How to Brainstorm Widely

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There is this idea that once you were thinking of one idea, your brain. because there's so many overlapped concepts stored in your neurons, it actually suppresses the nearby ideas. So we did a study on narrow framing. We had people write down a big life decision they were going to make and generate possible options for what they could do. In fact, in that second group that we forced them to generate at least one more option, about 20% of them said that was the option they were going To take.

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What are "forward-chaining" and "backward-chaining", and how do they connect with theory of change? What sorts of mental habits and heuristics prevent you from brainstorming ideas effectively? How can you harness feedback effectively to sharpen your ideas? From whom should you solicit feedback? How can you view your own products with fresh eyes? What are some common struggles people encounter when starting or changing careers, and how can they be overcome? Why are small experiments so under-used? How can we construct a sustainable work life? What are the best ways to rest and recover from overwork and burnout?

Lynette Bye is a productivity coach who works with effective altruists. Before that, she studied the psychology of self-control at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. You can find out more and read her blog at lynettebye.com.

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