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Million dollar ideas strike at 3 A.M.
Do you feel that a
dream that you had last night had the perfect solution to your
problem? Ever got surprised by the clarity of your thoughts when you
were fast asleep?
If you have
experienced this then you must be wondering why it happens or how.
Not only that this phenomenon is correct, it has an explanation to
it too. Read on…
Let me build it this
way, A thought can be analyzed only by a clear mind by applying a
clear thought process. Same is the case with an idea, or even a
solution to a problem. For all the above there is one common
necessity - a clear mind and a clear thought process.
Clear mind
– A clear mind is the
state where the mind is able to concentrate all its power on one
thing. It is in a state where it can discretely observe various
options, assumptions and constraints related with something. We have
consciously restricted our brain to ignore the obvious. This is
where we falter when we try to think practically and rationally. We
restrict our minds ability to question the assumptions, to wander
with the seeming impossibilities, and even to check the conditions
which we have deemed to be the constraints. How then, can we say
that we are thinking with a clear mind?
When we are fast
asleep, we tend to have a free mind that does whatever it wants…
this is how we achieve our answers to complex situations at night
while thinking about it or even sleeping on it. Think of a CPU, it
works better when a few programs are working on it. It provides you
better and fast results with only one process running on it as
compared to many. Just try out the same logic to our mind. Attaining
a clear mind is the first step to have an idea… have a solution.. or
just being creative.
How to have a clear
mind –
1.
Meditate
– Meditation is a very good way of attaining a clear, peaceful state
of mind which is ideal to solve problems. Est way to strat with the
problem would be to first forget the problem and just try to ease
your mind to get prepared.
2.
Use the time peace of night
– Try to solve your problems in a peaceful place or at a peaceful
time. Nights are usually the best time of the day to be with
yourself.
3.
Keep a pen and paper
at your bedside
– Don’t let your brilliant idea just pass away waiting for the
morning. Pen it down and try to brief it up the moment it occurs.
You might not even recollect what it was in the morning.
4.
Don’t get messed up
with your idea
– Try to be calm with
your idea and do not get anxious. Don’t exaggerate and try to
patiently and analytically think about it. Just try to make the best
use of your creative spark.
Clear mind is must but
not all that one needs for generating ideas. Next important thing is
a clear thought process.
Clear thought process
- This is true in case of problems and can be generalized to our
common day to day lives. We tend to jump to find answers to
questions that are still not understood to us. The issue stands is
that we also make the same mistake in our daily lives. We try to
find an answer to an abstract problem. The solution to having a
clear thought process is to train our mind to analyze the problems
in a systematic manner. We can ourselves generate a procedure to
have a clear thought process.
How to have a clear
thought process –
1.
Use a pen and a paper
– List down what you are thinking. It usually helps you avoid a
vicious circle of thoughts where you tend to think on a same or
similar point again and again. Writing reduces redundancy.
2.
Use the if then
analysis –
Use the cause and effect relationship technique to analyze the
situation. (any situation can be put as a cause and effect
relationship tree… find more on google about this very effective
analytical technique)
3.
Use diagrams
– Mind uses diagrams for better understanding, better recall, and
better explanatory purposes. You probably have noticed many people
just building boxes and arrows on paper while explaining things… it
actually helps. A sales person would just draw empty lines and
circle the important point in the brochure again and again just for
your mind to absorb it as important. Build your thought process
along the same lines.
4.
Talk to your self
– To
understand things better try explaining it to yourself as you would
explain it to someone else. It helps, try talking in front of a
mirror, try out building and contradicting your idea with yourself.
5.
Take external help
– Have some
person listen to your thoughts, even a pet would do a great job.
Your mind actually thinks better if you are presenting the idea /
problem to someone. You tend to understand more while you are
explaining.
6.
Pro – Con analysis
– List down advantages and disadvantages of some idea / thought and
carry on…
There are number of
techniques that can be and must be used in our daily thought
processing to make our brain continuously sharper. It is also
helpful in building good analytical and problem solving skills. Any
concrete process is enough to keep a mind from wandering. Mind is
the most useful thing god has given to us… make the most of it.
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