Thinkertoys

The first exercise is to write and maintain a self-affirmation list. Record all the things you like about yourself—your positive qualities, characteristics, and traits. Include the successes you have had in every area of your life: work, home, school, and so on. Keep adding to this list as you think of more things and as you accomplish more. Acknowledging yourself, your abilities, and your own unique qualities will encourage you to get moving.

Give your mind a workout every day. Set yourself an idea quota for a challenge you are working on, such as five new ideas every day for a week. You’ll find the first five are the hardest, but these will quickly trigger other ideas. The more ideas you come up with, the greater your chances of coming up with a winner. Having a quota will force you to actively generate ideas and alternatives rather than waiting for them to occur to you. You will make an effort to fill the quota even if the ideas you come up with seem ridiculous or far-fetched.

An idea can be found anywhere. Maybe it’s up in the hills, under the leaves, or hiding in a ditch somewhere. Maybe it will never be found. But what you find by paying attention, whatever you find, will always lead to something.

Select a photograph or picture that gives you pleasure, the more detailed the better. Get comfortable and relax. Set a timer or alarm for ten minutes. Look at the photograph or picture until the timer goes off, without moving a muscle. Stay focused on the image. Do not allow your mind to free-associate. Pay attention only to the image in front of you. After the timer goes off, turn away from the image and recall your experience. Review the experience visually rather than with words. Accept whatever the experience is for what it is. After your review and your experience becomes kind of a flavor, go about your everyday work, trying to recall the experience whenever you can. You’ll begin to experience tiny truths that you can find only by paying pure attention. Recall the experience frequently and recall it visually. Some think these tiny truths are the voice of God.

Deliberately program changes into your daily life. Make a list of things you do by habit. Most of the items will probably be those little things that make life comfortable but also make it unnecessary for you to think. Next, take the listed habits, one by one, and consciously try to change them for a day, a week, a month, or whatever.

Here are some ideas to pump your mind when you read:   Select carefully. Before you read a book ask: “How good an exercise for my creative mind will this provide?” Make the most of your reading time by sampling broadly and reading selectively.   Take notes. In Albert Paine’s biography of Mark Twain, Paine wrote: “On the table by him, and on his bed, and on the billiard-room shelves, he kept the books he read most. All, or nearly all, had annotations—spontaneously uttered marginal notes, title prefatories, or comments. They were the books he read again and again, and it was seldom that he had nothing to say with each fresh reading.”   Outline. Outline a book before you read it, or read the first half, stop and write an outline of the latter half. Imagine what you will find before you read the table of contents or the book. This was George Bernard Shaw’s favorite exercise; it will provide good, strenuous exercise for your imagination.   Read biographies. Biographies are treasure-houses of ideas.   Read how-to books on any subject. Exercise your mind by manipulating the ideas of others into new ideas. Read books on crafts, automobiles, carpentry, gardening, and so on. These books give you tools with which you can create unique ideas and products.   Read magazines on varied subjects. Walt Disney relied on the Reader’s Digest for many of his ideas. He was quoted as saying: “Your imagination may be creaky or timid or dwarfed or frozen at points. The Digest can serve as a gymnasium for its training.”   Read nonfiction. When reading nonfiction books, practice thinking up solutions to any problems presented in the book before the problem is solved. This was one of John F. Kennedy’s favorite exercises.   Think. Think as you read. Search for new solutions to old problems, changes in business, trends in foreign countries, technological breakthroughs, connections, and parallels between what you read and your problems.

BRAINBANKS Collect and store ideas like a pack rat. Keep a container (coffee can, shoe box, desk drawer, or file folder) of ideas and idea starters. Begin collecting interesting advertisements, quotes, designs, ideas, questions, cartoons, pictures, doodles, and words that might trigger ideas by association.

TRAVEL JUNKIE Be a travel junkie. Whenever you’re feeling stale and bored, go to a store, trade show, exhibition, library, museum, flea market, craft show, old folks’ home, toy shop, or high school. Pick up something at random and create connections and relationships in your mind with the object and your problem. Wander around with an open mind and wait for something to catch your attention. It will. Your mind is like vegetation. It flourishes in one soil or climate and droops in another.

If you think it, write it.

To illustrate this, take a few minutes to think about possible uses for the lubricant WD-40. You probably came up with some ideas, but you almost certainly had a little trouble focusing, you probably censored some thoughts, and came up with only the most obvious uses. Actually listing possible uses for WD-40 will help you to feel more focused and interested, and to come up with a greater number of ideas. Giving yourself a time limit will make you even more productive. But fluency is not enough—you must also be flexible.

Maintain an idea log. Each section could be devoted to separate aspects of your business and personal life. Sections could include: marketing, product, selling, corporate, personal, services, special projects, and new business possibilities. There are many organizers and personal planners on the market these days, but it’s much more fun, creative, and useful to design your own. Experiment with different methods of capturing ideas before you decide which is best for you.

