus.
- Let your mind wander a bit.? When I started meditating years ago one piece of advice I read was on how to train your mind to focus.? Think of your mind like a puppy.? It's not going to want to stay on task, it wants to do other stuff.? So, don't get angry at your mind for taking you off on a tangent (oh look a butteryfly!), just gently bring it back to where you want it to be
- Do something else.? Sitting in front of a black screen will kill your chances for getting going.? If you don't have any ideas at the moment, try just doing the dishes, sitting outside for a min, watering the plants.? Something, think about the matter at hand while you do it.
- Use mind mapping software.? I love MindManager.? I use the brainstorming mode to just fire off thoughts.? Just type and go.? Then after a few mins, or when I think I'm stuck, I organize.? Often I'll switch into brainstorming mode a couple times in a document as I get stuck.
I touched on some of these things in a recent podcast on innovation … nice timing, eh?? Overall there isn't one way that works for everyone, but one thing I'm pretty sure of there is no faster way to lock up your brain then try to force it into being creative.
Tags: creativity
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