Jurgen Wolff's Brainstorm
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Jurgen Wolff

Jurgen Wolff

Jurgen Wolff is a writer, teacher, and hypnotherapist. His goal is to help individuals liberate their own creativity through specific techniques that can be used at work as well as at home. His recent books include "Focus: the power of targeted thinking," a W. H. Smith best-seller, and "Your Writing Coach".

@jurgenwolff

Remember those resolutions you made?

04 Feb 2021

The chances are that the resolutions you made on Jan 1 are already distant memories. But if you want to avoid making the same resolutions again next year, here’s a simple, four-step process to get you back on track.

The creativity success manifesto

16 Apr 2019

Whether you want to write a best-seller or launch a new business venture, success in any kind of creative endeavour depends on some common factors. Understand these and your chances of hitting the jackpot will be multiplied.

Twelve ways to cure procrastination

16 Jan 2018

The number one reason we often fail to achieve what we know in our hearts we could is procrastination. Here are a a variety of approaches to help you confront what can be a complicated beast.

Why people don't want your new idea (and how to change that)

07 Apr 2017

If you come up with a new idea, more often than not you'll meet tremendous resistance. So here are some strategies to disarm the idea-killers, neutralize the objections and get your ideas taken seriously.

Practice doesn’t make perfect

21 Jul 2014

Can putting in 10,000 hours of practice make you a master of your craft? Malcolm Gladwell claimed it could, but sadly his assertion simply doesn’t hold water. Practice can’t make up for a lack of natural ability - which is why playing to your strengths is so important.

The truth about failure

10 Jul 2014

We hear a lot these days about the up-side of failure and how we can learn from it. But failure isn’t such a neutral experience, which is why nobody wants it. So perhaps it’s time we reconsidered our whole definition of what success and failure actually mean.

Six signposts to greater creativity

16 Apr 2014

How others describe their creative process can be a useful guide for our own journey to greater creativity. So here are six quotes about creativity and some practical ideas to help us put their messages to work.

New year brainstorm: things to change, things to stop

08 Jan 2014

With every new year we think about things we want to add to our lives. But sometimes it is just as important to subtract something. So here are some ideas that may help you do both and to look back upon 2014 with satisfaction when next January rolls around.

Autumn brainstorm: self-discipline and anxiety

31 Oct 2013

If you think you have an issue with self-discipline, read on. Because the real problem may be something else. And if daily annoyances see your anxiety levels shooting up, here's a simple remedy to help you regain your equilibrium.

July brainstorm

22 Jul 2013

It's hard to believe that we have already passed the mid-point of the year. Do you have any goals you set at the start of the year that have been forgotten? Most of us do. But instead of abandoning them until the start of the next year, what about using them in a positive way?

Spring brainstorm

27 May 2013

This month's tips for creativity and productivity include breaking the rules, seizing the moment, finding an online mentor and getting over the slump.

April brainstorm

15 Apr 2013

This month's tips include two insights into how to cure procrastination, why being different can often pay off, how realistic (not positive) thinking is what we need in times of crisis and why you should never let your past dictate your future.

March brainstorm

13 Mar 2013

This month, some thought about our reality and how to make it more colourful, the dark secret that the success gurus never mention, the most important factor in achieving real productivity and how changing the size of the problem can help you get out of a rut.

February brainstorm

15 Feb 2013

This month, an argument for going against the flow, some suggestions for overcoming procrastination, why you should give yourself some time treats, how to make a creative project more appealing and what it means to have your own personal 'creative license'...

December brainstorm

19 Dec 2012

In his last bundle of ideas this year, Jurgen muses on the importance of random events, the beneficial effects of getting out in nature, some ways to escape a creative block and why working in a coffee shop can help you be more creative.

September brainstorm

17 Sep 2012

This month, some thoughts about cover versions, the balance between individual and group creativity, how to solve problems in your sleep and a cure for bad moods.

August brainstorm

13 Aug 2012

This month, some ways to fix our broken way of working, the question you may be forgetting to ask yourself – and why it is so important - why you should dress for a party every day and an approach that could make networking both painless and profitable.

June brainstorm

21 Jun 2012

This month, the benefits of not following the heard, what neuroscience has discovered about how we come up with ideas, making better use of those odd chunks of time and how to reinforce your willpower.

May brainstorm

23 May 2012

This month, Jurgen focuses on how you can shake up your thinking. When you know too much about a topic it's hard to be open to new ideas. So how can you forget what you know? Let's look at three methods.

April brainstorm

19 Apr 2012

This month, in praise of the 'old school' way of doing things, why washing your hands matters, when to give up and why sometimes, a limitation can be an advantage.

March brainstorm

05 Mar 2012

This month, some thoughts about taking risks, inspiration to help you overcome obstacles and barriers to creativity, a new take on the 'to-do' list and some words of wisdom from Bruce Lee.

February brainstorm

14 Feb 2012

This month, Jurgen explores how you can tame your big idea, reveals some surprising new findings that could change your view on when you are at your most creative, suggests some unusual ideas for presents and stands up for introverts in an increasingly noisy world.

More from Jurgen

January brainstorm

16 Jan 2012

To get your new year off to a good start, I have tried to find some good meaty ideas – including how to make this the year you actually stick to your resolutions.

December Brainstorm

15 Dec 2011

This month, some year-end ideas and inspirations, including how to make a different kind of gift list, some thoughts about Leonardo daVinci and Thomas Edison, how your flaws can become your strengths and assumptions that you can leave behind next year.

November brainstorm

16 Nov 2011

As we move toward the end of the year I have another round-up of ideas I hope you'll find useful, starting with something I know a lot about - making mistakes!

October Brainstorm

12 Oct 2011

This month, kids and creativity, creative solutions in a different field, some outrageous ideas from Edward de Bono, some ideas to help you play – and some ideas to help you work.

September brainstorm

20 Sep 2011

This month, some ways to overcome the fears that are holding you back, the power of the absurd, how combining opposites can deliver break-through ideas and discovering the Zeigarnik effect.

July brainstorm

05 Jul 2011

This month, how to be creative while you wait, how to cultivate and confirm a new habit, finding out whether it is time to reinvent yourself and an examination of the power of the ridiculous.

June brainstorm

16 Jun 2011

This month, how laughing helps problem-solving, why you should use a matrix, an online tool to help you reach your goals, the power of smartphones and why it's never too late to achieve your life's ambition.

May brainstorm

12 May 2011

Spring! A great time for cleaning out old clothes, old stuff, even old beliefs that no longer serve you. You could even try changing the way you think – but just be careful not to have too many ideas!

April Brainstorm

05 Apr 2011

Now is a great time to take stock, clear out what we don't need anymore, and use the energizing power of the season to get started on some new creative projects.

Brainstorm

03 Mar 2011

This time, Jurgen encourages you to revisit those abandoned New Year resolutions, explores the power of visualization, explains why 'yes' means 'no' and tries to harness his butterfly mind.

November Brainstorm

16 Nov 2010

This time, Jurgen examines the power of stupid ideas, learns about innovation from Thomas Edison, helps you identify if you are a perfectionist and explores the persuasion principle.

October Brainstorm

22 Oct 2010

This month, Jurgen discusses how to create an idea locker, how to be happy, a better way to organizing your work and how to break an insanity cycle - as well as how to know whether you're stuck in one.