The best way to get ideas is not to think about them at all
Don’t think in terms of solutions. But start writing questions. Every single question that comes to your mind.
For example if you want ideas about how to tackle recession, start writing the questions that pop up in your mind.
You will start with some obvious questions like :
Why recessions happen?
Why this recession happened?
Who is responsible for this?
Till when this recession will last?
How I am going to be affected by this recession?
Simply jot down everything that comes to your mind.
You will find your mind jumping from one angle to another, one question will suggest another question and so on, and many questions will be unrelated to what you want to solve, but keep on writing.
Like you may think :
When was the last recession happened?
What was the great depression?
How people survived that recession?
Is their any learning for us there?
Who can give me information about those times?
Don’t try to answer any of these questions. Just write them down. This exercise is to prime your mind for the ideas.
Keep writing. A moment will come when all the obvious questions will be exhausted and some fresh ones will surprise you…
Keep writing with a sense of wonder: what will pop up next!
Write at least 101 questions.
Now keep the questions aside. Sleep on them for a night.
Revisit them in the morning.
See all the patterns emerging from this exercise. Start thinking of the possible answers.
Begin to google things.
You will be amazed on having more ideas then you ever thought possible.
