How to come up with ideas when you have zero free time
Do you find yourself regularly in need of new ideas for creating content, new business ventures, or ways to improve your current business but struggle to find enough time in the day to just stop and think?
I’m with you, and that’s why I decided to write this post.
I used to work full-time, have a part-time job, and go to school full-time. I thought that was busy. But now I have a baby, and I’ve been enlightened. I know a bunch of us go through the day feeling like we haven’t had a moment to pause and think about things we either need to think about or want to think about because it interests us.
My goal is to find ideas to write about, but these tips can be used to accomplish your goals no matter what ideas you’re wanting to generate. Unfortunately, we need to find time if we want to be creative. I’ve come up with a game plan that might help us both find some extra minutes and build a good routine.
Take in some content
Here’s the plan. We’re going to check out some of our favorite sites, blogs, or books, and read for at least 10–15 minutes per day. Personally, I’m thinking Medium and Pocket because it’s the easiest way to get a variety. I can reassess later.
Something I’m guilty of is bookmarking articles in Medium and Pocket and not reading them. So if you’re like me, you already have content waiting to be read.
The more you can read the better, but do what you can and don’t beat yourself up about it.
Same idea with audiobooks and podcasts. There’s a saying, “there’s a podcast for that.” Not really, but there are a lot of podcasts out there, and I’m sure you can find something on the topic you’re interested in.
So how are we going to find time to bask in this content glory?
Bigger picture, become more aware. Although I have little free time, I know I’m still wasting time somewhere.
We may need schedule 10 minutes somewhere in our day, or we can just fit it in wherever we can. For example, I make dinner pretty much every weeknight, so I can read or listen to something while I’m waiting for meat to brown, water to boil, or the oven to preheat. I can also listen to something while I’m folding clothes or in the car by myself.
The point is, we all probably have a little bit of time to fit this in, so be conscious of windows of opportunity.
Read with purpose
So yay, plenty of ideas on where to get content and how to find time to ingest it, now we have to remember why we’re reading/listening in the first place. I love to read, so I don’t really need a reason, but I also have to write a blog post for my job, (we know how that’s going) so I need to be on the lookout for ideas to write about.
What are you trying to do? Answer this question and read like you’re on a mission. Start with subjects that make sense for whatever ideas you’re wanting to come up with, but later on, you can branch out and read unrelated topics that can give you a fresh perspective.
Take notes
Some of you have great memories. You remember almost everything you read or listen to. I remember nothing, so I’ll be using Google Keep and Trello to store my ideas.
Once in awhile, I’ll come up with a blog post idea and put it on the Trello board we have for my job, but I love Google Keep, too. I actually use it on my desktop more than my phone. Another gem I love is Coggle, which is a mind-mapping tool.
Even if you have a great memory, you should take notes. Depending on how long you leave your memory to simmer, you’ll probably lose details. If you don’t like to use pen and paper, do some research on the best note taking apps and find one that suits you.
There’s a lot more to say on this topic, but honestly, I’m past my deadline. I’m walking away from this article knowing that I can control my schedule (for the most part). Many of us feel overwhelmed every day, but we often have control over what we say yes and no to, which allows us to make our day and life easier.
