worries about "but what would people think?" and "is it sensible?" and let yourself dream. You'll be amazed what you come up with. Get Proto-Ideas Out of Your Head and Onto Paper Ideas often come to us half-formed. You might have a vague concept in your head -- perhaps you're thinking that you'd like to travel for an extended period of time, for instance -- but there's no real detail there. Instead of trying to mull over the idea in your head until it becomes something, get it out onto paper. Write (or draw) what you're thinking, and add in all the new possibilities that start coming to you. A mindmap is often a good format for this, so that you don't feel constrained by working linearly. Don't Judge Your Ideas Ever had an idea which you immediately dismissed? You probably told yourself "That's stupid," or "It's been done before." When you're generating ideas and thinking through possibilities, you'll inevitably come up with a few false starts. Some ideas will be unoriginal, undesirable or unworkable. But that's not a bad thing. One idea often leads to a whole train of thought -- and you might end up with a really good idea from something which seemed, at first glance, unpromising. Talk to Other Like-Minded People Although I'm a bit of an introvert -- I like to spend a fair amount of time on my own -- I also get a great buzz from being with like-minded people and discussing ideas