The Practice of Mindstorming

The most powerful way to flood your mind with new ideas and insights is by using the process of mindstorming on a regular basis.

The mindstorming technique is quite simple, which is part of why it is so powerful. It is easy to use. Here's how it works. You take a blank sheet of paper and write down your goal or problem in the form of a question at the top of the page. The "key" is to make the question as clear and as specific as possible so that your mind can focus on developing practical answers to it.

For example, if you want to increase your income by 25% over the next 12 months, and you are currently earning $100,000 a year, you would write a question such as, "How can I increase my income by 25% over the next 12 months?"

An even better way of writing the question would be, "What can I do to earn an additional $25,000 over the next 12 months?" This particular question expands the range of your possible answers. It includes both your current work and every other possibility you can think of.

Your choice of question will largely determine the quality of the answers you will generate. The better the question, the more helpful the answers.

Once you have written down the question, you then discipline yourself to write down at least 20 answers to it. This is very important. You must generate a minimum of 20 answers to your question. Sometimes, the twentieth answer is the most valuable of all. Often it is the breakthrough insight you have been seeking.

You must persevere until you have written at least 20 answers to your question. Once you have generated 20 answers, review them carefully and then select at least one idea that you are going to act on immediately.

This is the critical part of the process. The faster you act on a new idea, the more ideas you will implement to solve that problem or achieve that goal. The more ideas you generate and try out, the more likely it is that you will do exactly the right thing at exactly the right time.

If you were to apply this mindstorming technique 5 days a week on your goals and problems, generating 20 ideas a day, you would be producing 100 ideas per week. Over the course of 50 weeks, you would generate 5,000 new ideas!

If you consider that the average person only thinks of three or four new ideas per year, and usually does nothing with them, this would give you a tremendous advantage. Doing this on a regular basis helps you see possibilities all around you all day long.

Ideas are what you use to overcome obstacles. Ideas are what you use to solve problems. Ideas are the basis from which you can become happier, more satisfied, content and successful. Not bad, what do you think? Leave a comment if you'd like.