Brainstorming vs Heartstorming

Most of us know what brainstorming is. We use it when we want to expand an idea or find a way to do something. Say you want to make more money or change careers. When you brainstorm you  write down your goal in the middle of a piece of paper, then you write down any ideas as they come to you, without judging them. It’s quite amazing just how many ideas can pour in and it is a really valuable process for turning dreams into reality.

But the danger of brainstorming is that we can get locked into our rational mind and get caught up in what we think we ‘should’ do, rather than what we really want to do.

Heartstorming is the step we need to take before brainstorming. It is following the same process by  listening to your heart. Some of the ideas you may come up with might feel a bit weird and wacky but that’s half the fun.

To heartstorm, and you can do this by yourself or with a one or more people, ask any question you want guidance on just make it one question at a time. This could be guidance on career change, how to make more money, how to start a business, find love in your life, be happier, find a solution to a problem.

Then write your that question down in the centre of the paper, close your eyes and focus on your attention on your heart. Place your hand, or even a finger on your heart and focus on appreciation for two minutes. Then open your eyes, ask your question, and write any ideas or answers down. Remember, not to judge yourself or any ideas that come to you as this blocks the flow of creativity. 

Once you have completed this exercise evaluate what you have written down. There will always be some things you want to toss out, but if you are new to listening to your heart don’t do this straight away. The items on a heartstorming list need to resonate with your heart, which means they will make you feel good. They will feel like fun. They may make you laugh and they are often creative.

What if you don’t come up with much on your list, or your items don’t resonate with you? All that means is that you have stopped listening to your heart, so you may need to ask the child within you for help. Leave it for a day or so and do the exercise again only this time ask the 7-year-old you what she wants. Most 7-year-olds don’t doubt themselves. They think they can do anything. I remember my youngest always saying she wanted to be a ballerina, fairy princess and if she were doing this exercise today, she would need to ask herself how being that a ballerina fairy princess would make her feel. Feelings are always our real goals, they are where we need to start.

I always know when I come across a heartfelt dream because I get a tickle of excitement in the middle of my chest. If I talk to someone about what I want too soon, and they don’t respond positively that feeling dissipates, because I’ve allowed self-doubt to take over. When I keep my dream to myself and assume my heart is guiding me in a specific direction, I start researching opportunities. Sometimes something evolves from my search, sometimes it doesn’t.

A question I have asked clients for many years now is, ‘What does your ideal life feel like?’ The aim of this question is to get people out of their heads, because our minds often come up with what I call a ‘means to an end goal’. Our hearts are where our emotions reside and we need to take note of the feelings we want to experience.

When you set goals from your heart you are more likely to manifest them because it’s what you really want. Yes, they may still be a bit scary, but the reason you want them is powerful, that’s your compelling reason that you need to overcome fear and doubt.

I am a great believer that when we trust our hearts and follow the signs that appear in our lives, life unfolds, and we usually end up in a better place than we could ever have imagined.