The Secret to Being A Superhero: Create 200 Ideas NOW! – DataDrivenInvestor

The secret to being a superhero is to create hundreds of generative ideas. You will give your brain several challenges and puzzles every day. Your goal will be to create at least 20 ideas every day, so that you can practice your creative muscles on a daily basis.

In this article, you receive 10 different prompts so that you can create 200 ideas in total. For each prompt, I will provide my own list of ideas as well, so that you will be inspired to create your own list of ideas instantly. Are you ready? Let us start.

Your goal in this prompt is to come up with 20 different ideas to improve your health and well-being. Try to come up with specific tiny actions you can implement right away, rather than big and broad goals.

Make your list specific and applicable. Do not just write ‘Drink more water.’ Instead, specify how you will do this. Will you carry a water bottle with you at all times, for example?

Here is how I did this exercise — feel free to borrow ideas from this list:

• Walk for at least 30 minutes every day. Go out for a walk in my neighborhood or in nature (alongside the river).
• Get enough sleep every day. Make sure I sleep at least 7 hours a day. Take a nap during the day if I find the opportunity.
• Eat a lot of vegetables every day. Make colorful and delicious salads with lots of greens, berries, carrots, tomatoes, lemon, and olive oil.
• Keep a large water bottle with me at all times. Put ice and strawberries in the water, so that I will enjoy their taste.
• Cook my own meals instead of eating out and buying junk food. Make sure to eat a lot of vegetables, fish, fruits, olive oil, and nuts.
• Reduce my sugar intake. Do not consume more than 10 grams of sugar each day. I can do this by preferring dark chocolate and avoiding sugary drinks and snacks. Processed foods, sweeteners, Coke, and ‘healthy’ snack bars are the worst — avoid them at all costs.
• Limit my screen time. I can do this by using a timer or alert which prompts me to get up and walk every 20 minutes. I need to remember to switch off and rest my eyes. I need to reduce my time on social media and avoid binge-scrolling TikTok.
• Increase my metabolism every day. Consider stretching, exercising, getting outdoors, and taking cold showers.
• Spend time with my notebook (reflecting, doodling, solving problems, creating ideas, writing, creating assets, etc.)
• Remember to take slow and deep breaths to relax my body and mind. Meditate, de-stress, and do activities that relax my body.
• Check my posture and straighten up my chest. Remember to stretch to reduce my strain and stress.
• Engage in hobbies to wind down (reading books, doodling, watching movies, etc.)
• Spend more time with my beloved ones and friends. Catch up with them, talk to them, do activities, and spend high-quality time with them.
• Listen to music I love, including K-pop, arabesque, Turkish music, and dramatic tunes.
• Reduce my time following news and social media, and avoid toxicity (negative people, news, stress factors, etc.)
• Learning fresh things and new topics that excite me.
• Focusing on my writing goals and achieving momentum in my asset creation activities.
• Taking small actions to maximize my productivity and creativity.
• Scare myself through small adventures, exploring new things, engaging in challenges, etc.
• Eating less and moving more, increasing exercise and walking, etc.

Your goal in this prompt is to come up with 20 different ideas to increase fun, play, and joy in your life. Try to come up with clear actions you can implement right away, rather than big and broad goals.

Make your list specific and applicable. Do not just write ‘Watch movies’. Instead, specify a few titles of the movies you will be watching.

Below is how I did this exercise:

