You Are Just Down One Step: The Idea

Creative Commons Photo Credit by pascalbovet

Ideas come and they go.

Some of those ideas that come are bad, some are good and then some are those great ones in life.

Forget about the bad ideas once you recognize which ones those are. There is no use in spending mental capacity on ideas that aren’t going anywhere.

As for the good ideas, write those down somewhere where you can come back to them later. You may need to spend extra time thinking about how you can make those good ideas even better. With some strategic planning, those will most likely become great later on.

Great ideas are the game changers.  Those are the ones that are bigger than you. Those are the ones that you will need help in making happen. Those are the ones that will impact others the most. Those are the ones you will want to spend time on to craft very carefully in order to make them succeed in the way they were intended to. Those are the ideas that are ready to be seen.

So, You Are Just Down One Step: The Idea

Frankly, all you need is one golden idea to kickstart the process, but wouldn’t it be great if you had so many great ideas that you had options on which one to move on first? When options happen, you don’t settle for just another good idea. The creative juices begin to flow and greatness begins to form.

The idea is to increase the frequency of great ideas. So, how do you do that?

Here are a few ways to put yourself in the way of more great ideas:

1. Don’t settle for the excuse of creative block.

The main reason that people don’t fully go through the process of creating is they stop the flow of thought before they start. They tell themselves that it’s just writer’s block and they don’t go any further than that. They then take some time off and then come back to it hoping that information has fallen from the sky. I will say that sometimes you will need a break, and that’s ok, but it is also good to keep writing through a time of having no new great ideas coming to you.

2. Surround yourself with resources that influence you positively.

Be clear with what you want. Know the area that you want your idea to be in and surround yourself with those resources. Feed yourself constantly with these things. Ask others in that field about resources that they’ve used. Knowing what you want and need to make it all happen might be the most important step in all of this.

3. Change your setting.

If you feel that the ideas aren’t coming to you, the problem might be a lack of inspiration. Sometimes it helps to put yourself in a different atmosphere to get the juices flowing. If you usually write in a home office, move to a coffee shop, a park, the library, your church, a book store. If you don’t listen to music while you get things done, try listening to classical music. If you usually keep the blinds closed while in your office, try opening a window. If you need something fresh, rearrange your work space to bring a freshness to your environment. Put up reminders on your walls that remind you what you want the outcome to be.  Do anything that will make your mental flow come back. The effort of finding your perfect environment will pay off.

These are great places to start when you are searching for your next BIG idea, but what do you do once you find it?

Finish what you started and think of the outcome.

This is the step I have to work on in 2012. During the process, I need to think of the possible outcome and imagine what it would be like to be finished with that specific goal. It will make me want it more, because if I don’t think of the outcome, I can become complacent.

What are the feelings that you have when you reach your goal?

What does it look like when you are finished?

Who does it affect when you reach your goals? How does it affect them?

 

What is a great idea that you have seen recently? You can leave a comment below.