Anyone can learn how to pay attention. As a focusing exercise, select a color at random and spend an entire day looking for items that are that color or contain it. For instance, if you choose red you will discover an incredible number of red objects: cars, books, clothes, houses, fire trucks, chimneys, shoes, hats, paintings, and so on. Familiar objects will become new again, reds will become richer, and you will find that your perspective toward “red” has been dramatically changed. By tuning in “red” and tuning out other colors, you allowed yourself to understand the color red more deeply.

Start keeping a journal of problems that you find to be personally interesting and that would be worthwhile to resolve. The following questions may help you get started: What would you like to have or to accomplish? What business idea would you like to work on? What do you wish would happen in your job? What business relationship would you like to improve? What would you like to do better? What do you wish you had more time to do? What more would you like to get out of your job? What are your unfulfilled goals? What excites you in your work? What angers you at your work? What misunderstandings do you have at work? What have you complained about? What changes for the worse do you see in the attitudes of others? What would you like to get others to do? What changes would you like to introduce? What takes too long? What is wasted? What is too complicated? Where are the bottlenecks? In what ways are you inefficient? What wears you out? What in your job turns you off? What would you like to organize better? In what ways could you make more money at work? Following are typical business challenges: What creative suggestions can I make about new product ideas? How can I cut costs and increase production? How can we better differentiate our product from all others? What new product is needed? What extension of a current product’s market? How can I sell 20 percent more than I am at present? What new selling techniques can I create? Can I reduce the cost of our current selling techniques? How can I become indispensable to my company? How can we better handle customer complaints? How can we improve the role service plays in the sale of our products? How can our advertising better communicate about our goods and services? Is it possible to encourage everyone in our organization to actively look for ways to better differentiate our products? What procedures could we institute that would reduce unnecessary paperwork? What awards would be more meaningful to employees? How can we become more customer-oriented? Is it possible to change our corporate image? In what ways might we out-perform the competition? Which of our products can we make into silver bullets? (A silver bullet is the leading product or service in a particular industry.)

