Want to brainstorm ideas but not sure where to start?
Unlocking the answers to your burning questions doesn’t need to be as frustrating as sitting and thinking for long periods of time. The prompts outlined below should help you get unstuck. They’ll be categorized by topic.
Life goals
List the top 5 people you admire and why.
What is something I have been putting off that needs my attention?
List your top 5 happiest moments and what made them special.
If I had these three things, my life would be better.
What does your ideal day look like?
When you’re spacing out/losing track of time, what are you doing?
What/Who is the most important relationship in your life and why?
When do you feel the most loved?
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
If you won ten million dollars today, what would you do with it?
Ask a friend to tell you 3 things that make you unique. (or, answer this yourself)
Write a letter to your future self.
If you feel lost, write about what frustrates you the most.
What’s stopping me from achieving my dreams?
Where do I see myself in 1, 5 and 10 years?
What are my top 5 priorities right now?
What do I want to be my priority right now? (something that isn’t currently one)
If I was more confident what would I do that I feel as though I can’t right now?
What habit can I do for 5 minutes everyday that will get me closer to my goals?
What 5 words describe the person I want to be? And which words describe who I am right now?
What is your biggest accomplishment?
Who is your favorite character from a movie, show or book? Why?
Remember a time where you felt relaxed and describe how you got there.
What is something you want to be remembered for?
Business ideas
Who are top 5 the business owners I admire the most? Why?
Hobbies/Fun
What activity did you have the most fun doing as a child?
What are some things you do at home that relax you?
If you could join any sports team, which sport would it be for?
What are your favorite dishes to cook?
What’s your favorite activity to do with friends?
What’s your favorite TV show and movie?
What’s your favorite book?
If you could make anything from scratch, what would it be?
Career/Studies
Who or what do you work hard for?
What drains my energy? What gives me energy?
What do I feel is lacking in my life right now?
List 5 realistic goals you have and 5 unrealistic goals you have. Brainstorm how you can make a halfway point between the “realistic” and “unrealistic” ones.
What are 3 things that someone could do for you to make you less stressed? Think of how you can do these for yourself.
If you could do anything and have all the money in the world, what would it be?
If you could study anything you want (without considering income) what would it be?
Who is my favorite teacher/professor? What made them special?
Do you like working outdoors? What kind of outdoor work do you like?
Bonus exercises
Idea Generator
Take a random topic like, “movies” or “cars” and create 10 ideas around them.
It doesn’t matter if these ideas are good or even make sense. Just come up with 10 new ideas in a vague topic to get your brain thinking about possibilities.
Try to this once a day for a week and see if your problem solving abilities improve.
Story Teller
Make a dictionary story. Pick a random word from the dictionary and use the word, the word above it, and the word below it to create a story.
Limit yourself to a paragraph or so in order to be time efficient. Continue this as many times as you want.
Visual Ideas
Sit at your desk or go outside and draw what you see. If you don’t like drawing you can write about what you see. When you read or look back at your observations, see what you focused on the most. That can give you insight to what’s been weighing on your mind depending on what the scenery is.