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Tap into the power of the yellow pad

by SusanUSA
6 replies
Hi warriors,

I just wanted to share this tip with ya'll as it's one that has brought me amazing results and I've been sharing it with many warriors who have contacted me via PM. I learned this from "Lead the Field" by Earl Nightingale and ever since I started using this simple strategy, I have realized amazing breakthroughs! So here goes:

When you need an answer to a question or ideas or inspiration, get out a yellow pad. There is something powerful about handwritting . . . so I encourage you to do this exercise on paper and not on your computer (you can alway tranfer the results to your computer later).

Get in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Now, write your question on the top of the yellow pad. For example, "How can I generate a quick $1000 from my niche?" Or, "What can I teach dog owners about caring for their pets?" Or, "What niche should I choose?" Whatever question you have, just write it on the top of the paper. It could even be, "What should I get my son for his birthday?"

Think about the question for a couple minutes, then start to make a list. Don't stop until you have at least 25 items listed, even if you come up with what might be the best answer at #4. Just keep coming up with ideas. This is the power part. This is when you start going for the gold. We all have so much inside of us, but unless we mine it . . . it just stays there. This practice causes us to go deep and get out ideas that we didn't even know were there.

If you don't come up with a suitable answer on your first go around, then repeat the exercise with the same question on a fresh piece of paper the next day. You might list some of the same solutions that you did on the previous day . . . but there will be many new ones.

Give this little exercise a go and I really do think you too will be amazed at how powerful it is for pulling wonderful ideas out of your creative well. There are powerful money-making ideas inside of you right now . . . ideas you don't even know are there. But you have to dig to get them to the surface! That's what this simple little strategy does . . . I hope you find it helpful and worthwhile! It won't work if you just "think about it." You have to actually do it!

I hope only the best for you in all you do!
#pad #power #tap #yellow
  • Profile picture of the author Curt Dillion
    That's a great method Susan. You're right on with the handwriting part, too.

    I'm so glad you wrote this thread. I'd pretty much forgotten your method. (sometimes we forget the best things we know) Many years ago I used it whenever I had a problem, and it worked great. You do have to write down "everything" you can think of.

    For instance, if my problem involved another person, the first solution on my list was usually to eliminate that person. Let me expalin that: I would never hurt another person on purpose, but if eliminating him was a viable solution to my problem, I would write it down anyway. I would never do it, but it sparked other ideas.

    Tip: This is an option for your new list the next day. Sometimes my list did not offer the solution I wanted. Then, I would close my eyes and go through all of my ideas, in my mind until I got to the end. It seemed like I was at a big dark wall. I would stand at the wall for a minute or two, just waiting, then go on about whatever I was doing.

    Usually, the answer I wanted would sort of show up in my mind within the next day or two. Sometimes it just sort of developed in my mind, sometimes someone would say something that would solve my problem, and sometimes it came in a rather startling revelation. Intuition works like that.
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Bruno
      Usually when I see a yellow pad it's because I just got pulled over and getting a ticket.... lol

      Nah, just kidding!

      Anyways yeah I'm all for the "yellow pad". In fact I keep a whole host of separate yellow pads dedicated to certain topics. That way it's easier to keep topics organized.

      They're particularly useful to have next to your nightstand in case you need to pull something out of your brain and put it on paper.

      I also use a whiteboard which by the way I recommend highly to other people to use as well.

      So between the yellow pads, a whiteboard, and flowchart software (forgot to mention this one) it's a great way to stay organized using "hard" materials.

      Frank Bruno
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      • Profile picture of the author WritingMadwoman
        Susan, this is a great idea and it's something I don't do nearly often enough! In fact, just getting away from my computer alone clears my head so I can think better. I get some of my best ideas while I'm reading, working in the yard, doing dishes, etc. I just need to get into the habit of stepping away from this contraption more often. And I love the whole brainstorming thing, great tip!

        Wendy
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  • Profile picture of the author Diana Lane
    When my sons were a lot younger, the only way I could get them to tidy their room when I'd had enough of doing it myself was to sit on one of their beds and supervise. While I was at it, I had a big notepad and pen on the go and I'd write down not just ideas, but whole articles too (yes, it really was that messy!). It's amazing how inspired I'd get while I was sitting there watching other people working

    Since they've left home now, I've thought of doing the same thing with my daughters, but they're far too tidy. If I get really beset by writer's block then I'll just have to go in and mess their rooms up while they're at school
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  • Profile picture of the author TiffanyLambert
    Legal pads (both yellow and white) are a staple in this writer/marketer's tools. I jot down everything in list form - it helps push me into action and I love the manual crossing off of things I accomplish
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    I think it's so easy to get caught up in "fast work" that we often need to push ourselves to slow down long enough to think! But whoa! What great benefits when we do!

    I love all the ideas shared here! Thanks!
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    Believe me! If I can do it, so can you!

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