How the brain suppresses our ideas and how to prevent it

Feeling incomplete

The most important thing that keeps us from immediately putting our idea into practice is the feeling that something else is missing. It is not entirely clear how to implement this idea, or we need some examples.

A former editor of mine called this “glimpses,” the spark of an idea when you feel like you're on the cusp of something important. Sometimes you need time to form a full-fledged idea out of this glimpse, and sometimes you need to combine several similar glimpses into one idea.

The main thing is that glimpses like these need your help. At the stage of their development, ideas seem so helpless and incomplete that it can be quite difficult for us to convey them to other people. What if your idea is misunderstood or completely hopeless?

How to fix it:it may seem paradoxical, but such a rudimentary state of the idea is just the most suitable. Now is the time to test your idea. For example, write a post about her on social media. And if there is criticism, then this is not scary, on the contrary, it will help you find weak points or let go of this idea, if you feel that it is hopeless, and turn in a different direction.

Because it's so hard

Although I have been writing for most of my life, it has never come easily to me. Sometimes the necessary words seem to be found by themselves, but more often the necessary thoughts have to be literally forced out.

Sometimes I don't want this fight at all. Sometimes I just want to lie there and watch the show.

I hate writing. I love it when everything is already written.

How to deal with this:the best solution is to just start. It doesn't matter where, it doesn't matter where, the main thing is just start. After I write down the headline, some kind of outline, or even just the first phrase, the process becomes easier. You can also do this: set yourself a goal - devote 20 minutes exclusively to the text and nothing else. As a rule, this concentration plays into your hands, and the creative process will begin to flow much faster.

Because we spend too much time on other people's ideas

I've always loved reading. And now I continue to read a lot, the e-book helps me with this. I also read Twitter, RSS feeds and print newspapers.

When I read good material, it makes me happy.

But if I am careless, the resulting material can shackle me: it will seem to me that all the ideas have been known for a long time, and all the good things that could be written have already been written. It's like impostor syndrome.

How to deal with this:we should always read and become familiar with the outstanding work of others. But we also have to create our own, even if sometimes even on the basis of what was created by someone else. Each of us should be responsible and should try to find the optimal balance between our own and others' creativity. Let it inspire you, not make you feel mediocre. In the end, everything is a remix.

Because we're too busy doing other things

Right now, as I type this phrase, I realize what a pitiful excuse this really is. Undoubtedly, like any other person, you have a lot of things to do at work and at home. But we will always find time in one way or another for an important matter for us. We can wake up early or go to bed later. We can turn off the TV and stop wasting our time.

We all have the same number of hours in a day, and it is only in our power to distribute them correctly - so that we can do things that will help us achieve our goals.

How to deal with this:I first check my to-do list and figure out when I can write. Isn't this task in the category of the lowest priority? Very often, the schedule is so tight that everyday activities and work issues literally block the creative process. I can write on weekends or in the mornings before I check my email.

If it turns out that I'm actually too busy to bring my idea to life, then it's okay if I give it to someone else. In the end, sometimes you should think not only about yourself, but also about an idea that can disappear just like that.

Because we are distracted

From the moment I decided to write this article until the moment I actually wrote it, the following happened: I took a walk with the dog, had breakfast, thought about what kind of new carpet to buy for me, checked Twitter and read two articles … And this is not some antiproductive day where my focus is at zero - this is my normal day.

We will always be distracted. This is a constant of the world in which we live.

How to deal with this: I experimented with a large number of ideas and ultimately came to the conclusion that a person needs deadlines (set by someone or set by himself), then he will be much more focused on the matter.

I'm also trying to understand the difference between productive distraction (an example is walking the dog - this action often leads to new ideas and thoughts) and involuntary distraction (constant, often very unnecessary and counterproductive monitoring of Twitter and Facebook).

Because we are afraid

Finally, we come to a big and important problem, which is often the basis for all others.

The biggest reason my ideas live only in my head and not in the outside world is because I'm afraid. I'm afraid they are not good enough. I'm afraid they are not new at all. I'm afraid they are not unique.

Oddly enough, many people find it easier to completely abandon an idea, to bury it forever, than to accept the fact that an idea may fail and not bring the desired result.

Think for a minute: if we approached every business in life with a similar attitude, we would never start anything and we would simply miss out on how much. Risk is exactly what makes our life interesting.

Fortunately, in our time, it is not necessary to implement your idea exclusively on your own - you can work in a team. Teamwork is a great way to get constant feedback, get a new look at your idea, and get other people's opinions. If you don't have the opportunity to work in a team, then just try to find someone competent in the field to whom you can turn for advice.

How to deal with it: Of course, it is very difficult to deduce a ready-made algorithm, but I am trying, and this post is one of those attempts. Here are the rules I have managed to derive so far:

Do not occupy any one creative niche, be creative in general. My house now, for example, is littered with scribbled sheets of paper, although I do not draw well. But it normal. Make it a goal to spend as much time as possible on your creativity, even if things don't go the way you want them right away.
Share your creativity with others. I would never have clicked the Publish button before. And now you are reading this post. Show your creativity to people, start by asking family members to rate your work, and then things will go a lot easier.
Have time for pure thought. When your head is free from business and worries. These are the moments when the best ideas come to us. Walk the dog, ride your bike, just wander alone.
Allow yourself to ask others for help. There is nothing to be ashamed about, but I, like most people, took a long time to come to this. When you are open to others, you constantly receive feedback and can improve your skills.

Of course, the comfort zone is a wonderful place, but if you really want to create something exciting, you need to get out of this zone more often.