• Designing inspiring learning experiences for my students and experimenting with innovative methods in my teaching.
• Creating several engaging and fun YouTube videos every week.
• Write a fresh and insightful Medium article every day or every two days. Choose topics that excite me.
• Create new digital products on GumRoad (one product every ten days or so).
• Keep writing and creating e-books that will inspire individuals in their creative journeys.
• Create an innovative portfolio of useful exercises that will change students’ lives for the better.
• Create short online courses and workshops that will inspire students from all walks of life.
• Engage in executive training and speaking arrangements in different parts of the world (travel, meet new people, see new places, inspire people, etc.)
• Travel to exciting locations, such as historical towns of Europe and Asia (explore local food, architecture, culture, arts, and nature).
• Learning new stuff that excites me. Sample list here.
• Engage in 43 birthday challenges over the course of this year.
• Engage in improv, fun, comedy, dance, K-pop, TikTok, and other entertaining activities that will make me happy (and increase my metabolism).
• Spend time doodling and notebook-keeping every day.
• Go on micro-entrepreneurial journeys, invent new things, and create exciting products.
• Play and laugh more. Do things and hobbies that do not go anywhere.
• Read and watch more science fiction. Use my imagination more often (practice storytelling, screenwriting, and worldbuilding, and try out creative writing challenges, etc.)
• Keep creating new ideas on things that I am curious about. Some ideas and titles are here.
• Practice multiple forms and formats of art. Some ideas here.
• Design surprises, hackathons, challenges, and adventures in my life (exploring, learning, being open, being flexible, embracing the X factor).
• Creating new ideas, writing, videos, doodles, stories, and assets that excite me.

Your goal in this prompt is to come up with 20 different ideas to create value, capture value, and sell. Make a list of all the things you can sell. Unused items? Old books in your house? Digital products? Consultancy? Your expertise? Your time/services?

Your brain works much better when you give it a specific challenge or puzzle to solve. So, this is your puzzle: Think of 20 things you can sell.

Consider as many options as you can: Teaching, online work options, entrepreneurial pursuits, Airbnb, Uber, Patreon, etc.

Here is how I did this exercise — feel free to borrow ideas from this list:

• I have many old books that I have read. I can sell these online.
• I have many DVDs that I no longer watch — I can also sell these online.
• I have unused items and furniture in the house — I also need to sell these.
• I want to create a portfolio of at least 50 digital products on GumRoad.
• I want to create at least 5 books and start selling them on Amazon, Gumroad, and Etsy.
• I want to create an innovative portfolio of online courses and workshops that will reach students from all walks of life.
• I would like to engage in executive training and speaking arrangements in different parts of the world (and online) to create a premium income stream for the long term.
• I will rent an extra room in my house through Airbnb.
• I will buy some crypto-currencies and NFTs (including investments in the Metaverse, Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.) in order to sell them later.
• I want to buy a portfolio of stock investments for investment purposes (to sell them later on).
• I want to create and sell exciting stationery products based on my passions and curiosities.
• I might start consulting services to make money. I need to work on topics that I care about and know about.
• I can do online career coaching for young people and professionals.
• I will practice online writing to make money in the long term.
• I would like to be involved in strategic teaching activities and projects to make money and create innovation.
• I will create and grow my YouTube channel to build my audience and monetize it for the long term.
• I want to find new ways of selling my doodles and artwork on Etsy (perhaps turning them into T-shirts, posters, mugs, and other products).
• I want to mint NFTs for my doodle artwork (create exhibitions, digital products, pictures, artwork, etc.)
• I want to make money as a content creator and grow my portfolio of assets over the long term.
• I want to learn more about building multiple streams of income and implement some of the strategies followed by Ali Abdaal who has built 9 different streams of income by the age of 23.

Your goal in this prompt is to come up with 20 different ideas to increase your weekly income. You will try to make £200 every week over the course of the next 20 weeks. Try to come up with clear actions you can implement right away, rather than big and broad goals.

For example, here is how I did this exercise:

• I will rent out a room in my house for a week.
• I will act as an external examiner for another university and write an annual report for them.
• I will be writing on Medium to grow my library of assets.
• I will be working on my YouTube channel to monetize it.
• I will be working as a career coach and helping individuals in their careers.
• I will be creating and selling new digital products on GumRoad.
• I will be creating multiple e-books that will inspire individuals in their creative journeys.
• I will be creating doodle guides, toolkits, and exercises to inspire individuals toward creativity.
• I will be creating and selling short online courses as well as workshops that will inspire students from all walks of life (topics: creativity, asset creation, and preparing for the future).
• I will be involved in teaching courses in London and in Cambridge.
• I will be creating micro-entrepreneurial journeys, and I will invent and sell exciting stationery products.
• I will be creating stories and creative writing exercises to help individuals practice their creativity.
• I will be renting out our car park space to earn extra money.
• I will be practicing with online teaching opportunities.
• I will be creating and selling creative products on Etsy (products with doodle designs and artwork).
• I will be practicing crowdfunding (on Patreon or Kofi) and building my audience for the long term.
• I will try to find ways of making money as an academic. I will be working as an author, editor, consultant, and reviewer.
• I will deliver training programs in international contexts and institutions.
• I will practice executive teaching at UEA and other various institutions.
• I will apply for funding opportunities for research, teaching, and entrepreneurship.

