“How do I get new ideas every day?” This is one question people often ask towards the end of the year.
Most people want to get new ideas to plan their goals for the New Year.
Look, everything you will do and become in life starts with an idea.
We can say your life is a reflection of the ideas you’ve been executing. My point is, you must become an idea machine if you are going to live life to its fullest potential.
Being an idea machine doesn’t mean becoming a robot that churns out an extraordinary idea every time it’s switched on. Although, it might feel like that to people who find it harder to come up with ideas. Being an idea machine means being able to generate ideas when you need them.
This can be the good, the bad, and the ugly that you can sort through. The skills and the ideas will help you achieve success at anything and everything.
All too often, we do not come up with ideas unless something forces us to. We wait till something has gone wrong before we start looking for how to fix it. For example, it is only when we face a challenge in our relationship that we think of how to make it better. Also, we don’t do anything until our businesses are failing or our profits are sinking. When there’s no fear of bankruptcy, we do not think of ways to make more money or save for a very rainy day.
I will get to how you can learn to become an idea machine shortly. But firefighting isn’t the most productive way to live life. Instead, you should start a daily idea generation routine that helps you get better ideas and improve your life. You can do this before bed or upon waking up.
When you’re an idea machine, it’s like you foresee things. You shape your mind to constantly be in that place where you come up with a great idea, even when you don’t need it. When you hit a wall, you immediately come up with several ideas on how to scale it through. Even if a lot of them may be bad ideas, you’ll still come up with them. You don’t strike people as clueless.
This can be very helpful in many aspects of your life. For those of you who are entrepreneurs, being an idea machine helps your business perform at optimal levels. You can build systems that help you mitigate risks. However, being an idea machine can be helpful in many ways other than in business.
As James Altucher says, “ideas are the currency of life.” Being full of ideas makes you valuable. People naturally turn to you for solutions. Aside from that, you have better relationships. You’ll also have better work experience when you’re able to come up with ideas. You save more time and get the big payoff we all want, obtaining financial freedom. You’re able to pick yourself up from challenges faster when you’re an idea machine. You become more successful in every aspect of your life.
So here’s how to become that mega idea machine!
One of the things that inhibit people from creating ideas is fear and a lack of confidence. If you’re hoping to become an idea machine, then you have to believe in your ability to do so. You have to acknowledge that you can consistently create ideas. You don’t have to be Einstein, Maya Angelou, or Da Vinci before becoming an idea machine.
Coming up with beautiful, terrific ideas involves believing positive things about yourself. You have to think the best about your abilities.
There are two types of people who would never really become idea machines. First are those who fixate on the thought “someone else has said this or done this, why should I?” Second, are those who think that they cannot come up with ideas as good as Z’s.”
It helps when you do not focus on getting praise for your ideas but simply generate them regardless. Don’t be reluctant to share your ideas because of a fear of rejection. Yes, being applauded is intoxicating, and being popular can seem like today’s only yardstick for success. But watching yourself create those ideas is the most beautiful and enthralling thing.
There’s no assurance that every idea you come up with will be great. Yes, we all want to create that big idea that will make us famous and respected. We forget that our perfection lies in our imperfections. So, we set our expectations so high and beat ourselves up when we don’t meet them, thinking, “We’re not worth it.”
More often, this comes from comparison. Stop thinking or telling yourself things like, “I’ll never be as good as those folks at doing ABC.” I’m not that exceptional. I’d rather leave it to others since I always mess up. ” or “I’d rather not say anything than let so and so put my idea down.”
We chase perfection way too much, and society pressures us too. But, how do you embrace your imperfection and become an idea machine?
The first thing you need to do is acknowledge that nothing is perfect. Embrace your imperfection, except one is not and does not have to be perfect. Since no one is perfect, your ideas don’t have to be too. Give yourself the liberty to come up with ideas without making what people think about those ideas affect your self-belief and confidence.
