Never Run Out of Ideas Again

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Updated 6 years ago

People are always asking me where I get my ideas. There seems to be a neverending stream of them pouring through my brain and while I might be kind of weird, it's something that can be learned.

So, today, I thought I'd share how to keep the ideas flowing. Whether you're trying to come up with a great idea for a website, a book idea, or a new business, here's how to do it.

Write Everything Down

You should have a way to keep track of ideas. They're elusive little things that will disappear if you don't capture them. A notebook is a good idea, or you can just take notes on your phone. Use whatever works best for you, but make sure you always have it.

When an idea pops into your head, get it down, fast!

Keep an Open Mind

Everything around you has the potential to spark your idea generator. I can sit on a park bench and look around and come up with 10 great niche ideas. There's no reason you can't do the same thing.

First, look around you with an open mind. What niches surround you? Let's practice with this image.

This picture has tons of niches in it. What do you see? I'll give you a few hints to start out with. If you're looking for ideas for a website, you could go with:

Vintage Vespas (how to care for them, repainting, maintenance, where to buy)
How to start a street bar
How to run a successful florist shop
Tips for growing flowers to sell
Bamboo growing tips
How to grow flowers in containers
Mood lighting ideas
Furniture from recycled materials
How to start a pop up restaurant
Packaging materials for food/flowers
Menu lettering for beginners
How to start a sign business

What did you come up with? That's just from one image, so imagine what you can do if you walk through the city?

Ask "What If?"

You can ask what if for anything that you see. If you are watching TV and see an ad for cereal, ask, "What if . . ."

- it were simpler to make a hot breakfast than cereal?

- cereal was a complete meal without the extras?

- cereal came in an easier to eat form?

That's one way to get good ideas going. Just ask what if.

Solve a Problem

You'll see this in training all over the place. You need to solve a problem if you want to make money.

There are problems all around you. Everyone likes to complain, so jump on a forum, look at your Facebook wall or just talk to your mother-in-law. You're bound to hear a ton of issues that could be solved with a little research.

Just a five minute talk with my MIL, for example, will give me the following problems to solve: