Boost Your Creativity with an Innovation File

If you want to harness the power of your inner creativity to do great things in your business, start an innovation file. An innovation file is a list of ideas that you can draw on anytime you need one. Think of it as your “back burner.”

One of my clients refers to it as an “Innovation Parking Lot” — a place where they collect innovative ideas for future inspiration.

Your innovation file can be a physical file with ideas written on pieces of paper, sticky notes or napkins. Or, you can keep an electronic file on your computer or smartphone. The best system to use is the one that’s most comfortable to you — the system that you will consistently use to record all of your great ideas.

Why You Should Keep an Innovation File

The main reason to have an innovation file is that it provides ideas when you need them. But there are other benefits as well. An innovation file helps you organize your creative thoughts. With several ideas written down and ready to go, you can choose the idea you feel most inspired to run with at the moment.

An innovation file also allows you to capture new ideas whenever inspiration hits. You can jot down the idea no matter where you are (try using a scrap of paper or a note application on your smartphone) and add the idea to your innovation file when you can get to your computer.

Although many people keep the innovation file on a computer, you should be open to ideas everywhere you go. I recommend keeping a small notebook and pen in your car (and next to your bed) so you can easily jot down your ideas. There’s even a product, called AquaNotes, that allows you to take notes in the shower! Watch for the places that you get your best ideas and make sure you have a way to record your ideas at those places.

Getting Your Innovations Recorded

There are a variety of approaches to writing down your ideas. You may write a few words or you can describe the idea more fully. If you write down just a few words, there’s a chance you’ll forget the details of the idea by the time you add it to your file. So, record as much detail as necessary to remember the key points of the innovative idea.

A rule of thumb for capturing ideas most effectively is that the first thought is the best thought. Write down whatever pops into your mind as quickly as possible. If an image, word or other outside stimulus inspired the idea, you may want to jot that down as well. For example, if the innovation is a solution to a problem, record the details of the problem you were facing (or imagining) when the idea popped into your head.

Streamlining Your Idea File

There is no single method of keeping an idea file that works for everyone. Start with the basics as outlined above and make changes to fit your needs. You will find ways to modify the innovation file as you continue to use this technique.

Action Step: Get started today by selecting at least one tool or technique for easily recording your innovative ideas.

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