When you start doing this and stop thinking in terms of perfection, you’ll discover an endless stream of inspiration resides in you. Allow your ideas to flow.
Do you have enough to start generating ideas? Maybe not! You don’t have to. Just get into learning and generating ideas.
Condition your mind to get into the process of coming up with different ideas. One part of it is what we have already covered in the previous point. The other part involves exposing yourself to the right content. Exposure is critical for creativity.
Frequently, we spend hours waiting for inspiration to hit us from somewhere. Other times, we’re poring over countless research materials looking for inspiration. We even look to other people to come up with ideas for us. But the inspiration you’re waiting for comes when you condition your mind to do the work. Sometimes, it comes only after you have spent time trying to generate ideas.
When I started this blog, whenever I sat down to write, my heart would begin to sink. I had the passion and experience I needed, but getting that first post seemed challenging. I started to wonder if I would ever write enough when I’ve yet to write the first word. This is true for most of you reading this too. You’re nervous about how it’ll end when you’re yet to begin.
The truth is, you’d feel a lot better when you made a little progress than when you didn’t start at all. Give yourself the freedom to come up with ideas. You can come up with ideas and follow them up with reading or finding resources later that’ll help you execute those ideas. Executing is essential, as all the ideas in this world will do you no good if you don’t implement them. As you carry them out, you will also see your life transform.
One quote that has helped me is that “world-changing ideas generally evolve as slow hunches rather than sudden breakthroughs.”
You have to accept that you’re enough to create. Get exposure by all means too. By doing this, you’re liberated to come up with ideas on the go. And no, your idea doesn’t always have to be an original idea.
Becoming an idea machine doesn’t happen in a day. It takes consistent effort. While some people say routine is the enemy of creativity, routine actually helps you be creative on auto-pilot. As Ann Hadley put it (concerning creative writing), “many of the world’s most brilliant writers stressed regular routines and schedules for writing. Maya Angelou, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, and Oliver Sacks kept regular hours to “cultivate creative rhythms.”
Yes, one good idea can bring about a turning point in your life. But you might need to generate and execute on several dozen of them to get there.
Who becomes a good gardener by watering their plants occasionally? No one. You have to nurture anything you want to blossom. And your idea muscles are no exception. Making a routine out of idea generation will help you grow and strengthen your idea muscle.
This can be very helpful in many aspects of your life. For those of you who are entrepreneurs, being an idea machine helps your business perform at optimal levels. You can build systems that help you mitigate risks. However, being an idea machine can be helpful in many ways other than in business.
As James Altucher says, “ideas are the currency of life.” Being full of ideas makes you valuable. People naturally turn to you for solutions. Aside from that, you have better relationships. You’ll also have better work experience when you’re able to come up with ideas. You save more time and get the big payoff we all want, obtaining financial freedom. You’re able to pick yourself up from challenges faster when you’re an idea machine. You become more successful in every aspect of your life.
So here’s how to become that mega idea machine!
One of the things that inhibit people from creating ideas is fear and a lack of confidence. If you’re hoping to become an idea machine, then you have to believe in your ability to do so. You have to acknowledge that you can consistently create ideas. You don’t have to be Einstein, Maya Angelou, or Da Vinci before becoming an idea machine.
Coming up with beautiful, terrific ideas involves believing positive things about yourself. You have to think the best about your abilities.
There are two types of people who would never really become idea machines. First are those who fixate on the thought “someone else has said this or done this, why should I?” Second, are those who think that they cannot come up with ideas as good as Z’s.”
It helps when you do not focus on getting praise for your ideas but simply generate them regardless. Don’t be reluctant to share your ideas because of a fear of rejection. Yes, being applauded is intoxicating, and being popular can seem like today’s only yardstick for success. But watching yourself create those ideas is the most beautiful and enthralling thing.
