Ideas are a dime a dozen. Anyone can come up with ideas for anything at any given time. Ideas come to us when we’re complaining about something, when we’re alone and thinking or when provoked by a friend who is asking for a solution to a problem.
Coming up with an idea requires very little effort compared to the work it takes to make that idea a reality.
The road to success is winding and complex, but it always has a starting point. People make many plans, but that’s all they are — plans. So how can you move from idea to action? Here are six things to get you started.
The first step to bringing an idea to life is to come up with a concrete, realistic idea. If your idea is to give human beings the ability to read minds, you might want to check and make sure you can achieve this with your capabilities and resources.
Forbes advises goal-setters to ask themselves the “hard questions.” You don’t just have to think about whether or not your idea is possible, you also have to consider where you are starting and how far you need to go.
The next step is to recognize that things may not always turn out the way you expect.
Every project comes with problems you will have to overcome. Christine Hassler, life coach, entrepreneur and author of “20 Something Manifesto,” tells Forbes that people need to identify the obstacles in their way before pursuing a goal. After you figure out what’s standing in the way between you and your dreams, know exactly what you need to do to remove that obstacle.
Forbes writes, “Some roadblocks can be removed with one sweeping gesture, while others require a little elbow grease. The goal of setting out with a just-one-step-at-a-time mantra is to feel you’re being gently pulled toward a not-so-fun task (instead of being forcefully pushed).”
In order to take things one step at a time, you can make a list of all the things you need to do. Do you need money? Friends? Classes? Skills? How long will it take you to accomplish each of those things? Be realistic about the supplies you will need.
Making a list will also make any vague, terrifying or difficult plans into concrete to-do plans. According to Lifehacker, “Before you can can start turning your goals into actionable to-dos you might need to break them down into smaller milestones.”
Use this list to organize your plan and to motivate you to go day by day, step by step. For example, if your goal is the daunting task of writing a novel, you can write a list that instructs you to “write 10 pages a day.” Lifehacker says doing this will give you the pleasure of crossing that goal out each day until you make it to the end.
Once you have the list down, make a plan. Give yourself a rough time line on how to get started with your ideas. If deadlines stress you out, then take the time element out and focus on what you need to do and each step needed to get it done.
Psychology Today also suggests using “if-then planning.” Sometimes, people sideline their goals because they are hard, boring or unpleasant. When they get to an obstacle, they don’t know what to do or they simply try to solve the problem with sheer will. They’ll say something along the lines of, “Next time, I will make myself start working on this sooner.”
But as Psychology Today points out, “If we actually had the willpower to do that, we would never put it off in the first place. Studies show that people routinely overestimate their capacity for self-control, and rely on it too often to keep them out of hot water. ”
Instead, embrace that your willpower is limited and make if-then plans. An if-then plan will provide you with specific steps you need to complete a problem and details on where and when you need to take these steps.
Do have your plan? Now you have to tell people about it. That’s right. Telling people about what you’re doing makes you accountable. As Boundless explains, “Being accountable means standing by decisions, actions and the overall well-being of projects.” Accountability helps increase performance overall.
If more people know about what you’re trying to do, then you will feel a healthy amount of pressure to complete this idea. This prevents any backing out on your part.
You know what you want to do, what you need to do and how to do it, so get started! This is the scariest step because, as the saying goes, this is when the pen hits the paper.
Make your first move and then keep going from there. Once your journey begins, it’ll be a series of exciting, difficult and rewarding steps. And even if your plans go awry, always remember to keep your eyes on the goal and keep moving forward!
