Where do you get your best ideas?

I recently bought a book called "A Technique For Producing Ideas" written by James Webb Young.

It's a tiny book that took me about 30 minutes to read and digest. Within the book, gave me ideas to create new ideas. I have followed the methods within it religiously ever since

The concepts and ideas that I now create are based upon the foundation layed out within the book. It's my new secret weapon for creating excellent new ideas.

I recommend you pick up a copy if you have the time. It's not a very long read by any stretch and you'll find that after reading it... you'll be better able to explore new concepts.

I'm already a naturally creative person to begin with (as I'm also into art and graphics design) but this book really gives me an edge now.

Kay Zee,

I've found that the best way to "capture" these ideas is to simply carry a notebook around. (well, even if you don't carry it around, you should consider keeping one in your car somewhere)

There have been MANY times that I came to a stop light, or was driving down the highway, and had an amazing idea.....only to have to keep repeating it to myself until I got home.

My way to remedy this was to keep a notebook in my car.

(Although, I wouldn't recommend writing WHILE you drive...lol...that would be a little unsafe....there have actually been a few cases where I've pulled off to the side of the road because I felt my idea was THAT good)

hmmm I have some free times at work and those idle times are really boring so I note of the ideas and when I get a chance to have a peaceful place then I try to write some from al those ideas

I get a lot of ideas just by reading the Wall Street Journal. It also helps with keeping up abreast to business trends and developments.

Oddly enough, I seem to get mine as soon as I head off to bead after having turned off the PC.

I'd agree with 'x3xsolxdierx3x' a notepad is perfect for this, just writing down the key points and having a quick brainstorm when you're mind is a little more clear if it's late at night.

Word clouds; yes the stuff you do in school help a lot with IM related thinking. Whether it's product creation, niches, whatever a simple word cloud that you can then expand on by doing research or having a deep think about can help a lot!

Three ways actually:

1. Driving. I just keep driving and thinking about other stuff. I keep a notepad in my car so I can write it all down while it's still fresh;

2. Walking or running. When I got out for a run or for a walk my mind goes blank and I start having crazy (sometimes ;D) ideas.

3. Dreaming. Yep, best ideas to this day, while I was sleeping. I actually dream about these things. Again I keep a notepad near my bed.

Matt

I was thinking of making this exact same thread last night Kay after I'd had a big idea and couldn't get to sleep I eventually decided that I'd probably be too sleepy to respond to the replies though and so I just lay in bed trying to get to drift off. Needless to say I was up all night until finally falling asleep after 7am.

I'd have to say my best ideas come to me in that peaceful time laying in bed waiting for sleep to take over, where my mind and body are most relaxed and my brain seems to be able to think in different directions at the same time. It's amazing really, like last night I went from concept to full blown business plan, all mapped out in my head.

The shower. For some reason I've gotten more good inspiration there than anywhere.

I get them in my prayers (that goes for all my ideas, and not just moneymaking)

Grabd some fresh air, alone and silence. Paid secret places can also come at a bargain... check PR/Beach link below...

Beachbettypr...the pr got me thinking...here is another secret bargain way to get away, from the best beaches of the world, at a bargain (For less than $169...you should get enough ideas)

Bahia Marina Condo Hotel ... always booked by locals, secret bargain@! No need to pay Richard Branson $30k for private beach villas for ideas

Best place is the shower and sometimes on the treadmill (maybe because my mind is relaxed and can't multitask?)

I'm a nature freak - that's why I do IM so I have loads of control over my time and can regularly get out birdwatching. And sitting ontop of a hill, with the sun and wind on my face and nothing buts forests and fields to look at - that's where I get my best ideas. So much so that I ensure I always take a notebook with me because even when I'm not consciously thinking about my business, somehow deliberately switching off like this reboots my brain and gives me all sorts of great ideas.

All the best,
Richard

I get my best ideas by doing random writing.

I just sit down and start typing my thoughts and let them lead me where they will. Next thing I know I'm typing ideas which have merit.

The real key is to not hesitate, don't stop to think about what you are typing, just keep going. Don't worry about whether you are typing about your last visit to the bathroom, the beer you drank last night, or even typing curse words about THAT customer. Just keep typing whatever random thoughts come into your head.

You can come back later and choose if the ideas are interesting, or just the ramblings of a deranged warrior.

Sometimes the ramblings are only that, wasted keystrokes. Sometimes you sit there and stare at the screen and wonder why you had never thought about that before.

In the toilet. I'm joking. I think if you research enough, you must get some creative ideas. Only important is how much will you have for research.

While playing video games

While having a tea or coffee

Im always investing in new courses and education because I know all I need is one good idea and I can make my entire income for the year out of it. Whether it be some type of product in a new niche or a membership website.

I carry my laptop around 24/7 so all i do is pop it open and jot down ideas in my notepad. I found this is much easier than a notebook because notebooks get lost and they are just extra heavy baggage.