There’s no assurance that every idea you come up with will be great. Yes, we all want to create that big idea that will make us famous and respected. We forget that our perfection lies in our imperfections. So, we set our expectations so high and beat ourselves up when we don’t meet them, thinking, “We’re not worth it.”
More often, this comes from comparison. Stop thinking or telling yourself things like, “I’ll never be as good as those folks at doing ABC.” I’m not that exceptional. I’d rather leave it to others since I always mess up. ” or “I’d rather not say anything than let so and so put my idea down.”
We chase perfection way too much, and society pressures us too. But, how do you embrace your imperfection and become an idea machine?
The first thing you need to do is acknowledge that nothing is perfect. Embrace your imperfection, except one is not and does not have to be perfect. Since no one is perfect, your ideas don’t have to be too. Give yourself the liberty to come up with ideas without making what people think about those ideas affect your self-belief and confidence.
When you start doing this and stop thinking in terms of perfection, you’ll discover an endless stream of inspiration resides in you. Allow your ideas to flow.
Do you have enough to start generating ideas? Maybe not! You don’t have to. Just get into learning and generating ideas.
Condition your mind to get into the process of coming up with different ideas. One part of it is what we have already covered in the previous point. The other part involves exposing yourself to the right content. Exposure is critical for creativity.
Frequently, we spend hours waiting for inspiration to hit us from somewhere. Other times, we’re poring over countless research materials looking for inspiration. We even look to other people to come up with ideas for us. But the inspiration you’re waiting for comes when you condition your mind to do the work. Sometimes, it comes only after you have spent time trying to generate ideas.
When I started this blog, whenever I sat down to write, my heart would begin to sink. I had the passion and experience I needed, but getting that first post seemed challenging. I started to wonder if I would ever write enough when I’ve yet to write the first word. This is true for most of you reading this too. You’re nervous about how it’ll end when you’re yet to begin.
The truth is, you’d feel a lot better when you made a little progress than when you didn’t start at all. Give yourself the freedom to come up with ideas. You can come up with ideas and follow them up with reading or finding resources later that’ll help you execute those ideas. Executing is essential, as all the ideas in this world will do you no good if you don’t implement them. As you carry them out, you will also see your life transform.
One quote that has helped me is that “world-changing ideas generally evolve as slow hunches rather than sudden breakthroughs.”
You have to accept that you’re enough to create. Get exposure by all means too. By doing this, you’re liberated to come up with ideas on the go. And no, your idea doesn’t always have to be an original idea.
Becoming an idea machine doesn’t happen in a day. It takes consistent effort. While some people say routine is the enemy of creativity, routine actually helps you be creative on auto-pilot. As Ann Hadley put it (concerning creative writing), “many of the world’s most brilliant writers stressed regular routines and schedules for writing. Maya Angelou, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, and Oliver Sacks kept regular hours to “cultivate creative rhythms.”
Yes, one good idea can bring about a turning point in your life. But you might need to generate and execute on several dozen of them to get there.
Who becomes a good gardener by watering their plants occasionally? No one. You have to nurture anything you want to blossom. And your idea muscles are no exception. Making a routine out of idea generation will help you grow and strengthen your idea muscle.
A considerable part of building your idea muscle rests on commitment. That is, show up every day. There is no better way to get good at cooking than by cooking regularly. There’s no better way to become more compassionate than by showing love regularly. In the same way, there is no better way to become an idea machine than by generating ideas every day.
Commit to a yearly or monthly routine of coming up with ten ideas, whatever feels right. Try to come up with helpful ideas about random things. It does not have to be an incredibly brilliant idea. Just come up with ideas. For example, “10 things I don’t like about my community.” “10 things I’d like to do before the end of the year.” “10 things I’ll do to make myself happy.” “20 ways to make more money.” “20 things I’ll do to make myself a better wife.”
The list is endless. Come up with a listicle topic and fill it up with ideas. Whether it is convenient or not, make a committed effort to stick to this routine. You’ll see how much your idea generation ability will develop when you learn to commit to generating regularly.
