Where do you start?

Question

My Dad said "Just brainstorm it". But he didn't say how you do it?

Answer 1

Get that young brain of yours into high gear and keep it there i.e. BRAINSTORM.

Answer 2

Brainstorming is usually carried out by a group of people where any idea is a good one. Then, when the time limit has expired, these ideas are then analysed individually.
The thing about brainstorming is that one person might have an idea that he/she does not think is very productive or useful, but another member of the group is able to see some possibilities in that original idea. This idea, which wasn't thought very highly of originally, could unlock the door to the problem that originated the brainstorming session.

I don't think this is your problem. I think you have a specific task to undertake and you don't know where to start.

If this happens to me I put the central problem in the centre of a piece of paper, from there I draw lines leading away and write down everything I can think of connected to the problem.
This is called a mind map or sometimes a spider graph and it can really help you to get all those random thoughts into some kind of order. Once the task has been ordered it is easier to deal with.

I hope this is what you're asking about.

Answer 3

The way brainstorming works is, you generate ideas (no matter how dumb they may seem at the time) first and record them on paper or on a voice recorder. Later, you critique the ideas and see if any of them can be adapted to solve your problem.

Brainstorming by your lonesome, however, is likely to be a waste of time; brainstorming is a team sport...

Answer 4

a really good way to "brainstorm" is to sit down with a piece of paper and think about the topic... write down everything that comes to mind. Not it any specific order or style... (not even complete sentences) just jot it down. After you do this, walk away from it for a little while. Go have a drink or a snack.. watch 30 mins of tv... something to get your mind off of it for a while. Then go back to list of ideas you had. Something you wrote will probably catch your eye and you can pick it up from there.

Answer 5

If you have spent longer than 20 minutes wondering how to start,start now absolutely anywhere. Given time you will attune yourself to the subject - once you have got a grasp on things you can start to think in a logically structured way. If you really cannot get started even by these means, you just have to take a rest for an hour or two.

Answer 6

Get a pen and sheet of paper and just write down all the ideas that come to you, no matter how zany, impractical, unfeasible, expensive, etc., i.e. no analysing, no judging, no constraints (physical, chemical, engineering, logical, practical, financial, etc.) Once you've got down as many ideas as you can, start grouping them (basically do-able, not do-able and do-able but...too expensive, too impractical, etc.) Then you can temporarily ignore the second two groups and concentrate on the first.

Answer 7

Surround yourself with inspiration, be it a place, a time, an activity, just that one thing that seems to give you the most ideas.

Also

Just diving into it and starting to create ideas(even if you know you won't use them) can help trigger the useful ones.

Answer 8

Personally I'd run it up the flag pole, look outside the box, park it in the car park, blue sky it and be really proactive!!!! Actually I'd just say whatever!

Answer 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainstorming#Approach

Answer 10

I always start with a mind-map, which is generally one bubble leading off from another as my ideas grow.