Evan

I usually get my best ideas right before I fall asleep. That's why I keep a notepad and pen near my bed so that I can remember them in the morning. That is, assuming I don't fall asleep while having my great idea.

i get my my idea when i riding my motocycle. its like "rock you like hurricane"

Usually get my inspiration when I am at the gym. My tip is to keep a small notepad handy and just write whatever you think, no matter how stupid it might sound.

hmm....well what you could do is dedicate an hour to the beginning of your day to studying marketing...then just mess with the ideas and strategies you get from the study session and start working!

When I'm not flowing I put in a dvd or an audio about business to get my core strategies flowing. It really works for me.

I get my best ideas sleeping or in the shower, weird I know.

LOL! Me too! I'll just wake up in the middle of the night n be like hhoooly ef! So I eventually bought an audio recorder to put by my bed!!

I get my best ideas from baths...I randomly take them though. Maybe just maybe that has something to do with my inspiration ; )

Sometimes, I get them through dreams! They are normally hazy and unreal but the gist is all there.

Talking to like minded people is one of the most important resources for ideas. So is wide and deep research and reading.

Business coaches are a very useful lot in generation of ideas as well. You do not need to be told- You can conjure it as you talk to them.


At least once a day, I bump on an idea. What I do with it is the issue.

You would get great loads of ideas by just strolling around the library... the bigger the library is, the better...

Hello

I find my best ideas after a few hours of bird watching.It's a effective natural mental distraction.

They come from Letters,Words and Numbers.Look at the word __I_DEA.

Do you see the __eye ( I ) ___ in idea ? Remove the " D" What do you get ?

IKEA How about that ?

I get loads of ideas before I sleep. Don't know why it happens
but it does. Must be because I'm totally relaxed when I'm about
to sleep.

I get my best ideas when I meditate. For some reason, the ideas just seem to flow.

I know I may sound wierd but my best ideas come when I am about to fall asleep. And with that, I wake up and write up a plan of action. I don't know, I just have this system inside me that I tend to always write things down.

I usually get my best ideas early in the morning in quiet time. In most places before 6am the external world is still asleep. I like to wake up around 5am, make some green tree and meditate. If I have a question I bring it to the mediation and simply ask for the answer.

When I read I have acquired many ideas there, and to know the tips and important to help my work.

The moment just before entering the stage of sleep and also while riding a bike through empty streets and roads far from city noise

I get my best ideas in and after meditation!

I think we stress ourselves too much when it comes to this part of marketing or anything we need to get done in life period. My best ideas come from multiple tasks that I do.

Playing video games seems to help. I actually learned that from the famous Copywriter Ben Settle.

Andre Chaperon also recommended going for a light jog... It does work.

I read al ot of inspirational quotes when I'm in a bit of "rut" and it usually calms me down which is why I even started my own motivation twitter page revolving solely around inspirational quotes. @InspireMeNet

But I might have to check that book out. It sounds very interesting.

When I blog, I got better ideas to improve my business

I have too many ideas. I spend too much time in my head. I use a journal along with thinking tools, every day.

My idea bombardments come during long road trips, though.

Most ideas go to waste anyway, just focus on hustlin, mental masturbation isn't the way to do business.

By reading magazine and books.

Some for the success of each people who I inspired most.

Then thinking If they can be success then why not me.

I get ideas by reading other people's ideas or learning something new. Or I have these weird aha moments in the middle of the night or while I'm doing something completely unrelated to what I want to improve.

Seriously, my phone's notepad app hates me. I always use it and discard it whenever I want to, so it feels taken advantage of

All joking aside though: to be inspiring you need to be inspired. See ideas = get ideas in my opinion.

Also a good way to get ideas: change environments. Go somewhere you rarely go or never go. It gets you out of your comfort zone.

I've had them coming while showering. Maybe it's in the water

During hiking(small hill) near to my home. Needs 40 minutes to reach the top.

I get my ideas from observing people. I don't know why, but my ideas just come out of nowhere when i'm observing what others are doing. Strange? Maybe...

I usually get best ideas through forum posting, social media and socializing with others.

Justin Durano

I often get my best ideas while talking to other people. Ideas often come to me as we are discussing one issue and my mind will come up with a solution for a different problem. I too have an issue with remembering them though and an idea is only as good as the effort you make in achieving it.

I do get the best ideas when I'm fully present at a place where my energy flows without interruptions. Presence and calmness ultimately leads to being more creative and calm.

If you're not present and find it hard to focus, your mind might be overloaded with information. The reason why a lot of people are not presence is because they are to confused in their heads.

Writing down tasks definitely helps to make space for new things in your mind. Write down as much as you can. I rarely live my house without a pen and a piece of paper. Ideas that are not written down are useless and will almost never be implemented.

Find a place where you're not interrupted to expand your thinking and write down as many ideas as you can.

from Technology sites

Here's something that should work for everybody...Recent scientific studies have been showing that "grounding" yourself have several positive effects on your body, and from my experience it aslo fuels your creativity and energy levels like nothing else.

What is grounding?