SOAP, SOUP, AND SAND The words that follow are simple, visual, and connection-rich. They are designed to be used with this Thinkertoy for solving challenges. bench envelope broom radio landlord cashier toast soup soap beer shoe egga meat cup umbrella hook door window roof lake violin candy gutter computer paint man glue water bottle neon light shaft prison bag chain torpedo ladle insect rose fly fossil butter nut twig bird sword motor monster dog field gun acid stamp beetle sun summer ice dust Bible drum fog football bridge rope pulley toe woman plow mattress sunset gate clock rash car road zoo museum painting sand menu index book ashtray lighter hip mouse poster aisle milk horse tide knot seed weed bruise toilet closet shirt pocket pipe rubber cancer plane pill ticket tool hammer circle needle rag smoke referee sky ocean pepper valve triangle thermostat tube octopus hook magnet spaghetti disco thumbtack tie sink bifocals television Jell-O eye pot wedding ring wine taxes pig hoe mouse wok gondola coconut telephone sleet toll notebook dictionary file lobby clouds volcano suitcase fish lamp library university fulcrum barbecue canister chimney rotating spit toxic waste coffee groundhog ribcage parking lot lungs speech math war brunch sailboat mirrors burdock sludge wastebasket watch flag helmet eye cactus cowboy tavern butterfly cube X-ray money magazine screwdriver VCR stereo ink ditches razor tea eyedropper actor homeless queen artist storm Indian snake fox lobster Satan balloon sauce acne crystal shrimp army beet brick prostitute catsup explosives diamond camel leaf train lunch meat liquor pilot lipstick caviar perfume gum cheese flame fruit ham highway lingerie jellybean bubble choirboy penis pet hair dye eraser bikini canyon cards button riot jacket film runway flamingo police White House lava rainforest island sunrise plastic Hindu clay gourmet roast heat limo campfire fireworks tomato tongue fracture watermelon Christmas politician quail handball AK-47 donut madman peanut dance song congress arrow honey bath igloo tub ruler nomad subway mass missing link vein truck monk dinner label laboratory sandpaper wedge sundial squirrel mustache organ molar ghetto bag lady ghost athlete herd flute rod constitution handkerchief key trophy zodiac turkey surf refrigerator dragon turtle seaweed goulash mud ostrich vine worm planet opera chameleon wart olive map coupon foam nosebleed mushroom gasoline music recess rain hockey eel rocket barge trash pyramid dome chapel thunder caterpillars jaguar firefly wasp moon moss panda stomach brush gland intestine roach exhibition holocaust ax lamb doorbell marble knot pump umpire shark onion garage rum attic fireplace deli knapsack circus ant clamp wrench bum software star crown curb fingerprint guerilla iodine jam silver microscope nail piston priest doctor salt mouth horizon griddle candle banjo anteater tent funeral gear carpet windsurfer champagne salmon underwear diaper lug nut microphone paperweight griddle rifle paperclip EKG copier desk vibrator earrings shower podium Scotch hat jet soda stoplight confession roulette spaceship judge explorer dice electrical outlet nose drain bookmark torch tomb can gold spear beans sparkplug bat lawnmower pothole bookends fly cufflinks belt tile piano skyline creek snow biology cow cowboy bandage calendar calculator cake fence toothbrush rainbow apartment wagon magnifying glass wire dock rock top cursor tire drawer sock taxi zebra elevator stairs brunch ladder bus toy hair rubber band pond dream pencil steak template compass tattoo insulation wheat legs bread paper soda insurance pennant chess stew waiter goose sandwich sneakers chair gutters zipper want ads vest crab lottery rake soldier disk necklace flashlight monument dam teacher bank China fan steering wheel silk earthquake supermarket leash teabag noodles theater mast cabin bone buffalo kite hoop archer hunter ballet shotgun dirt cream skin spoon swing skates curtain wax hose golf fortun cookie change atlas phonebook cuffs vacuum courthouse chips blindfold teeth flowers whale chocolate mantle ball bearings lock terrorist dishwasher laundry toolbox chopsticks bathrobe conscience chalk pool table jar bracelet satellite boot helicopter fishing pole rice puddle wind comic roller mat Volkswagen safari lightning sculpture board keyboard fig pole oceanfront townhouse angel drill orange tobacco myth journey child eagle costume Heaven brain minnow society examination Genesis sin shadow cells fetus hand sex fire poem blood castle psychology Grail symbol globe mow cross intersection parent blueprint forest wigwam iceberg snail jungle syrup parachute pudding parsley ape sidewalk vodka suicide maid comb picture frame jeep Rolex mailbox shampoo pendant rail megaphone skyscraper skyline hubcap carton sugar match deadbolt steam saucer remote control boxing glove noose jeans aerial crayons pipe cleaner ribbon pencil sharpener battery wheel baton orchestra suspenders brassiere tractor candlestick newspaper secretary salesman wallpaper tower kitchen magnifier garden general eyebrow chapter catalog bonnet butcher dinette bed locker professor cereal cotton brochure mime elbow medal fountain fingernail beard student thumb basket purse arch cloak jazz block screen vase basement logo torso pickle pigeon whip lint meatball tape coffin meadow cyclone lips watermelon knee swamp furnace bingo weeds paper studio patch bleach cord pliers magician faucet mason jewels lap sweater band frost girdle stove hotel nipple telescope RV grandfather clock cruise ship stage binoculars audience fur juice buffet husband bacteria spirit sauna Monopoly mold teenager handcuffs Tinkertoys chess scaffold easel flood cockroach frying pan crewcut Hell miracle palm tree choir frankfurter trivia crust oasis stream hostage dandruff rib popovers dope frog pilot milkshake wheelbarrow level aunt pimple pizzeria balcony Communist hedge thesaurus workshop cheesecake gang shelf celebrity rectum leather snowflake salad senator bomb airport cornmeal cornstalks manure cur trumpet cone temperature sauna howitzer rally merchant box willow stick canteen gourd polyester Stetson minute IRA office wand graph amplifier line bagel beef floor barn dolphin aircraft carrier submarine reef casino revolution bow kneecap borscht raincoat dawn steam engine cliff seam tumor zone office psychology Easter scar dancer hero fear hamburger welfare Vaseline media laughter principal script contract forecast grid herring warrior occult putter bush tugboat bonds glove compartment wig deodorizer news display interest leopard team staple hearing aid expressway breeze postcard beets photograph scalp cremation network scripture anchor cauliflower pack rat cult dime robotics engineer tar maple classroom Pope statistician bomber textbook border sagebrush aluminum shutter safety pin cargo lemon garter mustard seed symbol logo United Nations grammar fertilizer feast cigar ornament disease poppy horseradish group strip spinach dividend hospital tank sonar sardine binding scab detective England dumpling prune poker gravy mulch poetry nude trial traveler fraction sausage headhunter matchsticks fat rabbit duck words cartridge dwarf mat shuttle DC-10 bulletin plum check checkers FAA wildfires bluebells vinyl brakes cavity pornography landfill wages vacation dial CIA mosquito cherry rattlesnake saxophone auditorium timer dill cork condom microwave rhinoceros marshmallow scarecrow beam scallop pumpkin plumber lizard lounge official eggshell Peace Corps fugitive gully Hawaii lantern sulfur alligator cobra cattails giraffe ranch vampire emerald confederacy cradle alphabet lettuce reindeer paintbrush dynamite beam supertanker Astrodome cheetah Olympics trout scissors dune forehead Jerusalem muffler résumé chuckhole jellyfish liver shield fuel Japan lacrosse parakeet hock excrement vines