Where do great ideas come from?
By TRISOFT team
Centuries ago, men discovered fire and its perks. It took a while to get from there to electricity and the Internet, but somehow the wheels of the world went round and round and here we are today — surrounded by all the technology we thought or didn’t think possible.
Looking back and thinking of all these marvelous things human beings have crafted, we can’t help but wonder where those ideas came from and how come those particular people come up with those particular ideas. Some of them seem so simple we wonder why nobody thought of them before, while others are so mesmerizingly revolutionary that we wonder how anybody could’ve thought of them at all.
Ideas are not rare
Today, the demand for fresh ideas that will work is enormous. And the pressure likewise. We need to keep up the pace and stay creative.
Alongside creativity -our friend- the subconscious mind is also a magic, productive worker, provided we let it do its job by getting enough love, sleep and sun, and by nurturing a healthy, positive attitude towards work and life. So keep in mind that ideas aren’t rare. To the contrary, there is an abundance of them and you should never be afraid of running short of ideas. What is rare, though, is getting an idea that will survive and thrive in the world. Also, someone who will pursue their idea…that is even rarer. And that leaves lots of entrepreneurs asking themselves the same questions: How did everybody else get inspiration to strike? and How can I work the same magic?
It’s written in …the stars
Some say — and keep in mind, this is quite a revolutionary idea in itself — that great ideas float around in the Universe waiting for someone who is prepared to catch them and put them to good use. But what does it mean to be prepared? Well, it probably means having the actual skills and knowledge on the one hand, and the mental and emotional strength on the other hand, to welcome a truly impressive idea, nurture it and make it into reality.
So how can we learn to become one of those special people who get stricken by a great idea as if out of the blue? Here’s a magic 7 ways to do it.
1. Solve issues
If any bright idea has ever occurred to you, you will admit it probably didn’t happen while sitting around having a cocktail, on a sunny beach in Crete. Great ideas usually come while you are at work, solving problems, getting involved in your daily activities and doing whatever needs to be done for your business to thrive.
The mind that is working has a waves frequency similar to an open door for receiving the visit of yet another inspiring idea to work on.
2. Work with your subconscious
However…In some situations, what works best to finding an answer you are long in search for is taking a break to smell the flowers and unwind. Or maybe have a cocktail on a sunny beach in Crete :). That is because when we become obsessed with an idea or with the idea of coming up with… an idea, it’s possible that we are too involved to be able to see the big picture.
The subconscious mind always runs in the background, silently affecting the outcome of many thoughts. So what we could do in such a circumstance is allow our subconscious to run free and be stimulated to express itself. Maybe cooking relaxes you, or driving your car, or hiking in the forest or solving a crossword puzzle, and while doing any of these your mind will give you the solution you were looking for.
3. Live in the present
Buddhists practice it every moment of their lives — they say living in the present is the single most important thing in life. Why? Because neither the past, not the future exists in fact. The only thing that is real is this moment. Blink and you’ll miss it. Are you thinking this is an exaggeration? Well just ponder on this thought then: today, something as simple as having a cup of coffee is transformed into a time to answer emails, make calls or arranging your weekly agenda. So how could you not miss a potentially great, innovative idea that’s right under your nose, when you aren’t there, when your mind is always someplace else?!
So be present in life. Live every moment for what it is or what it is meant to be. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
4. Seek out the unusual
Sometimes if what you are looking for is a brand new revolutionary idea, the thing that you should avoid is getting stuck in the monotonous ways of daily routine. In order to be revolutionary, you should seek out the less common, the unusual, the different, the weird even.
How does that work? Well, being in the presence of people who are different from you or being in places you don’t usually visit will most likely take you out of your comfort zone and challenge you to do more and be more than you think you can. Just think about a random conversation with a stranger from years ago and how that changed and shaped you in a way you didn’t expect or plan. Isn’t that cool or what?
5. Think big
Go big or go home, they say. And as fabulous as it may sound, it’s actually the purest expression of risk-taking and self-confidence an entrepreneur can have. Because while going for the safe ideas is nice and can get you to a comfortable place, with enough money and stability, choosing to hit the jackpot is the real challenge, the real thrill. Even when it seems a bit crazy to do so, the positive feeling that you are doing just the right thing persist. Listen to your instincts!
6. Look for inspiration where others aren’t thinking of looking
There are so many different places and ways that an entrepreneur can get inspired. Some of them are obvious — like other big successful business men and women. Others are designed more for those who are really looking for something different and innovative. We have two ideas — customer feedback and front-line employees. Why?
Customers are those who will pinpoint exactly what your product or service lacks or is good for. If you listen to customer feedback, you will be able to improve on what is less appreciated and give more of what they like. Employees are another precious source of ideas and inspiration. Because they actually manufacture the products and/or are interacting with the clients, so they know exactly what is too expensive, what causes issues, what works wonders. Talk to those workers, or, as much as possible, even do those jobs yourself. It is simply revelatory!
7. Be open to find a better way
Self-sufficiency is rarely a quality. So don’t settle for what you have, but rather try to get better with each opportunity. Even if your product looks good, it won’t hurt to stop for a bit and ask yourself — Is there a better way? And even though a similar service may be already out there, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it neater. Be open to finding yet a better way!
So…here it is:
Great ideas come from thinking differently than we are used to, from being open to strangeness, to failure, from thinking as freely as possible.
At TRISOFT, we are proud to say that we are always on the lookout for awesome ideas. And, as we stay alert for others’ great ideas, we try to give skin, flesh and bones to our own. That is why you’ll find us constantly involved in new, sometimes daring, yet challenging projects. But we do have an extra philosophy we are basing our business on — and that is: hard work. We don’t believe there are ideas so good that are predestined to succeed. Nor do we believe that if you are to find such an idea, you won’t have to work another day in your life. We do believe there is no substitute for hard work and that even the best of ideas in the world are destined to fail without it.
