By Holly Eagleson for

What do the Snuggie, the Pasta Bread Bowl and the Slap Chop have in common? They're all ridiculously simple concepts you could have come up with. And they're all going to make someone else a stupid amount of money. To make sure you never have a "wish I'd thought of that" moment again, use these creativity-boosting tips.

Break a sweat
A recent study found that aerobic workouts have a significant impact your ability to think creatively -- for as much as two hours after you stop moving. The connection between lifting weights and genius isn't quite as clear (just look at the missing links hefting iron at your gym).

Act immature
We're not saying drink syrup in public. (That's something you do in private.) But just taking a minute to look back at your old elementary school diary jogs your memory back to a time when no crazy idea was a bad one.

Click here for more inspiration for your million-dollar idea ...

by Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

If you've ever watched daytime talk shows -- and it's OK to admit that you have -- you've seen that some of the biggest crowd pleasers are the before-and-after episodes. You know, some dowdy guest who always dresses in ill-fitting clothes that went out of fashion 20 years ago gets all glammed up. Suddenly an ugly duckling can go out in public and blend in with the other attractive swans.

The appeal for viewers is that we're rooting for the underdog. We watch them transform from the underdogs to the champions. Or, as one show's topic put it, "I Was Fat, Now I'm All That!"

As a society, we love to see the people work their way up and persevere against all odds. That's part of the reason so many job seekers take entry-level jobs with the mindset that they'll one day be the boss. We know we can work hard and rise to the top.

But what happens when things change and we're no longer the head honcho? This economy's shaking up companies: Some people are being moved into new roles, while others are moving to new industries. Former bosses are finding themselves answering to someone else and no longer giving orders to anyone. It doesn't mean they did anything wrong; it's just the result of the times. But that doesn't make it easy to accept.

By RACHEL ZUPEK, CAREERBUILDER.COM WRITER

People make job transitions every day. Whether you're changing positions, cubicles, locations or careers, the transition can be rough if you're not prepared.

Perhaps one of the hardest transitions to make is that from manager into another leadership position, says Michael Watkins, leadership consultant and author of 'The First 90 Days.' His or her actions in the first few months can determine their overall success or failure on the job, he says.

"Transitions are pivotal, in part because everyone is expecting change," Watkins says. "But they are also periods of great vulnerability for new leaders who lack established working relationships and detailed knowledge of their roles. Those who fail to build momentum during their transition face an uphill battle."

Here are seven common traps new leaders often fall into -- and how to climb your way out.

By Molly Hallman for

A layoff can make you rethink your direction and wonder, "Should I go back to school and do something else?"

According to Clark Beecher, principle at Magellan International, Houston, before you make that decision you should first be aware that corporations on the whole are doing "something else," too. "Employers will move away from employing people en masse and move toward outsourcing professional services [in areas] like finance, business process consulting, investment banking and legal," says Beecher. So, if you don't have one now, gaining an essential skill to offer may be your key to future paychecks.

Which skills will be in demand? Here are ten jobs with promising outlooks. Check them out if you are considering a trip back to school and a new career:

By Claudine Benmar, PayScale.com

Some career changes are planned carefully for years. Others throw you for a loop. The current recession seems to come with plenty of the loopy kind. Whether it means taking on an extra heavy workload, agreeing to a voluntary pay cut, or moving to a new town for a job, people have found many ways to survive the recession. Here are just a few.