I've been thinking about brainstorming...

Brainstorming is Loads of Fun!

Simple, fun and effective, you can brainstorm alone or with a group.

1) State your question. It can be about any decision you want to make. For instance, "How can I solve the problem of...?"

2) Pop out as many ideas as possible, as fast as you can. Include any and all weird ones. Remember, most new ideas sound ridiculous at first. Write down every idea as it comes.

3) No criticism or comment about any of the ideas is allowed. Being critical inhibits the imagination and crushes creative thinking. The goal here is to quiet your inner critic when it sneers, "That won't work," or "What a silly idea," or "That's already been done." The point is to postpone judgment in order to let ideas flow freely.

4) Generate as many ideas as possible.

5) When you've exhausted all possible ideas, sit back and look them over. Take some time to turn them around, combine, adapt, rearrange and play with them. Even the silly ones will contain the germ of a good idea. Have fun with the process. Laugh and play with it; humor triggers creativity.

6) Choose the best ideas to make your decision.

The benefits of brainstorming are enormous. Use it in your work or in your personal life. You'll find it not only helps you to live, think and work more effectively, as well as make better, smarter decisions, but it is also just plain fun!