One Surefire Strategy to Escape Boredom

The Lotus Flower

To escape boredom, try this brainstorming technique. I picked it up from the book ThinkerToys – which is a super helpful book on methods of thinking outside-the-box. This is also known as “mind-mapping” in some places.

1. Start with a circle in the center of the page and label it. For the sake of this post I’ll label mine, “Activities”
   
2. Draw several long lines coming off that circle – I like to do at least one in each direction around the circle. Label your circles in this step according to headings. I’ve made 6, but you can do more or less:

1. 1. Physical
   2. Social
   3. Intellectual
   4. Recreational
   5. Spiritual
   6. Chores

3. Draw lines off those circles, and create another set of circles
   a. List your ideas in levels of circles, the first level is the first set of circles. Continue your brainstorming in subsets. (Ex. Under intellectual, I put “read a book” “start a blog,” “learn a new hobby”)
   
4. Around the remaining circles, fill those ideas in the flowering circles to add more subsets of ideas

Then you have a page or spread full of ideas of ways you can fill your time. Now, go forth and create!