How to never run out of ideas

Alright, let's talk about ideas.

I've got news for you: ideas are everywhere.

They're like air – invisible, but always there.

Now, I'm not talking about those "million-dollar ideas" that people dream about.

I'm talking about the kind of ideas that make you stand out in a world where everyone's shouting the same thing.

The kind of ideas that make people stop scrolling and think, "Huh, I've never thought about it like that before."

So, buckle up.

Here’s my favorite unconventional idea ideas:

Use your unique perspectives

Who you are is made up of your perspectives.

As Dan Koe says, "People don't follow information, they follow perspectives."

Ten people can talk about the same old topics, but one of them can say it in such a way that brings an entirely new meaning to it. Perspectives are infinite.

You don't need to come up with a completely different idea.

But you do need to talk about same idea, but from a deeper lens. The lens of YOU>

If you want to stand out:

1. Find ideas that are already working. Save ideas from books, social media, podcasts, and videos.

2. Turn them into an original idea by changing the perspective.

Create a story of your life

You can take 10 minutes per day to generate tons of new ideas. Here's the process:

1. Create a document called "Story of my life." (Use tools like Logseq or Kortex)

2. Write down 5 events that happened to you that day involving work, good or bad.

3. Pick the most interesting situation on the page.

4. Tell the story in 150-200 words.

5. Post the story online.

6. Repeat this every day for a week.

Remember, ideas beget ideas, just as emails beget emails (per Ben Settle).

So, the more you write like this, the more ideas will come to you.

A self-sustaining flywheel.

Because, if you’re living, your making stories.

Get out of your comfort zone

What's the fastest way to come up with ideas?

Get out of your normal routine and do stuff other people don’t do:

• Read weird books

• Watch old movies

• Listen to esoteric podcasts

• Talk to elderly people

The world is a big place full of people that have done crazy cool things.

And they’re just waiting for you to come along with your perspective lens and give your takeaways to your world.

Walk

Walking is particularly effective for generating ideas.

Case(s) in point:

• Huey Lewis came up with all the lyrics to "Power of Love" while on a jog

• Beethoven wrote his Sixth Symphony while on a walk in the countryside

• Nietzsche got the idea for "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" during a walk in the Swiss Alps

Take a walk, it’ll do you some good.

Cross-Pollinate

Be(e) more interesting by cross-pollinating your ideas:

• Banjos + philosophy? Go for it.

• Eating steak + powerlifting? No brainer.

• Mountain climbing + Al Green? Start cooking.

Get weird. Make connections no one else is talking about. Synthesizing disparate ideas is optimal.

By following these tactics, you'll be able to generate unique perspectives and ideas that set you apart from others discussing the same topics.

Look, here's the deal: ideas aren't some magical gift bestowed upon a chosen few.

They're a muscle you can train. A skill you can sharpen.

And you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just have to look at that wheel from a angle no one's considered before.

Maybe you'll see something others missed. Maybe you'll connect dots no one else even noticed were there.

Now get out there and start generating.

Your perspective is your superpower.

Use it.

Have a great weekend,

Swanagan