Brainstorming Methods

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Author:
Noam A.

Here are some tips to help you become better at brainstorming.

• It’s easier to brainstorm earlier in the day because your energy levels are usually higher. You should also make sure that you are in a comfortable place with lots of natural light. A good place is a coffee shop with large windows. DONT sit in a room with florescent lights. These will suck the life out of you and you’ll fell less alive than in a room full of sunlight.
  


• There are a number of implements that you can use for brainstorming - a white board, pencil and paper or even an audio recorder - but my favorite tool is a software program called FreeMind, which allows you to create tree charts from your thoughts. It’s also free and open source. You can download it at freemind.sourceforge.net
  


• A good brainstorming session should last around one hour. After that, your mind will probably start to slow down. If you find yourself needing more time, extend the hour, or get some rest. Let your subconscious do some thinking for you and then continue the next day.
  


• During a brainstorming session don’t discount any ideas, either of yours or of a coworker’s. Accept every suggestion, even if it sounds silly. When you acknowledge everyone’s thoughts they’ll be more motivated to think creatively, which in turn, could solve the goal you are trying to achieve.
  

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Brainpower... Mindfulness 101: Should Meditation Be Taught In College? A recent article published in The Chronicle of Higher Education about teaching meditation in college has created a great deal of buzz. Several media folks contacted me for my opinion, and they were surprised by my response. I am sure there are plenty of meditation teachers who are grinning on their cushions at the notion of meditation being offered at universities for academic college credit. Not me. I think it is a misguided idea--and I'd like to suggest a much better one. It's not that I don't wholeheartedly believe that meditation is a powerful way to reduce stress, increase concentration, and develop greater awareness and compassion. It's not that I don't agree that college students could benefit from meditation--especially during those stressful finals weeks. But making meditation an academic college course perpetuates a dangerous notion: that meditation is for highly intelligent, educated people only. ANYONE can benefit from meditation, and the more elite we make it appear, the more people will assume that they are somehow not the "right kind of person" to meditate. Is a college professor the "right kind of person" to teach meditation? While there are certainly those who have studied meditation personally and professionally, they are not necessarily the ones who can teach it as a valuable wellness tool instead of a Religion or Philosophy course. As much as I believe in the power of meditation, I'm not sure that paying $4000 (the going rate for one class at a private university in the U.S.) for a one-semester academic course in sitting-and-breathing is an appropriate addition to the curriculum. Credit for sitting and breathing. Cha-ching! The universities find a new income stream. Sure, I'm biased. After all, I have four teenage daughters, two of whom...