Editor Pat: Remember, new and creative ideas are good to come up with, but putting the best of those ideas into action is what will lead you to success. Don't be afraid to fail. We learn lesssons from our failures that can lead to our ultimate success. As it's been said, "fail forward"!. Failure based on taking thoughtful action is noble, not to try and lament for the rest of your life is cowardly.
15 Ways to Know If You Are An Idea Person
By Vernon Myers
1. Ideas come to you effortlessly.
Creating ideas is as easy for you as putting on your shoes in the morning. Thomas Edison said that ideas are waiting to be discovered. You discover ideas constantly by creating ideas without really trying to create ideas. No matter where you look you see unique solutions to improve products, services, your personal and professional life, and the lives of your fellow human beings.
2. You are always trying to find ways to do things better.
You do not start with the way things have been done in the past. You start by thinking about how to do things better right now. Master motivator Tony Robbins developed the CANI principle, which is Constant and Never-ending Improvement and you live it by seeking to improve everyday.
3. Your insights and opinions are often radically different than anyone else’s.
You are an independent thinker. You don’t mind taking the road less traveled to produce an outstanding result. While everyone else is focusing on short-term problems, you are thinking about long-term benefits and opportunities.
4. People seek you out to get your opinion because it is different and they want to get a different perspective.
People respect your ability to paint outside the lines. You tend to take a different angle when tackling difficult issues and challenges. You blend your past experience with the ability to visualize a future outcome, resulting in creative breakthroughs.
5. You are extremely curious.
You have an overwhelming desire to know. You are curious about everything. You will spend hours delving into a topic so you can understand the essence of an issue and then use this new knowledge to develop new ideas.
6. You think differently – you recognize it and others recognize it.
The people who you interact with are amazed at the ideas that you create. You have the ability to think in-depth about a topic and to extract the key points that are relevant to your current challenge or issue.
7. You have an unquenchable desire to learn.
You are a continuous learner. You attend courses to learn new skills or you design a self-study course for yourself to bone up on various subjects.
8. You are always asking questions.
Your desire to know is only eclipsed by your need to ask questions. You ask detailed questions to clarify issues and to determine how far you can explore. Your questions seek to go deep into your topic to get a foundational or basic level understanding that you can build upon.
9. You are a voracious reader of books, magazines, and newspapers.
You read everything that you can get your hands on. You read to broaden your knowledge base. You are very well-read and always well informed.
10. You never stop at the first right answer.
The first right answer is a good starting point; however you believe that the first answer is usually incomplete. You continue to develop alternative answers until you find the best answer.
11. When you get one idea, it often sparks a string of other ideas in your mind.
You are such a fluid idea-generator that when you develop one idea, it usually leads to a myriad of spin-off ideas. You tend to make connections that most people would not recognize. Aha is your favorite word.
12. You do not consider yourself to be a right-brain or left-brain thinker, you use your whole-brain to create breakthrough ideas.
As a creative person you are considered a right-brained person. Left brained people are logical, analytical and methodical. You combine the best of both sides of your brain to produce creative solutions to your challenges. You are a disciplined and creative idea generator.
13. You have the ability to hold many concepts in your mind at one time.
You can hold numerous concepts in your mind because you are an expert at using idea generation tools such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and affinity diagrams. You use these tools to mentally generate ideas without having to write anything on paper.
14. You are always looking for a tie-in between your ideas and concepts and your current task or challenge.
You are very good a combining your past ideas with your current ideas because you look for connections and similarities between ideas. Since you operate from this mode all of the time, you tend to combine and connect ideas instantly.
15. You look at what can be instead of what is right now.
You have a vision of where you want to go and what you want to do. You do not limit yourself to your current circumstances. You see your ideas in vivid detail in your mind’s eye because of your ability to use your imagination.
Vernon Myers is the founder of IdeaMERGE.NET – Where Ideas and People Unite! - An online networking site devoted to connecting people who have ideas to people who have experience and advice to share.
Vernon is also the author of The Idea Journal – visit http://www.ideamerge.net/products to find out how to unleash your urge to create.
Visit Vernon’s blog, The Idea Pipeline, at http://www.ideapipeline.blogspot.com to discuss your ideas, dreams, and goals or to leave your comments.
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