This article came about as I was comparing and contrasting two different methods of generating ideas in order to determine which method proved to be more beneficial.

The first method is one that we are all familiar with and that is the “think hard” method.

We clearly define what kind of idea we want to think of and we whip out the pen and paper and start writing down answers, brain storming, mind mapping, etc. We search for information in books and on the Internet to help come up with the idea. We enlist the help of other people to form brainstorming sessions or think tanks to further our cause and by doing all that, we eventually come up with a great idea.

Many fortune 500 companies use the same method as well. The one I worked for after graduating college did the same song and dance. Cleary define the goal or idea you want to generate, hold a meeting with consultants, project manager, team leaders, list solutions on the board, invite discussion, stimulate creativity, use the meeting of the minds and come up with as many different ideas as possible and pick the best ones at the end.

It even worked for the 21 year old who created the famous million dollar homepage. All he did was take a blank piece of paper and write at the top “How can I become a millionaire?” 20 minutes later the idea was born. There is great power when it comes to writing down your goals.

The second method employs a totally different approach and that is to “Let it go.”

That’s right. Instead of attacking it head on with brute force, let it go.

Let it go and the idea will come shooting into your head when you least expect it.

You’ve had this experience before. We’ve all had this experience before.

You were in the shower, whistling your favorite song and all of a sudden, an idea hits you like a ton of bricks. When you were out mowing the lawn, the same thing happened. When you were asleep, you saw a great idea in your dream. When you were on the toilet seat reading a magazine, the idea also came into your head.

Thomas Edison was known for taking naps and coming up with his inventions in his sleep. Jack Canfield had an idea of marketing his famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book while in the shower. Mozart was known for writing his musical pieces note perfect the first time as the idea was shooting into his head.

How can letting go generate such great ideas? Why does it work? What’s the reasoning behind it? What’s the exact method of coming up with these great ideas?

Since we all know and understand the reasoning behind the first method, which is the “think hard” method, I’ll devote the rest of this article to analyzing how we can generate ideas via the second method - letting go.

The literature we have today seems to point to the subconscious mind as the answer to why letting go works.

Our brain can be separated into two parts. The conscious and the unconscious.

The conscious part is what we are typically aware of. It’s responsible for letting us know what we see, hear, feel, taste, touch, etc. It’s our primary filter of reality.

Then we have the subconscious working in the background 24/7 like a well oiled machine. It’s regulating our heart beat, controlling our breathing, pumping blood through our bodies, creating new cells, eliminating waste from cells, etc.

It’s also the storehouse of all the information we have experienced in our lifetimes. The memories we cannot remember consciously are stored in our subconscious mind. Surgeons have been able to elicit vivid memories of patients who couldn’t remember memories they tried to stir up consciously when stimulating certain parts of the patient’s brain.

So how does the unconscious part of the brain work in generating new ideas?

First off, it’s got WAY more information stored in there than you can possibly get through resources and from other people. It has literally stored EVERYTHING that you have experienced in your life time. All your failures, all your triumphs, all your ups and downs, etc.

Second, it works 24/7. Thinking hard has diminishing returns. It’s productive the first half hour or so but after that, it gets tiresome and productivity drops. The subconscious is working all the time, every time and it does not tire. It’s a finely tuned machine.

Third, the computing power of the subconscious is unmatched. It can easily put things together and make connections that you couldn’t have possibly done so consciously.

Is it no wonder that many breakthroughs in human history have been the due to the workings of the subconscious?

So how does letting go help the subconscious do its work?

It’s because when we let go, we take the information out of our conscious mind in order for the subconscious to take full control over it.

The longer and harder you fret over trying to come up with a great idea, the more ingrained it becomes in your conscious mind. The subconscious doesn’t have a chance to take over it and start crunching all the data to spit out the solution. Let it go so the subconscious can start working on the problem.

Another factor in letting go that seems to help is visualization of the end result. Edison visualized the inventions he was trying to build in his mind as complete as possible. The Wright brothers visualized their aircrafts flying in the air. Paleontologists have put great effort in trying to visualize the complete anatomical structure of animal remains. The result of their efforts of visualization resulted in them finding their respective answers.

So it appears that letting go seems to be comprised of three things.

1. Gathering information about the idea.

2. Visualizing the end result.

3. Letting go.

By following those three steps, you get the answer.

We can use simple algebra as an analogy.

2 (the beginning ) + unknown = 3 (the end result)

The beginning and end are known in great detail. The middle part (the great idea) is unknown, but we can deduce that the unknown is +1 because we know have detailed information about the beginning and the end. If your conscious mind can deduce this easily, imagine how much more easily your subconscious mind can!

What we can also infer from this example is that the beginning part (the quantity and quality of information) that serves as the ingredients of the great idea is crucial. For example, it would be very difficult for your subconscious to think of a great tasty dish to prepare if you have no previous knowledge whatsoever of cooking or even had exposure to any tasty dishes for that matter.

Therefore, it seems reasonable to stick to what you know, your strengths, your skills, etc., when it comes to generating a great idea. If you don’t have any knowledge around the great idea you want to think of, then go get some.

Football coaches are able to come up with great ideas for trick plays because they know football. You don’t see them coming up with great trick play ideas for basketball or hockey. They are able to come up with great ideas based on the detailed knowledge they already possess.

When will the great idea shoot into your brain?

I really don’t have an answer to that. Could be as soon as tomorrow, could be as late as a month or two. I’m thinking it depends to the degree in which you let go. If you let go completely without any doubt, hesitation, or fear, the answer could come up while you sleep the very night or in the morning thereafter.

Having doubt and disbelief will only work against you because you’re bringing up the idea into your conscious mind by thinking of doubt and disbelief. You don’t give your subconscious mind a chance to play with it.

You will often find that the great idea comes to you while you are doing a monotonous activity such as showering or mowing the lawn. This makes perfect sense as well because your brain is “vacant” so to speak. You’re not really thinking about anything. You’re just going through the motions and because there’s “room” in your brain, that’s when the idea fills it.

How will you know if you have the great idea?

You just know. You have that gut feeling. It’ll come shooting through your brain when you least expect it. Seize it. Don’t let it get away. Write it down. Don’t delay.

You’ll find as you write it down, more and more great thoughts will start pouring in. When you write it down, you free up more room in your conscious mind for more great ideas until you’re completely drained.

This method of letting go was what I used to write my college admission essay. I was actually using it without being aware of it. To this day, I am thoroughly convinced that it was that essay and that essay alone that got me into college. I didn’t have the best grades, SAT scores, or extracurricular activities. I was average across the board on all those factors. I knew that my only shot of getting in would be to write a damn good essay.

I read all that I could on writing college essays. I thought about it a lot, asked for advice, and was really uptight about it to the point where I told myself that I was stressing out too much and needed to relax. So I relaxed and just let it go. Didn’t give it much thought. I did other stuff to occupy my time and mind. Then one night, I just jumped out of bed and turned on my computer and literally sat there for 30 minutes straight typing like a madman. My thoughts were pouring out faster than I could type and when I finished, my essay was there. Sure it wasn’t perfect. There were a ton of green and red squiggly lines in my Word document, but the essence of the essay was there.

When inspiration hits, write it down. Don’t trust your memory to remember it.

So if you want to think of a great idea, “think hard”.

If that doesn’t work, visualize the end result and let go, knowing and trusting the idea will come to you in due time.

When the idea comes, seize it and milk it for all it’s worth by writing it down because all it takes is one great idea to make a world of difference.

  
     

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