What should I do with all my ideas?
People are getting their shots. Places are opening again. We’re not out of the woods yet, but many of us are thinking about getting out and getting away, whether it’s to your favorite local watering hole, a stroll through woods, or visiting a museum. Yay for all of that! It’s been a tough year being cooped up or limited to less than we were used to. Now that we’re seeing people and going places, fresh ideas will start to flow again. We’ve talked about it before – changing up your environment and introducing new stimulus breaks up your thinking and sparks new thoughts.
Soon you’ll have more ideas than you know what to do with.
First, just get out! Change up your routine. Do something different. New ideas come from new perspectives. If you’ve been in a rut, looking to solve a problem, or just need some innovation inspiration, you need to change your environment.
Next, you’ll want to capture your ideas. Those unique thoughts can disappear very quickly. Write them down. Studies have shown that even the act of writing down your idea can enhance your idea and it’s the first step to making it a reality. Do what’s easiest for you. It could be post-it notes (Sue’s favorite), a journal, emails to yourself (Dean’s go-to), or even the back of the receipt as you’re sitting at the coffee shop you used to go to all the time. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you write them somewhere.
What to do with all of these ideas?
Take action. What’s the use of your great idea if you don’t pursue it? Whether you have one or a dozen, adding a few of the following items to each idea will help turn it into a concept that you can now see as a potential reality or as a way to compare and contrast your multiple ideas so you can pick the one that you think is best:
Target audience- who is this idea aimed at?
Purpose- why do you want to do this idea?
Impact- how much impact will the idea generate?
Effort – how much time, money, or people will it take to make it happen?
With more information about each idea, you can make an educated decision about which ones to move forward with. Or it can be the beginning of a roadmap to bring that one idea to life. It’s simple, you don’t need to do research or develop a presentation at this point.
As you are taking in your new surroundings, take these basic and easy steps to sharpen your thinking and help that kernel of an idea blossom into something great!