Generating great ideas

Great ideas don't come easy but you can get better if you practice.

We have all been there. You are watching the TV, surfing the web or out shopping and see a product or a campaign that strikes you. "What a great idea," you remark to yourself. This thing came out of nowhere and fully captivated you or even better made you purchase it.

How did it evolve? Was it years of careful research, design and testing? Perhaps to bring it to market, but I doubt it started that way. Most times it begins with a problem that some clever person identifies and then with a little creativity and combined with personal experience a germ of an idea is born.

I think of the new kids toy phenomenon Webkins. This is a remarkably simple concept that has been staring at us since the web was born. Someone said to themselves, "hey, if we sell something at retail, like a cute stuffed animal and put a unique tag on it so the buyer would have access to a personal animated web community, we can connect offline and online and own that customer 24/7/365 and better yet it can spread virally throughout kids social networks around the country." Webkins has the guts to follow that brilliant concept through and today most kids have them at home (mine have about 12).

For me ideas don't just jump out. As a father of three, owner of a business, co-chairman of a non profit organization and avid cyclist my free time is precious and my mind is usually very clouded with the multitude of tasks happening simultaneously. This is the story for most of us.

Normally I am pretty creative when I can get the quiet time to think. So what I do is make time, and for me, the best way to do that is during a workout. On my off days from cycling, I like to run. I get about 1-1.5 hours of solid "me time" and it is amazingly stimulating. The thoughts that stream through my head while out running come out like someone has opened the flood gates. If I am running in the morning I mostly think about business related matters and after work it's usually family or personal. Either way, you let your brain loose and wonderful thoughts come streaming. Keep in mind there are two things that can trip you up: 1. The iPod - if you want to get the most of your brain don't bring the iPod. 2. The intensity of the workout - Pain has a way of getting in the way of good thoughts sometimes, but you can harness the after effects of a tough workout during your cool down phase. After you are done going hard, just slow down, enjoy the accomplishment, the onset of endorphins and some stimulating free thinking time.

Great ideas are inside each of us. Make time to think about whatever is important to you. Make it without distraction and most importantly make it fun. If you do this you will not only be more productive in your life and work, but you may even come up with the next Webkin. - JR

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