A word of caution: While you need to push for your set number of ideas to build your idea muscle, do not apply too much pressure. Like all other muscles, your idea muscles will thank you if you learn to rest and continue after.
“Intuition is seeing with the soul.”—Dean Koontz.
Intuition is one of the greatest assets you have, yet it’s one of the most challenging to use. Your intuition whispers ideas to you all the time. But you’re likely quick to shut it out and not succumb. Many of us have created a barrier in our minds with the words, “what will people think?”
Generating ideas intuitively happens in silence, almost unrecognisable. For example, I get tons of ideas for my blog posts that I often don’t know the origins of. They come in a rush, and I write them down without judging them. I let them flow out. In the end, I edit or sort those ideas at a separate time from when the inspiration occurs. That’s what intuitive idea generation is about—it starts from a place of non-judgement and submission. Just express it rather than suppress whatever comes to your mind.
Meditation, mindfulness, and yoga help you to free up your mind. By freeing up your mind, you allow ideas to flow easily. You can also practice dream journaling, doodling, and freewriting as ways to train yourself to trust your intuition. You’d be surprised at how many good ideas you can generate when you trust your gut.
James Altucher calls this idea “sex.” It involves merging different ideas to form a better one. This involves a high level of liberation. Break the rules. Think inside the box and flip it.
For example, think of a way you were able to persuade someone to help you with an assignment back in school or at work and connect it with things you’ve learnt about sales persuasion to come up with a better persuasion technique.
Or think about what aspect of home management you can bring into your work. Or what part of your formal setting can help your relationship.
When you do this, you unleash more mind-blowing, relatable, laudable, and exciting ideas.
This point is so crucial that it deserves to be on its own. Writing is a psychoneuromotor activity. This means your learning and retention are tripled when you write things down. Writing ideas down means you learn the process faster and remember your ideas more. And you can easily make needed connections because, subconsciously or not, your thoughts are burned into your system. ‘
As you write your ideas, don’t discriminate between what’s a brilliant idea and a bad one. Your idea muscle needs all of them to grow. You can sort them out when it comes time to choose which ones you’ll execute on.
You can write ideas on scraps of paper or in a cheap notebook such as a waiter’s pad. The rationale behind this is that we often place too much value on expensive notepads. We often think to ourselves, “anything that goes on has to be perfect.” But it doesn’t. So, by writing in a cheap notebook or on the back of a used envelope, you allow yourself to make mistakes and enjoy the idea generation process.
I would advise you to write them down somewhere so you can always refer to them and even see your progress over time. But, whatever you do or wherever you choose to record your thoughts, just write!
My final thoughts
The thing about being an idea machine is not that you come up with good ideas all the time. It just means that you’re capable of coming up with solutions to problems faster. And if you can come up with new ideas to solve your problems, you can achieve anything.
So don’t be afraid to come up with ideas. It doesn’t matter whether they’re good or bad ideas. Don’t be scared of testing your ideas and failing. When you fail fast, you improve faster.
If you are struggling with overcoming perfectionism and you’re searching for ways, then read this article on the little-known ways to overcome perfectionism.
Being assertive is critical to healthy relationships and living a stress-free life. I have said that assertiveness lies in the healthy middle between passivity and aggression. So, it is possible to be assertive without being aggressive.
Being assertive is critical to healthy relationships and living a stress-free life. I have said that assertiveness lies in the healthy middle between passivity and aggression. So, it is possible to be assertive without being aggressive.
Oh, the beauty of a life lived beyond the shores of fear. If there’s one thing I’ve always chanted to myself is to never live in fear. I know you’ve been scared of a lot of things in life. Many people have and I know that’s why you’re reading this
One battle many women (including black women) fight during holiday seasons or holidays like this is how to stay motivated. The holiday season is a great time to which we all look forward. But let’s face it, holidays aren’t only rosy and jolly. They come with their fair share of work and distractions.
