The Re-Imagine Your Idea IQ Matrix explores the brainstorming and creative thinking stages of the problem-solving process. This is the third of a five-part series of mind maps that explore the creative problem-solving process. Having previously clearly defined your problem within the first step, and having investigated the intricacies of your problem within the second step, it’s now time to gather the insights you have collected and use them to generate some possible solutions to the problem at hand. That is, in essence, the purpose of this step.
Solving your problem will, of course, involve generating a wide variety of ideas. It’s kind of a hit-and-miss process where you’re encouraged to come up with some wild, crazy, and wacky ideas using brainstorming and creative thinking techniques.
Specifically, the mind map outlines how to generate new ideas. It provides you with guidelines for more effective brainstorming. It shows you how to come up with creative ideas using a series of questions. These questions lay out a blueprint for finding potential solutions to a problem. The map also highlights the value of incubating your ideas and how incubation can lead to breakthroughs in problem-solving.
Here is a quick breakdown of each branch of the Re-Imagine Your Idea mind map.
- The Purpose: The first branch of this map briefly outlines the purpose of this specific stage of the problem-solving process.
- Generate Ideas: When it comes to generating new and creative ideas, it’s important to follow certain and specific guidelines that will help you think more effectively about the problem you are working through. This second branch explores exactly how to do this.
- Brainstorm: Brainstorming is somewhat of an art-form. If you do it correctly, you can generate many potential solutions to the problem at hand. This branch of the map provides guidelines for running an effective brainstorming session.
- Re-Imagine Idea: Once you have generated a wide array of new ideas and potential solutions to your problem, you must now re-imagine these ideas in a variety of creative ways. The questions presented within this branch of the map provide you with a comprehensive blueprint for putting a creative spin on the potential solutions you came up with during your brainstorming session.
- Incubate Idea: Having now generated many possible solutions and creative ideas for solving your problem, now comes time to switch off and incubate these ideas. It is through the process of incubation that good ideas grow into incredible breakthroughs to help you solve your problem.
This map provides a roadmap and framework for generating creative ideas for solving your problem. Referencing it regularly and committing it to memory will help you to embed these concepts and ideas into your subconscious mind.
A mind map, of course, does this beautifully because it mirrors the synaptic connections made in your brain as you try to establish new habits of thought and behavior. It brings together key concepts and ideas that help your brain to fully integrate and process this information. The brain, subsequently, rewires itself as it attempts to establish new habits of mind. It’s an ideal tool for creating lasting change and transformation.
tick with these principles, memorize and incorporate them into your life, and you will progressively develop the necessary habits-of-mind for generating creative solutions to your problems.
Below you will find links to all five problem-solving mind maps. Together they will provide you with a comprehensive outline of the creative problem-solving process.
- Define Problem
- Investigate Problem
- Re-Imagine Idea
- Engineer Plan of Action
- Execute and Master
- BONUS: Solving Life’s Problems provides a solid introduction to the process and the mindset required to help you solve your life’s problems most effectively.
When you purchase the Re-Imagine Idea IQ Matrix you will receive:
- A PDF copy of the IQ Matrix, which you can use for printing in high resolution.
- A JPG image file of the IQ Matrix, which is ideal for viewing on tablets and mobile devices.
- A Desktop Background version of the map you can use for reference on your computer.
- A MindManager file for those who wish to edit the content of the IQ Matrix.
- A printable PDF summary of this IQ Matrix to help you better understand each concept.
Additional visual resources and variations of this IQ Matrix might be added to your account page at no extra cost in the future.
