We’re now in an idea economy.
It’s no longer solely capital, and hard labor, warm bodies, that move mountains and make the world go round.
It’s now ideas, thoughts, and their impact, that continue to make the world go round, and make changes for people’s lives.
Yes, of course the action, and execution play a very important part after all, but what do you when you’re out of ideas?
How do you get new ideas, and where?
Books
Books can be full of actionable ideas, new thoughts, and different viewpoints, that can be so helpful in our own lives, and the different situations we face.
Think about it. A book is made up of years and years worth of experience of the author, along with its researchers, assistants, editors, and everyone else who helped in the crafting of that book.
With ideas and experience from a book, you can literally shortcut your way through decades worth of experience, simply by reading about what other people sought to do, what they did, what results they got, and what the long-term effects are.
If some of those are not written in the book, please feel free to write or email the book’s author! They’ll welcome the feedback, questions, and additional learning!
Also, if not for the simple fact that they’ll know that somebody out there is reading, appreciating, and learning from their book!
If I can get one great, actionable, idea from a book, it’s often worth more than the price I paid for the book itself.
Keep reading, and keep learning.
Friends and people
Everyone’s an expert in something, in the same way everyone has extensive experience and interest in something too.
And it’s not all the same.
Different people have different talents, different expertise. And even people with the same expertise, may have differing experiences, and differing viewpoints about the same topic.
There’s really so much to learn, all borne from the variety of ideas that different people have.
If you’re at a lack of ideas, try asking your friends, and other people.
Try coming up with ideas you think suck, or force yourself to make ideas up. Then ask around.
You never know, maybe one of those ideas might resonate with others, and turn out to be the next Uber, or Facebook.
Ask people what they do, and how that relates to what you’re doing.
What’s something they’re good at, and how can you use their strategies, techniques, and approaches, to do a better job?
What’s their big problem in life?
For me, this is one particular source of inspiration: What pains people, and what they look for to get rid of that pain.
What magic solution would solve people’s problems? What something that no matter how outlandish, how extravagant, and how silly, could work and take away people’s pains and fears, and make their dreams come true.
Because people seek pleasure, and go away from pain, what ideas and ways would get people towards what is pleasurable for them, and away from what pains them.
How would you solve the biggest problem in your life, right now?
How would you get unstuck?
What if you could not fail, what would you do, and what would you try?
Research and get ideas
Get rid of the idea that all ideas have to be original.
Ideas don’t have to be original. They have to be effective, and have the desired impact, within the constraints of the situation and the context.
On social media, on websites, on comments, on random thoughts.
Get ideas, and try them out.
Originality isn’t the yardstick.
Impact is.
Don’t be realistic
Because in the idea phase, of anything, being realistic kills creativity and possibility.
People judge ideas based on what they think would work, what would have an effect, and what they think, feel, and know, is possible.
If history is any indication, people are not good judges of what would work, and what would likely make a big impact on their lives.
We’re not good judges because we feel it’s possible. Deep down inside we know it’s the right thing to do, but the rational and logical mind stops us because we have no previous reference for success.
That, and we’re all essentially blockheads.
If you had any and all resources that you would need, what would you build? What would you do?
And what’s the smallest step you can take to get there?
Execute!
Good ideas are essentially that – good ideas, if not executed and acted upon.
But it all starts with ideas.
Force yourself to come up with ideas. And when you come up with ideas, make sure to record them down, write them down, or find some way to keep note of them.
Respect your muse.
And keep coming up with ideas.
Ideas. Ideas. Ideas.
Go.
How do you come up with ideas? Please share in the comments below!
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