What would the world we live in be like if there were no new ideas being generated? Perhaps a better question would be “what kind of world would we be living in if all we had were ideas with no one taking action on these ideas?”
Ideas don’t move the world. What moves the world is the speed at which you act on your ideas and the impact of your ideas. How many people does the product of your idea help solve their problems?
Where do ideas come from?
There are different theories as to where ideas come from. Read Virginia Hughes blog for a summary of some of the thinking on this.
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived said thousands of years ago in one of his proverbs that,
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. ~ Ecclesiastes 1:9
What we see as new ideas has always existed in some form before someone figured out how to turn it into something that would bring benefit and value to the lives a lot of people. There are times when the person with the idea is not the person who makes it happen or who profits from it.
So should you keep your ideas to yourself for fear of someone else making it a reality before you do? The answer is no. Keeping it quiet is no benefit to you or to anyone else. Besides, if you could make it happen, you would have.
So how do you make a success of your idea?
Assuming you have ideas, there are a few things you can do to convert it into reality and success.
1. Start Small
Build your castle in the air but put your feet to the ground and make it happen
I am a great believer in big thinking and a small start. Indeed, it’s great to build your castle in the air but at some point in time, you have to put your feet to the ground and make it happen. What are the small steps you can take to start on the journey of making your ideas happen? Decide on this and then take these steps. Because you are taking small steps, you can make corrections quickly.
2. Experiment
You need to consider your idea an assumption that needs to be tested. Eric Ries in his book Lean Startup talks a lot about this. All you do is to decide on what is the smallest possible representation of your idea that can be tested and then get that tested in a real-life situation. Combining the concept of small steps with experimentation will bring you closer to success.
3. Get Help
There is no need to try and do it alone. If you have a coach or mentor, then soliciting their help can only be a good thing. Being part of a mastermind group will also increase your chances of success with your idea. Finding someone who will listen without making judgement can be good. Belonging to an online forum is another avenue for getting help.
4. Avoid Idea Killers
Idea killers are people who will tell you that it cannot be done. The only way to discover that it cannot be done is to do it. Hang around positive people who are doing things. Find those who will spur you on. You need all the encouragement you can get. You need to be around those who will tell you that it can be done or who will make suggestions as to how it can be done better.
5. Be Flexible
This is an important key for the success of your idea because, the end product of your idea may be very different from the original idea itself. As you gain new insight and information, you will need to be flexible enough to adapt to the new realities. This will ensure that you stay in the arena long enough to start profiting from your idea. If it’s not working in it’s present form, change it or modify it.
Take Action
So what are you waiting for? Decide on the next step and then take action.
Ideas are a numbers game. The more ideas you have, the more ideas you can act upon. The more you act upon, the better you get at taking action on your ideas and the better your chances of success. And if you think you need a coach or mentor, get one.