How To Come Up With Better Ideas Faster Than Ever Before

“Take my money!”

That’s probably what you would be saying if you found out that there was a magic pill you could take that made it easier to think more clearly, be more creative, and come up with better ideas more quickly.

The implications for your life, both work, and home would be mind-boggling. You’d save time and make life-changing breakthroughs. Who wouldn’t throw money at a pill like that? Honestly, it all sounds too good to be true.

And you’d be right.

The bad news.

There is no magic pill, at least that I know of, that will do all of this.

The good news? For now, you get to hang on to your money.

The even better news? There is a way to get all of this: clearer thinking, quicker idea generation, and rapid problem solving, all without spending a quarter (I know, it’s supposed to be “spend a dime,” but, well, inflation...)

When you’re stuck and trying to generate new ideas or solutions, the standard plan of action is to sit and concentrate harder. It’s so easy to think, “If I just spend more time on this, I will figure it out.” But it’s not true. You can’t force new ideas to show up just by putting in additional time. You exhaust your creativity, willpower, and motivation.

You had the power all along.

It would all be so much easier if you just stopped trying to come up with ideas, got up, and did something else. And yes, that can look like procrastinating. Or (stay with me here) it might just look like putting your problem solving on the fast track.

Because when you get up and give your brain some quiet, unfocused space, things happen. Ideas gel. Breakthroughs occur. Connections consolidate. Originality gets to sparkle. Elusive solutions shyly peer around the corner, wave their tiny hands, and say hello.

All because you gave your brain some space to let it all happen.

Get up and go.

My all-time favorite way to find this unfocused space is to leave my desk, go outside and walk around the neighborhood for 10 minutes. That’s it. A walk with no real plan other than to rest my brain and let new ideas generate. I don’t talk on the phone or listen to music. It’s just me and my thoughts, walking.

This might not sound like much, but the fresh air, the fresh sites, and the fresh movement make space for fresh ideas to show up and grow. It doesn’t matter where you walk, only that you physically leave where you were and move. But walking isn’t the only option available to you.

The second choice on my idea-generating hit-parade is going for a drive. Not an outcome-oriented drive to run errands and get things done, but rather a drive just to drive and let one side of your brain relax while the other safely pilots a thousand pounds of metal down the road. With one side occupied, the other is free to do its little jazzy dance and come up with new thoughts, ideas, and connections.

The quiet spaces are everywhere.

Taking a shower is well-known for being an ideal space for ideas to show up. The sense of relaxation and the lack of distractions and responsibilities make the shower an almost guaranteed idea factory. The downside to brilliant shower thoughts is the lack of ways to capture ideas. Conquer this problem with a waterproof whiteboard or shout out your new, exciting ideas to your digital home assistant if you have one nearby.

While not usually a huge fan favorite, doing household chores like washing dishes or folding clothes is a wonderful place for ideas to show up. Your hands are occupied, but it’s free time for your brain to flip, turn, and swirl while working on those ideas, connections, and solutions.

The same goes for gardening. It’s a fertile ground for your ideas to sprout up. (And yes, those unfortunate puns were intended. I’m sorry.)

There’s no excuse for not letting your brain relax.

Other options for giving your brain space to think:

• Sleep. It’s the complete opposite of walking, but if done correctly, it’s when your brain gets to reorder and clean up the day’s mess. And part of the mess just might be the ideas and problems that have been swirling around in your head all day. Give your brain a little extra nudge by reviewing any issues, questions, or difficulties you’re working on before you go to bed. Then tuck yourself in and let your brain do its thing.
• Sports of all kinds. With the forefront of your brain focused on your performance, your ideas are swirling in the background, again doing their thing.?
• Immersing yourself in creative endeavors. Painting, drawing, coloring, knitting, or crafting all give your brain the space to develop ideas.
• Playing video games. Yes, this looks like procrastinating, but it’s also a fine place to give your brain some space. Games that involve repetition work best. Or try going offline and doing a jigsaw or crossword puzzle.
• Listen to music. Experts suggest you listen to music without lyrics, but in my experience, getting lost in a favorite song, album, or catalog of a favorite band, also opens up brain space to come up with new ideas.
• Meditation. This one is not a surprise to anyone. After all, meditation is all about opening up space in your brain for things to happen. Sit quietly for five minutes, follow your breath in and out, and let your brain reset. Or find a guided meditation in an app or online and follow along.

Keep your money, and find the ideas.

Anything you can do to open space in your brain, so new ideas, creative connections, and novel solutions have a fighting chance to see the light of day is acceptable.

Your brain needs the space to rebound, rebuild, and reenergize.

You don’t need to throw money at a magic pill to do any of that. You just need to walk away and let your brain have some space.