Would you like to generate new ideas, ways to improve certain product, services or processes? Are you stuck with a problem in your life? The scamper tool might be just what you need. This is a way to develop many new ideas related to a specific product or problem you are facing.

SCAMPER was proposed by Alex Faickney Osborn in 1953, and was further developed by Bob Eberle in 1971 in his book; SCAMPER: Games for Imagination Development.

I have to start with announcing that Bircher Müesli is über delicious! Oh, and it’s healthy too! Two birds, one stone. Bircher Müesli was invented around 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Brenner for his patients. He was born in Aarau which is about one hour driving from my apartment. He promoted eating at least 50% row food on a daily basis / 100% raw food for people with poor health. He was a pioneer in Europe thinking that food can be used to keep the body healthy rather than just satisfying hunger.

He was promoting early bedtime, physical training and garden work to his patients. Also each meal began with a small dish of Müesli. Patients had to skip alcohol, coffee, chocolate and tobacco while they were treated by him. He suggested sun bathing, cold showers and a harmony between people and nature.

The flow is a concept of the hungarian Milhály Csikszentmihályi. He interviewed many people about their jobs and everyday activities and ask them to write down about ten times a day what they are doing and how they are feeling. Some of the timing for the questions was random.

If you’ve ever felt like time is just flying by, you were probably in the state of flow. Flow is a highly focused state in which you focus on one topic and ignore everything else. Your task can be quite simple ie. there was a worker who had to put together parts as soon as possible, so the worker challenged himself to be as quick and efficient as possible. This way he was focused, he was in the flow and the enjoyed what he was doing.