Your goal in this prompt is to come up with 20 different ideas and titles for 20 articles you will write for Medium. Which topics are you passionate about or interested in? Make a list of all potential topics you want to explore and write about. Create potential titles for these articles.

Here is how I did this exercise — please see various titles:

• Why Investing In Yourself Is Your Biggest Investment and How To Do It Right Now
• Which Companies Will Survive and Thrive In the Metaverse?
• How to Develop Your Creativity in 12 Minutes: A Collection of 12 Fascinating Exercises
• How to Deal With Inspiration Overload and Dopamine Burnout
• Notebook Magic: The Art of Keeping Notebooks That Inspire You
• 52 Weeks of Creation: How to Create Your Assets in a Year
• How to Prepare Yourself for 2030: A Masterclass
• How to Tap Into The Power of Your Subconscious
• Why You Need To Be a Solopreneur Now: How to Jump into the YOLO Economy
• The $1 Manifesto: A Good Life Starts with Small Steps
• How to Be A Prolific Medium Writer: Insights From My Experience of 520+ Articles
• The Magic Notebook: How Notebooks Transform Your Life and Help You Achieve 10x
• I Did 2000 Experiments Since The Pandemic: 5 Key Exercises That Helped Me Unleash My Creativity
• 7 Micro Habits That Will 10x Your Productivity and Creativity
• Here is What You Do If You Are Miserable in Your Job
• How To Become An Inspirational Teacher: A Masterclass
• Brainstorming about Titles: How to Write a Compelling Title
• This is The Mindset You Need to Write Every Day on Medium
• How To Be A Polymath: 12 Action Points
• My Grandmother Died at 99: Here is What I Learned From Her
• How To Deal With Your Inner Bully
• Academics Can Party: 7 Insights to Incorporate Fun into Your Academic Job
• Designing Wonderful Learning Experiences for Our Students
• If You Want to Blow Your Mind, Read These 43 Thought-Provoking and Life-Changing Non-fiction Books
• Academics Can Be Creative and Make Money: How I Started My Five Side Hustles
• How to Design Courses That Excite Students and Raise Their Goosebumps

Your goal in this prompt is to come up with 20 different videos you will create in the next several weeks. Try to come up with clear video titles you can implement right away, rather than listing potential topics broadly.

For example, here is how I did this exercise — see some potential video titles or ideas:

• 10 Ways to Be More Creative in Your Life One Day at a Time
• How To Design Inspiring Learning Experiences for Students
• How To Create Your Medium Portfolio: My Journey
• Lessons From My Asset Creation Journeys
• How to Create Digital Products on GumRoad
• Learn How to Doodle: An Instant Workshop
• How to Start Micro-entrepreneurship Journeys in Your Life
• 10 Fun and Easy Exercises to Unleash Your Creativity
• Notebook Tour SeA Journey into My Doodle Notebooks
• 7 Creative Writing Challenges: Practice Storytelling and Worldbuilding
• How To Create Your Own Renaissance in 7 Years
• Why You Need to Be Open to X Factor in Your Life
• 7 Micro Habits That Will 10x Your Productivity and Creativity
• How to Prepare Yourself for 2030: A Masterclass
• Why You Need to Create Your Assets Now and How To Do It
• 10 Paper-based Creativity Challenges You Can Do in An Hour
• How and Why I Transformed Myself After 40
• 7 Mental Models That Will Increase the Quality of Your Life in the Long Term
• Mini Creativity Games You Can Do in 10 Minutes
• Asset Creation Hackathon (Live)

Your goal in this prompt is to come up with 20 different career projects that will accelerate you and provide you with momentum, flow, and joy. What are some of the projects that will excite you the most? Make a list of all potential career projects you want to create. Create exciting titles for these projects.