Well you know how you need to connect your iPhone to the wall every now and then to recharge it? The same thing is true with humans...We need to reconnect to the earth (as stupid as it sounds) and recharge. How to do that? walk on the sand or the grass barefoot. The best way that I like the most is jumping in the ocean (or lake, or sea) for a few minutes. That will energize you like nothing else. By "reconnecting to the earth" you balance out all the positive charge you've been getting from all the radiation around us by getting a negative charge from the earth....if you think i'm nuts, google "earthing" or get yourself a copy of this book Amazon.com: Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? (9781591202837): Clinton Ober, Stephen T. Sinatra, Martin Zucker: Books

Well, i get my best ideas when i'm about to go to sleep, this way i can think better since i'm relaxed at bed. The only problem is when i woke up, i forgot the best ideas and all that's left are the worst, LOL.

1) Before I sleep - Probably because I'm winding down in the day and can think to myself without worry

2) Shower - It's honestly the only place where I am around white noise, feeling really relaxed, warm, alone with my thoughts, and feel 100% protected. No one get's in that bubble.

3) I often say, "You know what you should do..." and say an idea out of no where when something doesn't make sense (as a joke). Sometimes the person who I'm with usually says, "lulz" or "lol...hmm...not bad". Or they facepalm because it was a bad joke in general. Then I try to remember that idea by putting it in evernote (i'm still bad at that)

Most of my ideas come to me while i'm working on my PC or Mac. I usually see something that triggers a cascade of ideas and it's a rush to write them all down.

Occasionally I will get an idea while out or watching TV but it's mainly when i'm stuck in front of a computer.

I get the best brain activity and idea building in the silence before falling asleep.

I personally take a long walk

Ideas flow into my head when I try to sleep. It will be all gone tomorrow morning. So I have to wake up in the middle of the night just to write down my ideas.

I often get it at the time when I want to get to sleep
so, I put my notes besides me so I may write it without getting up from my bed

I enjoyed doing some cartoons for the new website I'm creating to go with my book, Creativity Now! and I thought just for fun I'd give you a little sneak peek. By the way, nature and the bath or shower actually are two of the top locations in which people say they get their best ideas.

Most of the time I get ideas when i'm at te end of a learning curve....Must sound really weird, but I usually see the full potential of that I'm learning about it and then creative ideas just seem to "pop up" in my head....

They just come naturally to me between the hours of 2 AM and 7 AM....

I'm a total night owl

I tend to get my best ideas when driving and on the treadmill.

Yes normally in the car I get the best insights.

1 thing though which of course a lot of you already know... is to take action on that idea once you have it and not just write it down!

This is where the money is made!

The best way to get idea is through brainstorming or simply having conversation with someone with the same interest as you have.

I get the best ideas when I'm supposed to sleep. Sometimes it takes several hours to sleep because of all the ideas flying around in my head

I get my best ideas when almost asleep - - like several other posters here. How neat to learn other ways and times to get ideas. I use a small notebook and make sure to have a pen or pencil nearby.

If I don't write these ideas down, they will vanish! I also keep a small notebook in my purse to use on car trips, or whenever I get an idea from somebody else.

It would make sense, after reading these postings, to have a notebook with me when I take a walk, ride a bike, exercise, or meditate.

These ideas I get can be about anything - - jobs to do, possible inventions, ideas about books to write, shopping ideas, blogging ideas, research ideas, and more.

When I do not think how to get ideas, they come unexpectedly. Mostly when I travel, little detail anywhere such as people on the street, buildings, quiet time on the beach or sign on truck ignites thought which leads to another concept creating new ideas.

When I'm alone and thinking. But most of my thoughts come when I'm walking alone. Its a great time for me to think.

On the toilet. You'd be amazed the things I come up with while I'm doing the doo.

While lying down and watching TV...Weird too, isn't it?

My business Ideas came from reading a lot of books and forums and blogs. I also have this regular business brainstorming with some friends whenever we got to see each other. Also when I write articles for my clients, it usually teaches me something new.

Long walks and a day out also spur some business ideas out of nowhere.

Same here, i don't get to think a lot when in front of a computer. I get them right before going to sleep, it's as if like i'm preparing everything for the next day or the future...

in the shower for some reason. Makes my water bills pretty high.

When I get out the office, in my garden. It seems that the enviroment there work wonders, when it comes to new ideas.

the bath.....Eureka!

I get think of good ideas just right before going to bed...

My best ideas always come at the worst times - generally when I'm cooking, doing the washing up, out shopping, having a bath, or when I'm just about to fall asleep.

I'm always carrying pen and paper around with me because if I don't write these ideas down as they come, I end up forgetting them altogether. It drives my partner crazy actually when I drop everything to pull out my notebook.

laying down to a place where I could see the sky

I do a lot of reading on what people are trying to do .. what their ideas are and what new inventions are out there. They usually spark other ideas and get me thinking about things I never even considered before.

follow blog expert ..maybe.

I get my best ideas from the bathroom, under a warm shower!

My best ideas come to me when I am just about to sleep. And they keep me awake all night. And the next day I become cranky..lol.

Sometimes while working out sometimes while gazing at the starry night sky. This one is more consistent

I get my best ideas when I'm going about my business. I am a person who's very in tune to when something in my work flow or tools is hampering my productivity, so it always fills me full of ideas of how to solve them.