When my ideas stop coming

Once I got in the habit of not killing ideas, I found that I get a lot more of them. But sometimes they seem to dry up, and I can't get a good one no matter how hard I try.

Here are some strategies I use to combat this.

Read
Books give you access to some of the world's best "idea havers." And with my local library, I get access to all those expert ideas for free. Don't forget about books on tape, too - I always feel especially efficient when I listen to a book while driving or working out.

When I'm reading, I'm constantly asking myself how the author's ideas apply to me. I don't always come up with a good answer or something that will work, but it's a good exercise that's given me a start to some of my favorite ideas.

Another thing I do when reading is to jot down ideas I like, even if I don't have a use for them right then. I put them in my Idea Collection.

Two of my current favorites are Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath and Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin.

Work on something else
Sometimes when I'm out of ideas, the harder I try, the fewer ideas I get. So I focus my attention on a different project. Not concentrating on the problem issue seems to remove the blockage from my idea pipes.

Help someone else wih a problem
When I'm stuck, a lot of times I will go ask someone else if they have an issue I can help them work through. It's the same principle as above, but has the added benefit of helping to build stronger relationships. Not only does that person get help with their problem, but he or she feels good about helping me out, and often I'll get a lot of inspiration from our session.

Play
I have two young children, which means we have a lot of toys in the house. Unintentionally, I've found that playing with toys takes my thoughts in directions they wouldn't have gone before. I feel a little silly admitting it, but sometimes I play with the kids' toys when they're not even around (don't tell them).

Sleep on it
There are times when it just helps me to forget it all, lay down in my favorite PJs, and start fresh in the morning.