The Life-Changing Art of Ideation: How to Think Up, Capture, and Put Ideas into Action

Coming up with ideas is tough - and even when inspiration strikes, figuring out how to make that idea become a reality can be even tougher.While you have all sorts of amazing ideas, the perfect one doesn't always come to you on the spot. And if it does, it can be there one second and gone the next.Even when you grab ahold, actually doing something meaningful with it is a different story.Well, here’s how to pave the way for productive ideation, store ideas the moment they hit, and kick start them into action!Embrace MindfulnessMindfulness is a state of consciousness. It’s about being aware of the here and now and experiencing each passing moment with super strong spidey senses.Spend some time in your head, but not in that problem-solving, brain-racking kind of way. Let your mind roam free. Meander through the inner nooks and crannies of your brain.(Kind of like butter on an English muffin.)Because when you stop activelythinking, your emotions, thoughts, and ideas have room to surface and evolve.When you’re heads down working on a project, like brainstorming a new product, firing out that final chapter of your book, or prepping for a presentation, realize when you’ve hit a wall.(Productivity is all about mindfulness. In fact, we dedicated an entire post to it here!)Remind yourself that walking away, doing a quick crossword, takin’ a jog, or soaking up some sun might be just what your project needs to make room for fresh ideas.If you stop spinning your wheels and overthinking, your brain will have a chance to connect the dots between all those ideas that are already floating around in your brain.That’s why your brightest and most original ideas strike when you least expect it – in the shower, when you’re in and out of sleep, driving, or sorting socks.(Seriously, that dryer monster is becoming a real problem.)Borrow other people's ideas for inspiration.Steve Jobs hit the nail on the head when he said, “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.”How often do you see or hear something that triggers an idea?We all should seek influence and reimagine ideas. Often you just need a jumping off point to reach your original idea.If you’re a writer, jot down favorite quotes and unique word combinations. If you’re working on your latest product design, notice UX and features on the tools you love. If you're planning your next webinar, attend interesting webinars.Grab ahold of every idea, even if it’s unrelated to what you’re working on.Which leads us to our next point!Capture ALL your ideasFind a technique or tool that makes it fast and easy for you to capture all ideas, big and small, the moment they hit.Seriously, ideas are fleeting so scoop ‘em up when they strike, in their raw, unfiltered state.Just get them down, and you can flush them out later.If you’re old school, keep a pad of paper on your nightstand. If all your great ideas live somewhere between your loofa and that peach-scented body wash, buy a water-friendly notebook.(Yup, those exist!)For the more digitally inclined folks, a technique or tool that’s searchable and syncs between devices might be just the ticket.Evernote is the granddaddy-o of all notebooks. (Sorry, flying unicorn Trapper Keeper.)All Evernote loyalists have their own system (or lack thereof), but we recommend setting up an “inbox” notebook where you can throw ideas, articles, photos, quotes, or inspiration the moment they strike.Then, come back to them later and organize them in the appropriate notebook. The last thing you want is organization getting in the way of ideation.There’s even an auto-record capability that’s perfect when your fingers are tired, or you’re driving.Email yourself - It’s waterproof unlike writing on your hand.Most email services, like Gmail or Outlook, let you create rules in your inbox to filter emails to a designated folder. When an idea strikes, fire it off to yourself so it's ready when the time is right.Just find a tool that works for you. Whatever you want from your idea capture tool, there’s likely an app to meet your needs.Like list formats? Welp, Wunderlist, Todoist, or Trello might be right for you.Love tools that allow for collaboration and personal workstreams? Create a private or group Slack, Yammer, or HipChat channel.(Have a love-hate relationship with Slack? Here are five quick fixes for your least productive Slack habits.)Collaborate and listen (Ice is back)Yo VIP, let’s kick it!Gather up a bunch of great minds, with varying perspectives, to work together on solving a problem or conjuring up an innovative approach.(Hold a meeting, but follow these guidelines to ensure it's a productive one!)Entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small to mid-sized companies are often at an advantage here.Why? Well, they don’t always have established processes and hierarchy getting in their way. Open and honest conversations are the process.Sometimes it’s just a matter of fine-tuning things, but the root system of the “trust tree” is already there.Armed with open-mindedness and free from competitiveness, sometimes all you need are a few tools to help you collaborate better and faster.From Asana to HipChat to Slack to IdeaBoardz, there’s a tool for everyone. The key is to find one that works with the culture of your organization.Alrighty, so you have all these amazing ideas. That’s fine and dandy, but everyone has ideas, right?What separates you, is that you actually do something with your ideas.Bridge the gap between imagination and reality. Think about if Thomas Edison hadn’t invented the light bulb, if Paul Brown hadn’t designed that upside-down ketchup bottle, or if Laura Roeder hadn’t launched MeetEdgar!Our world would be an entirely different place.(Ketchup water juice and all.)But seriously, all these great things started with an idea that someone took to the next level…that they actually did something with.Some might fail, but you’ll never know if you don’t JUST GET STARTED.Sure, things might be sloppy, uncoordinated, and little ugly out of the gate, but who cares.Just get started by going through your Rolodex of ideas and identifying those worth exploring.If you’re anything like us, you have lots of ideas. It’s just a matter of sorting the keepers from the ideas that still need a little more marinating.When deciding which ideas to focus on, we ask ourselves:

• What are we trying to solve for our customers?
• How does this help us achieve our company goals?
• Who really cares?
• Is this idea unique and innovative?
• What impact will this idea have?
• How much time and resources will it take to execute?

After determining if an idea is worth moving forward with, map out what needs to get done and work from concept to execution using agile business techniques.An agile approach helps us focus our collaborative efforts on the highest priorities, break huge initiatives into digestible pieces, test, and improve as we go!In fact, we even created a business agility cheat sheet for this favorite strategy. Check it out!Also keep in mind that while positivity is important, so is a critical eye. Don’t become overly invested in an idea because you started working on it. Remember you have tons of ideas. It’s just a matter of finding the right one for the right situation.How do YOU make ideas a reality? Where do your best ideas strike?What are your tips and tricks to becoming the ultimate idea factory?Where do you find inspiration?How do you keep track of all your amazing ideas?What collaboration techniques work for your team?Inspire us in the comments below!