To get the most value out of what you consume, it helps to have a mode of output: Talk about it, write about it or condense it into a tweet.

The process of coming up with questions to ask and listening to people's answers can lead to new ideas.

It trains us to look for different viewpoints and layers to things.

Recognize ideas that constantly come to you and develop a system to capture them.

Carry around a notebook, leave yourself a voicemail, send an email or use any other way to capture the idea.

To improve your idea generation, zoom out your perspective to a macro level. 

For example, on a micro-level, a Billy Joel concert may just be a fun way to spend a night. On a macro level, it is packed with ideas about how to connect with an audience.

The process of communicating an idea helps to clarify it and see it in a new way. 

Express your own ideas out loud to somebody.

There are infinite answers to every challenge.

Seek out different ways people answer the same question. Consume conflicting ideas to help you see the bigger picture.

Idea generation is fueled by consumption, not creativity.

Creativity is just connecting things. The more things we have to connect, the better our ideas will become.

Consider the quantity and quality of things you consume, like books, movies, TV shows, articles and people you i...