Coming up with great ideas is not only reserved for visionaries or mad scientists. Read on to learn how to come up with ideas here.
80,000 thoughts cross the human mind every day. Many of them make for fabulous ideas.
For most people, coming up with great ideas isn’t a matter of developing the aptitude to do so. It’s putting processes in place that allow them to better probe, nurture and record all of the great ideas that are already speeding through their brains.
In this write-up, we go over proven tips that can help you figure out how to come up with ideas consistently that can help you in life, in your career and on your journey towards your dreams.
- Consume Inspiring Content
Great ideas are almost always borrowed from a handful of inspirational sources. In that sense, there are no wholly original ideas.
And you know what? That’s okay!
Borrowing genius from the world around you to make something that feels unique is a tried and true technique that has brought the world numerous innovations.
Given that fact, if you want to learn how to come up with ideas that have the potential to be revolutionary, it’s in your best interest that the inspiration you consume is of quality. That probably means reading, watching, and listening to more intellectually challenging ideas and spending less time watching your favorite reality TV shows.
- Talk About the Things That Catch Your Attention
Did you read about something interesting? Did you just watch a movie that blew your mind?
The best thing that you can do to fully synthesize that information is to talk about it.
By reiterating to others new data that our brains have taken in, we cement what we’ve learned further into our consciousness and keep it from being lost in our short-term memory banks.
- Be Prepared to Capture Strokes of Genius
We’ve talked to hundreds of people that say their best ideas come to them in dreams or other unexpected places. When a great idea tip-toes across your mind, chances are, you only have seconds to record it before you forget.
Being prepared with a notepad that you can quickly write your thoughts on can be supportive of this process.
If you’re not one for writing, a voice recorder that you can articulate memos to makes for a great notepad substitute.
- Make a Habit of Probing
When people tell you things or thoughts pop into your head, you might think that the information you’re receiving is superficial. Upon further inspection though, what you have in front of you may actually be fodder for great ideas.
People that have mastered how to come up with ideas understand that truth and make a habit of probing thoughts and comments so they can find more meaning in things that seem simple.
If you ever have the opportunity to learn how to make a mind map, we recommend doing so as mind mapping can be helpful to introspective probing.
- Feel Empowered to Share
Great ideas die on the tongues of geniuses every day that are too afraid to speak their truth. Don’t be one of those people.
Whenever you have something that’s on your mind, feel empowered to let people know what it is that you’re considering. If you don’t have a group of people around you that are receptive to your thoughts, find a new group, whether that be in your personal life or at work.
The more receptive that your support system is to listening to you and respectfully challenging your way of thinking, the more fleshed out your ideas will become.
- Think of Sensible Solutions to Problems
Ideas are no more than solutions to problems.
“What’s the best way to make cars safer?” “How can we eat without getting our hands dirty”
Simple questions like those led the world to seat belts and spoons.
So many thinkers push themselves to come up with ideas just for the sake of coming up with ideas which can be challenging. By instead identifying the problems that you want your ideas to solve, you can make your thoughts more pointed which can help you come up with better things at a faster pace.
- Change Your Environment… Constantly
Innovating in a place that you know like the back of your hand is nearly impossible. After all, how can you have your creative juices stoked if nothing in your environment challenges your perception?
The best idea creators understand the value of varying the stimuli that they receive. They spend days at the beach, in the mountains, in new countries or a different part of town.
By doing the same thing, you’ll find that outstanding ideas make themselves more available to you.
- Be Patient
Sometimes, no matter how many angles you work, ideas just don’t come. That’s okay!
Mental exhaustion is a real thing and if you push your brain to keep thinking past its level of comfort, you many find yourself increasingly put off by the prospect of brainstorming. Know when to give your creativity a rest and you’ll find that it works a lot harder for you in the long run.
Our Final Thoughts on How to Come up With Ideas
Knowing how to come up with ideas is just half of the battle. The other half is allowing yourself to focus on dreaming rather than fixating on all of the daily stressors that are competing for your attention.
We hope that our tips help you hatch your next great innovation. If you find yourself in need of additional inspiration, our team welcomes you to read more of the content on our blog!
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.