Remember every person has a story behind their business ideas, but the execution process behind it is a little daunting. For an average person, no matter how hard they act, some of the ideas won’t work out. Does this mean they should stop implementing those ideas? No, not at all.
Almost every human being on this planet secretly wishes to become a business idea machine. Trust me when we are saying that ideas are all around us. You can find ideas at any place or in anything. The only requirement is to have the will to execute those ideas.
For some individuals, coming up with ideas is like a walk-in-the-park, for others, it is a hectic process. Usually, people who deal in technology and marketing domains, for them coming with ideas can be a daily thing which could sometimes be overwhelming.
You see, copying someone else’s ideas is an easy task, but why stoop on that level when you can learn the skill to come up with new ideas every day. Still, if you think that you are not one for ideas and all, you need to drop that attitude immediately.
Every brain can come up with ideas. If you consider this while you work, socialize, and explore, you’ll immediately discover that it’s a lot simpler to generate fresh ideas when you have a lot of them, to begin with.
So, without any further ado, let’s put light on the six things you can do to become a business idea machine.
1. Follow an ideation routine
The very first approach is to set up an ideation routine. According to the Nielsen Norman Group, ideation is the practice of creating a large number of thoughts about a specific topic without attempting to judge or analyze them.
In simple words, it’s the ideal time to experiment with all kinds of strange and insane ideas. Each day, according to a top entrepreneur James Altucher, you should produce ten new ideas each day. A great habit is to invest 30 minutes every morning writing down your ten ideas. These ideas need not be perfect, but here the aim is to make your mind believe that it is the time for ideation.
As soon as your mind starts believing that, you will come up with good ideas each day. Thus, all you have to do is select a place, set a time, pick a notebook or laptop, and start writing all the ideas.
The primary objective of an ideation session is to generate new ideas. The need for analytical thought is stressed, and the emphasis is placed on a number instead of the quality of ideas.
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2. Follow the ‘no-time’ strategy for your ideas
Now, the point we will discuss in this section might contradict your traditional thinking. We all are aware that you need to have a proper schedule and consistent routine to be successful.
All the billionaires in the world have the same routine, they are consistent, and that’s why they are successful. You might have heard this kind of ideology, but did you know that Steve Jobs had taken a break before coming up with MAC computers. After dropping out of college, he visited India in search of peace, and then after returning, he came up with the idea of launching personal computers for everyone. This break energized his creativity.
According to the Inc, while a daily routine can be beneficial and productive, it can also be stressful and inhibit creativity. Many successful business owners have decided on a time frame for no-time.
It is like a mental vacation to channelize ideas. In no- time, you will focus on things that make you happy, like visiting a friend, spending time with your family, or connecting with nature. It is also known as me-time or isolated time with oneself.
According to Steven Kotler, a TED speaker, “no time” is critical in such a schedule because if you spend a great deal of your day doing all of these other things, you cannot have a moment for yourself.
Now, most of us think that we can’t have any time in a jam-packed daily routine, but we can, and it is a must if you are struggling with ideas. In layman’s terms, “no time” allows us to relax sufficiently to view the broad picture and generate new ideas.
3. Understand different domains for learning
Nobody wants to be a frog in a pond, especially when the world is our oyster. So how can you cage yourself up in the same kind of thinking in fear of breaking the pattern?
Most business owners struggle with coming up with new ideas because of their comfort zone. They don’t want to try something out of their league or box. The point here is you’re only subjected to one way of mindset if you constantly absorb the same type of material. We all get bored eating the same kind of dish regularly, but visiting a restaurant or taking it out makes us happy.
Thus, the same principle applies to creativity. To challenge your brain, you need to feed different kinds of stuff. That will only come when you will read, listen or meet outside your comfort zone. It is essential to learn new things or skills. Not only will it recharge your brain, but it also makes it adaptable to new things.
It might be possible that at first, you don’t like the idea of learning new things, but eventually, your brain will become habitual of all this. You will begin coming up with innovative ideas in a matter of time, and you will start appreciating things out of your comfort zone.
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4. Don’t always pressure yourself
The urge to generate the billion-dollar ideas that can make you the wealthiest human being on this planet can be troublesome. Because we put so much pressure on the brain that we start contemplating a lot about ideas and force our brains to work fast. But do you think the same kind of approach was adopted by Mark Zuckerberg when he came up with Facebook? Did he also spend sleepless nights on the side of the bed thinking about the same? We highly doubt that because putting pressure won’t do any good for anyone.
A relaxing mind is much better than a frustrating mind. If you put too much pressure on your mind, then it is possible you won’t be able to generate anything at all.
The book “Art and fear” demonstrates this phenomenon very well. It has been stated in the book two groups were created to generate the art. One group was assigned the job of creating as many artworks as they could in the next month. The other had been given the task of creating only one masterpiece by the end of next month.
The majority of the painters in the second group produced nothing. The strain of creating a masterpiece suffocated their minds to create grandeur, and thus they became trapped in intellectual quicksand. So, it is wise to keep your mind relaxed and don’t put much pressure on it. That’s your creativity hack four!
5. Find time for gratitude and solitude
Now, the other important thing to become a business idea machine is to cut yourself some slack. Pressurizing yourself or drowning yourself in work won’t be good for your mental health.
When business people have other interests in mind, they typically come up with the most exemplary ideas. Therefore, you need to practice gratitude and find some time for yourself (to solitude) in your daily activity.
Do things that make you happy, such as going for a walk, playing games, or listening to music. As we understand that most people love to work, but giving your mind a break is necessary. Understand that our brain builds connections by connecting information and stimuli gathered by the unconscious throughout the day.
However, it will require sufficient room to do so. The mind will overheat like a pc RAM poised to burst if you operate on full throttle all the time. It’s never a brilliant idea to burn out your most creative asset to be more creative.
6. Always think about the next step
Every successful business owner knows their next move. What they will do after this by generate their imaginary scenarios.
Likewise, you should also be prepared for what comes next. The best idea is the one for which you have a bunch of follow-up ideas. Preparing a further plan is an integral part of a successful business.
Once you know your idea, the next step should be to execute it.
Do you think Bill Gates waited for another day when he came up with Microsoft? He must have shared this with his colleagues or written down the plans that he will make to achieve it. The goal is to act swiftly and without hesitancy on the concept. Be as relentless as a warrior about to attack. The point here is don’t give your brains time to get distracted if you know that this idea is the one. Act fast, but that doesn’t mean making irrational decisions in a rush.
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Conclusion
There you have it! This is my complete take on how to become a business idea machine. There is no particular rule book for generating ideas; you can come up with ideas at any time (or) any place (or) in any way.
The six things mentioned here might work for you, and they might not, but the only sure thing that works is practicing. The more you practice all these points, the better you will get with ideas.
Being consistent is one of the keys, so don’t waste a minute waiting for ideas; instead of creating scenarios, ideas should come naturally to you.
Apart from my list, there are still many approaches to come up with new ideas, but the question is, what works best for you? So, what are you waiting for? Implement these ways and let us know how it helps you in coming up with new ideas.
This article is written by Vignesh Wadarajan. Vignesh is a media personality with an entrepreneurial presence in the business space. He likes to write and talk about stuff like business, marketing, personality development, and productivity.