Here is how I did this exercise — see my project ideas below:

• I would like to get back to my research career by publishing cutting-edge articles in my discipline. Here is the working paper that excites me the most: “Facing and Tackling the Fear of Not Keeping up (FONKU):
  A Leadership Challenge for the Digital Era”
• My YouTube channel excites me and gives me joy. I have created more than 800 videos since the pandemic. I hope to continue this career in the long term. My quote on the banner of my YouTube channel: “The most valuable asset is your boundless imagination.”
• I have recently become a TikToker to understand speed, virality, global trends, and the Zeitgeist. I hope to create short teaching videos for TikTok and use them for learning and improvisation. #puzzleoftheday #learningonTikTok
• I am excited by my Medium journey. I have already created 520 articles since the pandemic. I want to sustain my career as an online writer and blogger. I have more than 700 drafts in my drafts folder, and I hope to complete some of these. My goal is to reach 1000 articles and 7K followers on Medium by the end of 2024. I will publish an article titled “How I Created 1000 Articles on Medium Alongside A Full-Time Job” by December 2024.
• I want to create a training program and a book on The Cube Experience. I have created a workshop on Eventbrite. I will write a book next. The title of the book will be: “The Cube: Find Your Strengths, Unleash Your Creativity, and Create Your Assets”.
• I am working on a series of creativity exercises. I would like to turn these into a series of books and digital products. Some of the titles I consider are: “30 Days of Creativity: 30 Powerful Exercises That Will Inspire You”, “The Creative Gym: Practice Your Creativity 20 Minutes A Day”, and “Creative Exercise Bank: 99 Outstanding Creative Exercises”.
• I want to continue designing inspiring learning experiences for my students in the years to come. I will experiment with innovative methods and cutting-edge perspectives in my teaching. I will focus on developing practical exercises and workshops focused on creativity and asset creation. My module: “Employability, Creativity, and Personal Development”.
• I want to keep doodling every day. I will spend a minimum of 20 minutes doodling and 40 minutes of notebook-keeping every day. I will create e-books titled “The Doodle Professor: I Will Teach You How to Doodle” and “The Magic Notebook: How Notebooks Transform Your Life and Help You Achieve 10x”.
• I will create an ecosystem of e-books and digital products on GumRoad. My goal is to explore the things I love, experiment with the skills that I care about, and develop myself as a successful global writer. This goal excites me. Below are some titles I would love to write.
• “1$ Manifesto: Why Starting Small Is Beautiful”
• “Your Long-Term Game: Compound Yourself in 7 Years”
• “The Circle: Create Your Renaissance”
• “Do NOT Wait for Inspiration: How to Start NOW”
• “BLOSSOM: Enrich Your Life With the Sheer Power of Your Imagination”
• “The Treasure Chest: These 99 Doodles Will Teach You More Than 99 Books”
• I want to learn about and experiment with entertainment and show business (stand-up comedy, acting, screenwriting, creative writing, storytelling, improv, etc.)
• I want to take on the 43 birthday challenges that I designed for myself at the start of this year.
• I want to go on micro-entrepreneurial journeys. I want to create new inventions and content in the fields of work, learning, careers, creativity, content creation, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and asset creation.
• I want to achieve momentum in my micro-entrepreneurial projects (my YouTube journey, my Medium blog, doodle book, executive teaching, GumRoad digital product ecosystem, e-books, etc.). These adventures give me joy and excitement.
• I want to create multiple forms of art.

Your goal in this prompt is to come up with 20 problems you would like to address and solve. Consider how you will solve these problems. You can create value through new business ideas, products, services, solutions, models, or inventions.

