I love to cook. And for many home cooks like myself, it doesn’t get any better than autumn.
The cool, crisp air signals a return to stews, soups, chili and other hearty dishes — meals that require lots of time and patience to prepare.
You simply can’t rush a beef stew, a savory lentil soup, osso buco or standing rib roast.
You have to carefully prepare and assemble all the ingredients, mix them with care and let them simmer or bake for hours.
Only then can the meal give you all the pleasure it was meant to deliver.
It’s no different with ideas. As a freelance professional, your ideas and insights are your most valuable product.
Sure, clients pay you for your time and your contracted deliverables. But it’s your creativity that really adds value and sets you apart. That’s why having a constant flow of great ideas can take you far, quickly.
And just like with your favorite stew, you can’t “microwave” ideas or solutions to complex problems. Their core ingredients have to simmer in your subconscious mind for hours, if not days.
So if you’re faced with a challenge you can’t seem to solve, why not throw it in your mental “Crock-Pot”? Here’s what I do:
1) Take out a sheet of paper and write your problem at the top of the page.
2) List at least 20 possible solutions, regardless of how silly some of them might sound. The first 6 or so will be easy. It gets harder with the rest, but don’t stop until you have at least 20. Often, the best option or idea will reveal itself during this exercise…but not always.
3) Put your list away and go do something fun or enjoyable—any non-work activity that you truly enjoy. Cook a fun recipe, go for a run, read a good book or magazine, meditate, walk the dog, play with your kids…you get the picture. Try not to worry about the challenge. Just have fun.
4) The idea you needed will often come to you during this activity. If it doesn’t, go back to your list the following day. Add more ideas if you think of any.
5) If you still haven’t found your answer, try another fun activity. And if it still hasn’t come to you by this point, repeat this process on a Friday afternoon. Almost always, the best answer or idea will reveal itself during the weekend.
Some of my best ideas have come from this exercise. And more than 80% of the time, these ideas surface during a leisure activity, while I’m relaxed.
But here’s the thing: I’ve come to realize that without doing the initial brainstorming work, my subconscious will lack the ingredients it needs to do its thing. So make sure not to skip that critical step.
What about you? How and when do you get your best ideas?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Ed, I too make a regular habit of “assigning” my subconscious mind the task of finding solutions to obscure or complex problems and, yes, invariably these solutions pop up when I’m away from my desk, in a relaxed state of mind. This topic reminds me of a pattern I recently noticed… it seems many successful people (at least the ones whose books I’ve read) have a hot tub! Sounds funny, but Michael Masterson and Joe Vitale are two examples of highly successful copywriters (they both do other things, of course) who mention relaxing “in the hot tub” as a key part of their day, or where they received inspiration to solve a big problem. I also remember years ago attending a seminar by another accomplished freelancer who he called his hot tub “the idea factory.” There’s just something about relaxing that’s conducive to the emergence of new ideas. This is also a proven cognitive phenomenon, having been explored and explained by people with far more scientific chops than me. All I know is… it works. I encourage others to follow Ed’s “recipe” above and see what sort of results you get.
“it seems many successful people (at least the ones whose books I’ve read) have a hot tub!”
I wonder if I can write off a new hot tub…after all if it is an idea factory doesn’t fall under investment in plants and equipment
Seriously, this is a great strategy. I don’t follow this exact methodology. I am not sure I even consciously “assign” a problem to my subconscious, but over the course of a couple of days solutions start to pop in my head (usually in the shower) to problems my subconscious mind had been plugging away on for a day or so.
You know what’s funny about the ideas when they do come to me? The whole thing is kind of unceremonious. I’m walking the dog, driving, or taking a shower (I should try the hot tub thing, Pete!)…and the right idea just kind of surfaces without fanfare.
No drum roll. No victorious music in the background. It just kind of comes out, dressed in plain clothes.
So pay attention, folks. The best ideas won’t necessarily show up wearing an Armani suits.
For some goofy reason, ideas always seem to start popping just as I’m picking up the afternoon carpool. As I navigate home through afternoon traffic, I’ll dictate phrases, headlines, and ideas to my daughter, who scribbles them down while making comments about just how weird her mother is.
My motto is the well-known Nike slogan: Just do it. I find that even if I don’t yet have a winning idea, I need to start writing out my thoughts. Eventually, the right approach will come to me, but often only after I’ve tried a few different directions that didn’t work.
@Eileen – I hear you about kids! My 6 year-old still has no idea what I do for a living. The teacher asked him last year (for a project they were doing) and he responded, “He sits on his desk, types on the computer and prints stuff.” I guess many of us don’t fit the standard “doctor, lawyer, policeman, fireman” molds.
@Susan – Great point! There’s no substitute for action! I’ve found the same thing when I work on something. The first iteration is never the best. But without it, the really good stuff will never surface!
Thanks for your comments!
I find that brainstorming at night can often lead to good ideas in the morning. Sometimes they come first thing, and sometimes while exercising or getting ready for the day. Usually, for me, I am doing something physically oriented when the ideas arrive.
Routine travel is another place they like to show up (in the car, on buses or trains, walking to the coffee shop where I sometimes work). But I am going to have to try this hot tub idea. An idea factory is always welcome!