Think out of the box, not just think good

“Don’t try to have good ideas, try having ideas.”

The first thumb rule of success states that a man must have ideas. That is to say, that s/he must think out of the box. Despite being aware of this thumb rule majority of the people I have interacted with’ complain that they fail to generate good ideas. For example- “I don’t know how? I don’t know what? I am no Steve Jobs? I am no Bill Gates? I am no Schrodinger’s cat that can think and see out of the box?” A complain that is bereft of rational thinking. Why would it be irrational?

Simple, because it fails to comprehend its own simplicity.

There are certain principles to generate good ideas, and that starts with the first rule of having good ideas which is- to not try to have good ideas. What’s important here is to have ideas. When you have an idea you don’t know how good it is. It can only be judged when you have more ideas to compare it with. A primary example for that would be- asking your friends to immediately come up with great or unique ideas to start up their own businesses, or to ask your students to come up with a brilliant idea to start a particular project. What will happen?

Despite giving them with ample of time, nobody will have a great idea, or so as to say a good idea. Even if someone has one’ they will have no clue whether it is a great idea or is it just a buzz less fuss.

Now ask them to come up with a bundle of ideas wherein every person can write down at least 10 ideas to compare them with. You’ll notice that everyone has written down or given at least 10 ideas of their own on that particular topic or project. Some were good, while some might be bad but yet again they would be different. Some were tried and tested, while some weren’t comprehended by all. Yet again, what we have here are a set ideas of which some are unique.

Remember, good ideas do not have a set pattern, they are just a bundle of normal ideas which have not been tried or successfully been tested before. For example, do you believe that the concept of gravity was never thought of before, or that Galileo was the only one who thought of creating a telescope, or that he was the only one to theorize that earth and other planets revolve around the sun? The answer is- no! These ideas and concepts were thought of by various different personalities and intellectuals over the period of time, all coming from different part of the world. Try reading Copernicus for one. The only difference was, some thought of it and forgot, some thought of it but couldn’t implement, some thought of it but discarded the idea by labelling it as ridiculous.

Remember, no idea is big or small, no idea is unique or general. Ideas are mere thoughts which are new to you. It’s how you make them big.

-boringbug