{"id":28916,"date":"2014-12-11T22:07:40","date_gmt":"2014-12-12T06:07:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=28916"},"modified":"2014-12-19T04:38:27","modified_gmt":"2014-12-19T12:38:27","slug":"flex-mind-become-idea-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Thinking hurts.\u00a0 A session of difficult, mind crunching thought is more strenuous than a tough weight lifting session at the gym.\u00a0 You literally can feel your mind flexing, pushing, fighting as the neurons bounce around and try and solve the problem at hand.\u00a0 You leave sweating, exhausted, and dreaming of just sitting on the couch, flipping on the TV, and letting your mind recover and numb itself to thoughtless entertainment.<\/p>\n

But the key is to get back at it, just like any exercise.\u00a0 Your mind will be sore, but you need to continue and train that muscle.\u00a0 The first time you step on a treadmill, it hurts and you feel way out of shape.\u00a0 But if you keep at it, you can click up the speed and increase your distance.\u00a0 Same with thinking.\u00a0 The first time you sit down and really try and generate ideas, solutions, innovation, it hurts and you\u2019d love to quit.<\/p>\n

Recently, a couple of my friends and I decided to get together, and just brainstorm ideas for new businesses. I thought it was a fantastic idea, became very excited, but as the date approached, I wondered where we\u2019d start.\u00a0 How do you put together an \u2018idea generation\u2019 meeting?\u00a0 Do we identify problems? Do we look at other successful business models, and see where else they could be applied?\u00a0 Seriously, where\u2019s the starting point?<\/p>\n

I did some research, and came across an article by James Altchur<\/a> suggesting that every day, I write down 10 new ideas.\u00a0 And they can be literally anything.\u00a0 10 Ways to Improve the Bathroom Experience, 10 Things that Would Make Formal Clothes More Comfortable, 10 Topics to Create Idea Lists For Next Week; literally anything.\u00a0 It just has to be 10 ideas a day.\u00a0 So I got started, and it sucked.\u00a0 I mean, it really really hurt.\u00a0 The first 3 ideas of every list I created were pretty easy, and then I just started to drag, and my head hurt, and I wanted to watch TV.<\/p>\n

I stuck with it, and every single day, I continued to write down 10 new ideas.\u00a0 Oftentimes they\u2019re extremely stupid, awful ideas.\u00a0 But with 10 ideas a day, I\u2019ll have 3,650 ideas over the course of the year.\u00a0 And really, I don\u2019t care if 3,649 are god awful, there has to be something in there worth value.\u00a0 As I continue to write down 10 ideas a day, it progressively gets easier, just like running on the treadmill.\u00a0 Now, ideas start coming into my mind when I\u2019m not brainstorming, and I have an \u2018Ideas\u2019 note on my phone that continues to grow.<\/p>\n

Other than your heart, your brain is your most important muscle.\u00a0 You have to flex and train that brain, and you\u2019ll be amazed of the cool ideas you\u2019ll start jotting down once you get cranking.\u00a0 My warning to you is this, though; if you start generating 10 ideas daily, there\u2019s a good chance you won\u2019t be at your job much longer.\u00a0 Something will come to you, probably sooner than later, that really excites you, and you\u2019re going to want to pursue.<\/p>\n

Becoming an idea generating machine is not an easy feat.\u00a0 You\u2019ll sweat, you\u2019ll hurt, and you\u2019ll be discouraged over and over again.\u00a0 And you will want to quit.\u00a0 But just image having 3,650 ideas a year to pick from if you ever want to start your own business.\u00a0 Getting started is easy; grab a pen, a notepad, and dedicate half your lunch break every day to idea generation.\u00a0 Maybe your first list should be \u201c10 Ways I Hope Idea Generation Can Improve My Life,\u201d and then whenever you\u2019re struggling refer back to page one of your notebook, and push on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Josh Ludin started a subscription box<\/a> company called Blind Surprise. \u00a0Additionally, he runs a website featuring cool gadgets<\/a> from around the internet. \u00a0His passion is helping young entrepreneurs start online businesses<\/a> and build profitable eCommerce stores.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thinking hurts. A session of difficult, mind crunching thought is more strenuous than a tough weight lifting session at the gym. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":28917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[45,6],"tags":[4650,3934,1139,66,4629,513],"yoast_head":"\nHow To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An in-depth look at how to flex your mind and become more creative.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An in-depth look at how to flex your mind and become more creative.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-12-12T06:07:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-12-19T12:38:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erin Falconer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/1.jpg\",\"width\":640,\"height\":480,\"caption\":\"How to Flex Your Mind And Become An Idea Machine\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/\",\"name\":\"How To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2014-12-12T06:07:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-12-19T12:38:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5\"},\"description\":\"An in-depth look at how to flex your mind and become more creative.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5\",\"name\":\"Erin Falconer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Erin Falconer\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/author\/erin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","description":"An in-depth look at how to flex your mind and become more creative.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","og_description":"An in-depth look at how to flex your mind and become more creative.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/","og_site_name":"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain","article_published_time":"2014-12-12T06:07:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2014-12-19T12:38:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":640,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary","twitter_creator":"@pickthebrain","twitter_site":"@pickthebrain","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Erin Falconer","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/","name":"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/1.jpg","width":640,"height":480,"caption":"How to Flex Your Mind And Become An Idea Machine"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/","name":"How To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2014-12-12T06:07:40+00:00","dateModified":"2014-12-19T12:38:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5"},"description":"An in-depth look at how to flex your mind and become more creative.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/flex-mind-become-idea-machine\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How To Flex Your Mind, and Become an Idea Machine"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5","name":"Erin Falconer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Erin Falconer"},"url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/author\/erin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28916"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12163"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28916"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28916\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}