If so, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you! And the good news is, you have a special and significant gift. Change is always preceded by thought. As Robin Sharma said, “Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.”

Some of us are naturally wired to generate ideas easily. But I also believe the ability to ideate is part of all of us. It’s a muscle that grows with stimulation.

If you identify as an idea person – or are looking to better steward the quality and quantity of your ideas – here are some strategies you might consider.

Find a Time and Place to Let Your Ideas Flow

If you are an idea person, your ideas will never stop flowing, but without intentionality, the complexity of daily life (and especially work life) can become an enormous choke point that limits the quantity (and quality) of ideas you can consistently generate. One way to give your ideas an outlet is to have a time and place to let them flow. You might take walks or block a certain time during the week. I’ve discovered my best ideas come when I’m mowing the lawn.

Record Your Ideas

A mental note is worth something but an actual note not only provides your idea with a reference point, it forces you to better articulate the thought itself. You might place a journal on your desk or by your bed. Or an electronic notebook on your phone. It’s amazing how periodically reading through old ideas can help you generate new ones.

Set Idea Goals

In college, I asked a classmate turned musician how he was able to write so many songs. He replied that he had a goal of writing one song per week. Some were crummy but some were good. You might set a goal of one new idea per day. Or a number of them per week or month. Having a goal can also help you evaluate whether your circumstances are enhancing or stifling your creative flow.

Let Your Ideas Go

Practical folks will tell you your ideas aren’t feasible. And many times they are correct! But that’s not the point of generating ideas. Often, you need to get through many impractical ideas in order to find the inspired ones. True idea people generate many more ideas than they could ever act upon. So don’t be afraid to generate a new idea, give it a mental high five and then leave it as you move on.

Pick Your Ideas Carefully

In order to execute your ideas effectively, as your creativity grows, so must your critical thinking. You cannot possibly execute on all your ideas. You must choose the few with the most promise. This means selecting the ones that increase your effectiveness, lead to a new breakthrough, or enable you to “fail forward” if they do not work out.

Share with the Right People

Not everyone appreciates a hearing a spontaneous new idea. But at some point your ideas may benefit from:

• Fellow Idea People: They help brainstorm and generate new ideas with you.
• Cheerleaders: They cheer you on for most (if not all) ideas you share with them, even if they are not involved.
• Critical Thinkers: They help you evaluate the quality of your idea for the purpose of execution.
• Teammates: They help you execute on the idea.

Don’t confuse one group with another. And if your confidence or self-assurance is shaky, be careful who you share your best ideas with.

Separate Your Ideas from Your Identity

You are not your idea. So if someone trashes your idea, or if your idea doesn’t work, you can simply reply, “Well, it was just an idea” and move on to the next one.

Treat Detail People Like Royalty

It’s a beautiful (and maddening) reality of life that people with opposite strengths need each other in order to be effective. Without detail people to organize ideas into actionable tasks, idea people would be lost. It’s crucial to appreciate the skills and involvement of the people who help you execute. After all, if it weren’t for them, you’d be stuck.

Accept the Responsibility to Lead

Another simple reality of life is that if enough of your ideas are good ones, you will eventually be invited into a formal leadership role. Why? Because vision precedes action – and vision can’t be outsourced. But if your leadership skills don’t match the quality of your ideas, it won’t be a fun experience, either for your or your followers. So invest in growing your leadership skills at the same time as you develop your idea skills.

Victor Hugo once famously stated, “Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.” I believe it is easier in this day in age for any person to contribute an idea that changes the course of history than ever before. Who is to say the next great idea can’t be yours?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader. Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or follow him on Twitter.

As we prepare to celebrate the holiday, it’s important to note that thankfulness actually encompasses four different areas: gratitude, generosity, sharing and contentment. Last week, I mentioned how important it is to be generous, especially with so many people who need our help. Right now, it’s the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. (If you haven’t made a donation yet, you can contribute to the Red Cross here). But there are many more.

I’d like to challenge you to be a generous person. Here’s how you can get started.

Stop Making Excuses

I don’t have enough to give. What I have won’t make a difference. I’m not convinced there is a real strategic solution in place. Generosity isn’t my “spiritual gift.” I’ve heard (and made) some of these excuses in the past. They make it easier to justify doing nothing. Instead of focusing on what we can’t do, look at what we can do. Everyone can do something.

Identify a Need

We can’t fix every situation and meet every need, but we can do something. So choose something or someone you really connect with. Do you prefer to solve problems or help a group of people? Start there.

Look at What You Have – and Be Creative

Generosity is not just about giving money to the less fortunate. We can be generous with our time, talents, ideas, platform and a limitless number of other things. Last week I shared one of my favorite stories of a football team who shared their fans with the other team. I have friends who give up one Saturday morning each month to do service projects in the local community. Other friends teach a personal finance class. A teacher gives a few extra minutes to prepare lessons for special needs students. Another friend donates his ideas as a board member of a local YMCA. One of my friends recently wanted to raise $5,000 for cancer research, so he offered to write a personal theme song for donors and follow them around for an hour performing it in public. The options are limitless!

Plan Ahead

I can’t stand when people challenge me to give up a coffee or two a month to contribute to their cause. Coffee is important! (Or in my case, breakfast). I’d rather plan ahead so I don’t have to miss out on such a small but crucial part of my day.

Honestly, this is usually the crucial step. Many times when we encounter a need, we’re completely unprepared to respond to it. That’s why we need to plan ahead. If you set $20 (or $50 or $250) to automatically transfer to a separate bank account each month, then you don’t have to think about whether you have any money to share when an opportunity presents itself. If you have no margin in your calendar, you won’t be able to commit to a service opportunity or have a conversation with someone who needs to talk.

Diversify

I’ll be honest, I’m not a big hugger by nature. But sometimes that’s what the situation calls for and I have to step up. I mentioned last week that I believe everyone ought to make a donation to the Haiyan survivors, even if they don’t have tons of cash laying around. We can’t always outsource a form of generosity that doesn’t come naturally for us. We may have a favorite, but we should be flexible as well. Incidentally, what people ultimately need is hope. Can you give that?

Make It a Lifestyle Habit

The goal of generosity isn’t a one-time transaction but a lifestyle. Every little bit counts, even if it’s never noticed by the masses.

Generosity is its own reward.

Will you join me in becoming a generous person?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.