Point to Ponder
 

Mental Vitamins and brain exercises

By Bob 'Idea Man' Hooey

The mind works best when challenged with a daily routine of creative thinking, just like an exercise program designed to condition the body's muscles.  The late Earl Nightingale, noted self-help expert, devised a very simple method that requires three things:

  • An open mind
  • A pencil or pen
  • A pad of paper or something to write on.

The system or method he devised works as well today as it did when he introduced it to his readers and listeners. Here is my recollection of his system, as I practice it.

  1. Give your subconscious a pressing problem to digest and gnaw on just before you go to sleep. Spend 20-30 minutes thinking about a challenge, problem, or opportunity you are dealing with currently. When you lay down forget about it. While you sleep your subconscious mind, the source of most breakthrough ideas, will be mulling it over and thinking about it from various perspectives and sides.
  1. Wake up an hour before anyone else. Find a comfortable place to sit, get a coffee or juice, a pad of paper and a pencil or pen. This can be my biggest challenge as I often am creative late at night. The key here is to pick a time when you will not be distracted or disturbed.
  1. Relax and let the ideas flow. Write everything down as the ideas occur, no matter how wild, far out, or seemingly impractical they seem. Don't stop to edit or judge these ideas, just capture or record them.  This is a solo brainstorming session. Capture and collect - analyse and judge later. Let your mind do a mental dump onto paper into a form you can do something with later.
This simple brainstorming method worked like a charm for Earl, on a regular basis. It produced some profitable, outstanding ideas, which he later launched successfully.
 
According to Earl, the key is the subconscious mind, which acts like a gigantic warehouse for ideas and thoughts, floating around just below our conscious mind awareness. Insights or hunches are ideas, which simply bubbled up from the vast reservoir of our subconscious mind.
 
 
In essence, studying or feeding your mind a problem or outlining an opportunity just before you go to sleep is like stuffing your subconscious mind. This feeds your powerful brain new fresh material to play with and from which to work.
 
Try this simple form of personal brainstorming, you might inspire yourself with the wisdom you draw from your subconscious mind.
 
Once you have generated ideas, simply transfer to your computer for further research, refining, or editing. 

© Copyright 2011 Bob 'Idea Man' Hooey www.ideaman.net  Bob is a productivity strategist and creativity catalyst who regularly writes for North American Consumer and Trade Journals, on-line magazines and company intranets. He is the author of 10 leadership and business success books and the 48th person in the history of Toastmasters International to earn their coveted professional level Accredited Speaker designation. He is a professional member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and the International Federation for Professional Speakers. Visit: www.SecretSellingTips.com


Archives of past issues of Ideas @ Work! are available on our www.ideaman.net website. We will be adding archives of Bob's Mid-month Musings as well.

 

I love the privilege of traveling the world sharing my ideas and challenging people to move out of their comfort zones into the winner's zone. The more I travel, the more I realize that beneath the surface we are very similar. We have similar dreams, fears, challenges, and successes. 

 
 

 
Follow this link to view this month's video:

In the past few years I've had the chance to visit a number of different countries... Iran, England, Germany, Switzerland, France, Mexico, (just returned from my second visit to Cuba last month). Last year alone I visited Australia, The Netherlands, Korea and Russia.

Once you get past the politics and get to know the people, you experience the real connections.  People around the world are open to connect and to share their experiences. 

People from various cultures and communities walk through your doors. Treat each of them with respect and invite them to become a part of your family.  I have found people around the world share similar desires, challenges and needs; when I respect them, they respond and I have had numerous amazing friendships develop from this attitude.

 

Last Minute News

Been a great month so far...
 
March 22nd, my friend and amazing keynote speaker Peter Legge is flying in a day early to do a special evening just for CAPS Edmonton. Follow this link to find out more details. If you know anyone in the Edmonton area please let them know and invite them to join us for the evening.
 
Working to finalize details on my last two presentations this month.  I have another webcast on the 22nd and a 2 hour session for a large road construction company on the 31st.

Thanks for reading

Bob 'Idea Man' Hooey would be pleased to be a part of your success team and to work with you to help make your conference, meeting, or training event a larger success. For more information about customized keynotes, professional and personal leadership training and coaching, or seminars/retreats, please visit  http://www.ideaman.net or call our Creative Office at:  (780) 736-0009 for availability.

Ask about a customized conference, coaching or training package to suit your specific career, company, or organizational needs.

Ask about our innovative leadership and/or sales leaders' motivational training programs.
 

*****

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 March 2011
                 What's New!
 
Talk, So People Will Listen! is in the final editing stages.
 
Conversion to e-book for Thinking Beyond the FIRST Sale is almost done and will be in editing and production this month.
 
We have added this new Mid-month Musings for 2011. Often Bob has ideas or motivational thoughts that just can't wait. So we decided to add a shorter message mid month.
Connect with Bob:
 
 

About Bob

Bob is a professional speaker, author, leadership, sales, and business success expert

Bob is a long time leader and professional charter member of Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, a member of NSA-Arizona, as well as the International Federation for Professional Speakers.
 
He is proud to be an active professional member of these amazing groups of people dedicated to polishing their craft and to better serving their clients and audiences.
 
Bob is the co-founder and a past president of CAPS Vancouver, an honorary founding member of CAPS Sask., an honorary member of CAPS Halifax, as well as being an active member of CAPS Edmonton. He served as CAPS National Director (2000-2002).
 
He would be happy to discuss how he can work with you to equip and motivate your leaders, their teams, sales teams, or volunteers to grow and to succeed.
 
Call him today at 1-780-736-0009 to explore leveraging his innovative Ideas At Work with your organization.
Or, email him at bob@ideaman.net
 
Ideas At Work!
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