How do people get ideas?

Do you get best ideas by sitting down, holding a piece of paper, and trying to think on amazing things? Or do they come spontaneously as soon as you think on it?

I would tell a big NO. Not at all.

                                                                                   

We all need great ideas.

Ideas for projects.

Ideas for blog posts.

Ideas for creating something new.

Ideas to impress your crush too 😉 .

From past few months I was wondering “How do people get the ideas?”

I even personally asked few great achievers about how do they get their best ideas?

Those responses were really surprising to me.

I thought most people came up with their best ideas when they think on it for a long time without any distraction. But I was totally wrong.

I made a small survey on my question.

Where do you come up with your ideas?

Here are few common 1 line answers I got from them.

While walking in streets.

While travelling (trains, buses).

While being with different cultured people.

But, I get lots of ideas when I’m in toilet. 😀 😀 😀

I like to highlight this :

Great ideas come when you are not at all thinking on them.

Great ideas don’t happen when you want them to. You can’t make them happen.

(This is my personal opinion.)

How to get ideas and execute them?

I follow few steps when I badly need an idea.

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1. Create.

2. Have a note of it.

3. Organize it properly. (Similar to data Structures)

4. Selection.

5. Execute.

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If you fail to take an idea through all of these steps, I think you will definitely fail in delivering the final product. Your idea may be worthless. 😦

Let me explain each of these steps in detail and discuss why it is important to follow.

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1.Creating an Idea.

By now you should have realized that the idea which we get is from an external stimulus. Every day you will be doing things that makes you create ideas periodically.

If you are not able to think on which type of project you need to do? Then stop searching online and go somewhere like a shopping mall, bus stands, or market. Places with different cultured people will help you to think creatively.

Even after this if you are not able to do anything, feeling stuck and can’t think of great ideas, change your environment… 😦

Try out something new. Don’t bother what others will think on you. Whether you do or don’t do, people will always comment on you. So, don’t mind them.
Don’t even mind whether you idea is silly or great. If you think you can do it go ahead. 🙂

2. Have a note of it.

If you don’t note down your ideas immediately you may lose them.

Don’t trust your memory. Don’t think that you can remember it until you go home and note it down some where.

I have lost many of my ideas like this. 😦

Have a organized way for documenting your ideas as soon as you get them. 🙂

I see most of the people note their ideas by writing it on note pads, piece of paper, etc.

The disadvantage of this is you must carry pen and paper where you go!!!

I’m really a clever guy. Do you know why?

I carry my Smart phone, Samsung Galaxy Grand (white colour).

“Evernote” it’s an amazing application to note,capture photos, create to-do lists. It helps me to keep everything in an organized manner.

Sometimes I will scribble it on my hands if I’m in a place where I can’t use my phone (class room). I feel if I write it on a piece of paper or on any page of book, I may loose it and can’t find it again.

Whether you have a soft copy or hard copy, make sure you have a way to write your ideas quickly so you can get back to it easily. 🙂

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3. Organize it properly.

I had studied Data Structures along with C language in my 3^rd semester of Engineering. I felt I can apply few of my Data Structures knowledge here.

I prefer to organize my ideas based on what “category” they fall under. If I have an idea for an android application I’ll put it under 1 section. If I have an idea for an blog post I’ll put it another section. If I have an idea to impress my crush I’ll keep it another section maintaining it very secretly. 😉

Figure out on which the category your idea belongs to and organize it a systematic manner.

If your ideas are not organized properly, later you will end up in a situation like separating the vegetables in “Besi Beli Bath” 😀 😀 😀

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4.Selecting the Best of Your Ideas

Let me be very honest. Not all ideas are great. Most of them are not even good. If you’re going to figure out which one of your ideas you should execute next you need to filter out the ones that are not useful.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make with creating an is that they never trash any ideas they had. Every time they spend lot time on thinking about similar idea which are not at all good. Instead concentrate on few of your best ideas which you got from past few days and start working on it.

Always go through your ideas once a while and keep on filter it as much as possible.

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5.Execution.

I would appreciate a simple idea along with execution rather than having a good idea without its execution.

That’s why I don’t want to hear people’s ideas. I’m not interested until I see their execution.

Ideas without execution is worthless. 😦

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Example:

I got this example recently from my friend how was dreaming big big things.

Suppose you have an great idea which can change the world in few days but you are not able to execute it. Then what’s the point in it?

Better have an simple good idea which you feel you can execute it. 🙂

Take your best ideas and execute them.

This is where you find success and build up you confidence.

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Conclusion:

1.Ideas come when you least expect them to.

2.Note it down immediately.

3.Organize it in a systematic manner.

4.Select the best among them.

5.Execute them.

All the best. 🙂

After reading this post, I hope you will definitely find an amazing idea which will change the world soon. 🙂

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Even after few days if you don’t find any ideas, don’t worry. 🙂

Ping me and I would help you.