This photo may seem unusual, but it will make sense as you read the article.

Has someone ever offered a suggestion that you ‘blew off’ thinking the idea was ridiculous or impossible and then later wished you had taken the time to listen?  Here’s a way be ready for those times when ideas come to you early.

In last week’s blog I recommended to keep asking a question and harvesting all possible answers especially after the first good ideas come to mind.  This practice seems counter intuitive because our brains are designed to seek answers and ACT; not keep seeking, which would have meant certain death in our evolution.

Today we have the luxury to seek creative solutions:  Those that come from an imagined future, not from the past, and a system is needed to harvest the answers.

Using a system to harvest breakthrough solutions will alter the course of your life. Click To Tweet

I use this system daily to reveal hidden ideas.  Several years ago our family wanted to purchase a golf course membership but the bank account told us we didn’t have the money.  The process in action went like this.

Initial Question:  What are 20 possible ways to get the golf course membership?

Answers 1-6 were logical and quick:

…make more money

…cut expenses

…take side jobs

…win the lottery

…sell the cars

…sell the furniture

We kept going.  Answers 7-11 got more creative

…Borrow from parents

…borrow from in-laws

…borrow from others

…cash in retirement

…ask the boss for a bonus

Now for the fun.  Answers beyond 12 got ridiculous.  Remember, this is brain storming not an action plan.  Not surprising, the solution was in this list.

…take massive cash advances on credit cards

…take our savings and win BIG in Vegas

…sell the house

…sell drugs

…rob a bank

…win the lottery

…sell body parts

…it is gifted to us

…find a suitcase full of money

… maybe you are thinking of #21 for yourself.

Here’s what happened.  None of the solutions seemed possible or desirable at first.  But a few days after completing the list, my banker suggested refinancing the house which we had just purchased.  That felt crazy!  Who would possibly refinance a house 3 months after the purchase?

What I didn’t know was that lending laws had relaxed and prices in our area had been skyrocketing.  I didn’t know there was enough equity in the house to refinance.  It felt exactly like “robbing a bank” when we finalized the papers and walked away with the exact amount needed to purchase the membership.

Refinancing felt like robbing a bank to me.

When you feel an experience in advance you prepare yourself to act when the solution arrives Click To Tweet

The solution will seem familiar, not dangerous, as when it first went on the list.  You will be open to the possibility and breakthrough results are often the outcome.

Without it on my list of possibilities, I may have ‘blown off’ the suggestion to refinance; never capturing years of golfing enjoyment.

Please comment below about what creative solutions you are seeking today?  What breakthrough system do you use?