People like gizmos and gadgets. So do I. The crazier, the better. I want to share with you my one of my ’idea techniques’.The photo shows my typical idea workspace. I use the lightbulb, which actually is a container with a screwable lid. This is always besides my notebook on my workspace.
I use small billets or post-its to jot down ideas or stuff I want to work on. This has a lot of advantages:
- It is a fun thing to play with and makes my ideas sort of 3-dimensional, instead of them being listed in a dry list (which gets lost in the files on the computer anyway). Humans like real things they can touch and play around with. Humans like gizmos and gadgets.
- I can show the bulb to my friends, full of little folded billets, and boast how many ideas I have (had) – this is impressive and makes me feel like a genius.
- It enables me to collect my ideas and see the shier amount of them (motivation) on an everyday basis.
- If I don’t know what to do or work on one day, I simply pour out the billets and make a random choice …
- I can sort ideas into different bulbs!
- I can focus on ‘the one idea’ I want to work out on a specific day. The bulb and the billet inside waiting remind me of the idea and I don’t stop until the billet can be removed, because the idea is worked out. The idea gets important!
- I can set myself goals: I want that bulb to be filled with new ideas within the next week, month, year, life …
The thing about this ‘hack’ is to put the ideas into another (haptic) shape and make it 3D. It is fun, not as boring as a list in the computer and: it is motivating.
Try it! 🙂
P.S.: I use these here:
This one I used practicing Albert Goshman’s ‘Salt and Pepper Routine’ whilst collecting ideas:
Find it here: