How you can generate ideas consistently
Watching Test cricket is a chore compared to the shorter formats. There are long periods where nothing seems to happen. The bowling team keeps trying different things. The batting team has to play according to situations. Amidst all, there are moments of magic.
I particularly enjoy watching the bowling team strategies. They bowl according to the opposition weaknesses. They hammer according to their plan, chipping away and eventually the batter makes a mistake.
For all their planning the bowler can never guarantee a wicket - that the batter will succumb to the ball.
Because Test cricket has extended time duration, the plans are also long term. The batsmen are in no major rush to score. Patience is a virtue you need.
However, it is strategic patience at work.
It's a similar story for our world of innovation. We all want to generate the best intentions. The root of all is generating mind blowing ideas.
Yet, none of us can predict when the idea will meet us.
If that were the case then we would be having ultra long showers. Or running marathons. Or scribble on napkins.
Ideation is a very curious and a mysterious activity.
I see parallels to bowling in cricket. You have to chip away with consistency. Follow a process and the idea may find you.
What does this process look like?
You create your own with these blocks:
Active reading
Observing
Brainstorming
Wondering
Teaching
Analysing how things work
Do the above with a regularity and it gives you the best chance of spotting problems to solve. It's in the process of solving that ideas are generated.
That's it for today and for this year.
Wishing you a Happy 2025 in advance!
Happy Ideating!
Hemang.