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You are an idea person. And as such, you have the ability to blow the lid of your potential and (literally) grow the most amazing business you can imagine.
However, in order to unlock this often overlooked superpower, you need to know how to get started. You’ll also need to know how to overcome the stumbling block. In this brief post, I’ll help you with both those challenges.
We need to start by understanding that there are 2 types of idea people:
- Those who have lots of ideas.
- Those who have lots of ideas… and do something with them.
Putting our ideas into action
The person who has lots of ideas and doesn’t use them, sets a very low ceiling on their potential. Conversely, those with the motivation to put their ideas into play, give themselves ever-expanding possibilities. Here’s a quick snapshot of how that latter group tend to operate, when it comes to ideas.
It looks like this.
- An idea will come to them.
- Then, they make sure they capture the idea whilst it’s still fresh in their mind. For example, using the record function of their phone.
- Next, they write the idea down.
- They then chew on the idea for a while and determine its potential.
- And if they believe it’s worth working on, they develop a simple plan to get it out of their head and into the world.
- They take the first step on that plan.
- Then the next…
Over the years, I’ve found that the key difference between those who work on their ideas and those who do not, seems to be their mindset regarding failure and criticism.
Failure in context
Those who act on their ideas, see failure as essential feedback. They know that nothing ships perfectly first time. That’s why your software is constantly updated and your hardware is a dinosaur, after a few years.
Updates, improvements and advancements come from feedback. In short: No feedback, no progress!
This means we need to eagerly seek out feedback whenever possible. Not try to avoid it.
Criticism in context
Those who act on their ideas understand criticism and handle it accordingly. They don’t allow critics to derail them.
They regard criticism as inevitable, ESPECIALLY if their idea is a big success. Every great idea, product and service has critics. There are no exceptions to this rule. This means if we try to avoid criticism, we’re proactively trying to avoid success, albeit unconsciously.
Note: I cover criticism in more detail here: Why people criticise you and how to deal with it, in just 3 steps.
The great news is that whether we are aware of it or not, we are all idea-generating powerhouses. And by capturing our ideas and putting the best ones into play, we open up endless possibilities.