For example, here is how I did this exercise:

• The first problem that I would like to address is resistance (feeling stuck). I want to help individuals unblock themselves and inspire and support them in their journeys of creativity and asset creation.
• The second problem I would like to address is the high rate of youth unemployment and the financial vulnerability of young people in today’s societies. I would like to provide coaching and support to improve the employability of young people. I want to create digital products or books on personal finance and entrepreneurship to help young individuals in this regard.
• The third problem I would like to address is how we should prepare our students for the workplaces and jobs of the future. I want to transform the future of business education and universities by becoming a champion for creativity and asset creation for young people.
• The fourth problem is the lack of high-quality education in my home country, Turkey. In particular, there is a lack of resources on creativity. I would like to provide a high-quality library of free video resources for Turkish youth interested in creativity, business, learning, and personal development. For this purpose, I have already created about 800 YouTube videos. I hope to continue creating free resources in Turkish for Turkish young people.
• The fifth problem I would like to address is the deep economic crisis in Turkey. Young and poor people are particularly vulnerable to the high inflation conditions in the country. To address this, I have created a few videos in Turkish on how to make money online. I hope to continue creating guides on similar topics.
• Sixth, I want to contribute to social innovation, youth, arts, entrepreneurship, and education projects in Turkey. My goal is to build institutional capacity, expertise, innovation, and inspirational capital in these fields over the long term.
• The seventh problem I would like to address is the rate of non-linear technological changes and acceleration, and how we are clueless in preparing for such a non-linear future. I have written an article on FONKU (fear of not keeping up) on this issue. I hope to continue thinking and writing on similar topics. I want to be a thought leader in the fields of creativity, jobs, and the future. In particular, I am curious about how individuals should reinvent themselves to adapt to the non-linear changes of the 2020s.
• Eighth, I want to address the lack of creativity in our lives. I want to inspire and empower everyone to be creative. Everyone is creative and can tap into their creativity through simple activities, such as doodling, writing, video-making, and notebook-keeping. I want to provide a large library of exercises and resources for individuals interested in practicing their creativity.
• Ninth, I would like to provide financial support and scholarships for creative young talent all over the world. Perhaps I can do this by establishing an NGO and a fund.
• Tenth, I would like to address the problem of the ivory tower of academia. Universities and academics are largely disconnected from public life, and I want to change this with a couple of projects I have on my mind (partnerships, practice projects, internships, collaborations, etc.)
• Eleventh, I would like to be a champion of developing creative and entrepreneurial capabilities for academics. I want to create workshops, blogs, and resources to support this aim.
• Twelfth, I would like to put an end to my writer’s block in the academic field. I want to conduct innovative and high-impact qualitative research on topics I am curious about.
• Thirteenth, I want to address the problem of salary dependence and financial fragility. In order to solve this issue, I want to act as a role model and work as an entrepreneur of new ideas in the fields of work, learning, careers, creativity, content creation, storytelling, micro-entrepreneurship, and asset creation.
• Fourteenth, we are lacking grand narratives to make sense of our times. I want to address this problem by understanding the Zeitgeist of our times through the lenses of technology, cinema, TV, music, social media, pop culture, comedy, fashion, science fiction, and entertainment. I want to use multidisciplinary and futurist perspectives to understand social, cultural, economic, and technological trends.
• Fifteenth, I am easily bored. I want to create exercises and suggestions to address this problem. Here is a sample article I have written on this topic.
• Sixteenth, I want to address the lack of spirit in our workplaces. I have written a lot of academic articles on this topic. However, I want to write more practitioner-oriented articles on spirituality. Two articles I have written are here and here.
• Seventeenth, I want to address the issue of lack of assets in our lives. My mission is to help individuals create their own assets for the long term. I have written several articles on this issue, and I hope to continue creating new resources and training programs on asset creation. Find sample articles here, here, and here.
• Eighteenth, I want to help people to deal with their negative voices. A sample article is here. I want to create new tools and resources for curing problems in one’s life. Many of these tools will be notebook-based and will involve reflective writing.
• Nineteenth, I want to empower individuals in coaching themselves and solving their own problems. I have written some articles about this mission and I am hoping to create more resources. Sample articles here and here.
• Twentieth, I would like to create an abundance of imagination in our lives. Towards this goal, I have written a book featuring 99 creative adventures. You can read more here.

Your goal in this prompt is to list all the threats, stress factors, fears, anxieties, and worries ahead of you. What are some of the things that worry you? What are some of the stress factors? What keeps you awake at night? Please make a list of all of them.

