Best Places to Generate New Ideas

Trying to think of a new blog post, a creative design or a new business idea? The best thing to do is dedicate a part of your day or your week to being creative. It doesn't have to take up any more of your busy day. Some of the best ideas happen in places you wouldn't think about.

Make being creative a part of your lifestyle. If you don’t spend at least a few minutes a day thinking of fresh ideas you won’t be able to do it when you have to. Whenever you have down time, don’t whip out the smart phone, spend the time to think.

Great Thinking Activities

Here are some of the best places to let your mind wonder and come up with new ideas.

Mow the Lawn

Mowing the lawn is a great activity. It gets you outside in the fresh air, it gives you a little bit of exercise, and you have time to think without interruption. Activities that take time like this that don’t take a lot of mental focus are perfect for thinking.

If you are having a bad time in front of the computer, get out and mow the lawn. Fresh air with a little physical activity can get you out of a funk.

Go For a Walk

Another one that combines physical activity with fresh air. My only problem with taking walks is you tend to spend more time looking around at your surrounding and less time thinking.

The Gym

A few of the activities at the gym are good for thinking, some not so much. Personally, I think an kind of cardio machine like a stair stepper, rowing machine, treadmill or stationary bike will work. Try to go for at least 20 minutes, anything else and your mind won’t have time to relax.

More strenuous activities like swimming, weight lifting, tennis/racquetball require to much focus and keep you from really letting your mind wander.

Laying in Bed

Most nights I have trouble winding down, especially because I’ve been at the computer screen most of the night. So you might as well not fight it. Concentrate on your breathing and just let your mind wander. If you fall asleep you fall asleep, if not you may come up with something useful, that you can tackle in the morning.

The Laundromat

Anywhere, you have to sit for any amount of time can be used for creative time. Just remember to stay off your smartphone and sit there.

Arts and crafts

Any type of art, crafts or other activities where you work with your hands are perfect for fostering creative thoughts.

The Shower

The shower is a great place to think. A shower, either cold or hot is great to break up your day, freshen up your mind, and take a break.

Other Tips

Don’t Force It

If you give yourself time every day to think, you shouldn’t find yourself in situations where you must come up with fresh ideas on a deadline. When you have your creative thinking time, don’t force it. Roll your mind around one or two topics or ideas and see what happens. Don’t worry about staying on any one thing because one random thought might bring you to something truly great.

Unplug for 1 hour a day

The more time you can spend off the computer, off the phone, with music and television off, the easier it will be to become more creative. Activities like watching television, messing around on Facebook, and playing video games are creativity killers. The more you can reduce these activities the better off you will be.

Takes Notes

The most important part. When you spend time thinking every day, you have to take the time to write your thoughts down. I keep a notebook of my ideas and sketches while at home and I take notes on my phone when I am away from the computer. I also have a couple Google docs with random business ideas, and future posts.

Where do you come up with your best ideas? Let use know below.