Here is how I did this exercise:

• I am worried about my research projects that have stalled for quite some time. I am anxious to get back to my academic writing and make progress on my working papers.
• I worry about being away from my family members, and not spending enough high quality with them.
• I worry about the marketing of my books. I do not have much time and energy to deal with the marketing of my books or digital products. I worry that they will not sell.
• I am worried about the state of the world and the rise of populist movements around the world. How can we maintain world peace?
• I am anxious about future generations and climate change. I fervently support Extinction Rebellion in its mission.
• I am worried about the risks of soaring prices and economic crises worldwide (energy and food crises, rising inflation, rising unemployment, etc.).
• I am anxious about not reaching my full potential.
• I fear that I will not be able to unleash my own creativity.
• I worry about my YouTube channel (in Turkish), its low viewership, and its slow growth trajectory.
• I worry about how few people follow my work and products on Gumroad.
• One of the biggest threats on the planet is the growing problem of inequality (the gap between the rich and the poor). It is a wicked problem that creates a lot of evil.
• I have the fear of not keeping up (FONKU).
• The rapid rise of artificial intelligence and the possibility of singularity. How do we understand non-linear technologies? How do we cope with technological acceleration?
• Related to the concern above, how do we prepare young people for future jobs, given that we do not know much about these jobs?
• I am worried about the high rate of youth unemployment and the financial vulnerability of young people in today’s societies.
• I worry about the lack of high-quality education and institutional capital in my home country, Turkey.
• I also worry about the deep economic crisis in Turkey. Young and poor people are particularly vulnerable to the high inflation conditions in the country.
• I worry about the problem of the ivory tower of academia. Universities and academics are largely disconnected from public life.
• I worry about the problem of my salary dependence and financial fragility (and long-term debts, including mortgage).
• I worry about the lack of spirit in our workplaces. A related article here.
• I worry about the lack of assets in our lives. I am anxious about helping individuals create their own assets for the long term.
• I worry about the negative voices in my head (here).
• I worry about my writer’s block in the academic field. I am anxious about coming back to research and conducting innovative and high-impact qualitative research on topics I am curious about.

Your goal in this prompt is to list all the opportunities ahead of you. What are some of the future possibilities or scenarios that excite you? These might be related to business, investment, career, or personal life. Please make a list of them.

Here is how I did this exercise:

• Publishing cutting-edge articles in my discipline, especially the FONKU paper (Fear of Not Keeping Up).
• Reinventing my career by following my excitements, curiosities, and passions.
• Growing my career as a content creator and growing my portfolio of assets.
• Growing and monetizing my YouTube channel (The most valuable asset is your boundless imagination.)
• Creating short teaching videos for TikTok and using them for learning and improvisation.
• Having an international career and engaging in executive training and speaking arrangements in different parts of the world (and online).
• Becoming an investor and investing in cryptocurrencies, stocks, and NFTs (including investments in the Metaverse, Bitcoin, Ethereum, tech stocks, etc.)
• Writing on Medium and growing my article portfolio. Reaching 1000 articles and 7K followers.
• Designing inspiring learning experiences for students and experimenting with innovative methods in my teaching.
• Creating a formidable digital product library on GumRoad.
• Writing new books that will inspire individuals in their creative journeys.
• Creating short online courses and workshops that will inspire students from all walks of life.
• Learning new stuff that excites me.
• Engaging in 43 birthday challenges over the course of the next 2 years.
• Growing my assets in doodling and notebook-keeping.
• Using my imagination (practice storytelling, screenwriting, and worldbuilding, and try out creative writing challenges, etc.)
• Creating new ideas on things that I am curious about.
• Practicing multiple forms of art.
• Creating a training program and a book on The Cube Experience.
• Creating a large bank of creativity exercises.

It is your turn now. Do the exercises now — it will be very rewarding for you. You can create 200 ideas in about 1.5 hours. Write down all your ideas. As a result of this exercise, you will have 200 ideas under your creative belt. As a result, you will practice generative thinking and strengthen your creative muscles. You will feel like a superhero!

If you liked this series and want to create 200 more ideas, click here.

Fahri Karakas is the author of Self-making Studio, If Life Gives You A Squash, Squash It!, and 99 Creative Journeys: Unleash Your Imagination. He is passionate about doodling, creativity, asset creation, and the future.