5 steps to going after your big idea

Dear Ms Anonymous,

Do you ever feel like you have so many ideas you don’t know where to start? Or that you have one big idea that is so massive that you don’t know how to execute it? Well, you’re not alone!

You see, this blog is a product of a big idea. One that came out of a conversation with a girlfriend that was more silly than serious. After hanging up, most people would have decided that the idea was just a joke, but in reality… you might have just discovered your big break!

Write down your big idea

The first step in going after your big idea, is actually writing it down! When you put pen to paper you show the universe that you are actual serious about what you want to do. You are committing to yourself that you are going to follow through with something, even if it’s just that one line on paper, and a lot of thoughts in your head.

Go ahead, sit down right now and write down your big idea. Or maybe write down all of your big ideas. Don’t get too granular about it – just write them down. However they come out of your head. Your paper may look more like a roadmap than an organized list. And that’s okay!

Do you have a big idea that has you stuck in the dreaming, researching, dreaming cycle, then join the Dream It, Achieve It program where we will literally take your idea, and make it into reality, once and for all! No more waiting until “the right time” or until you have all of the pieces figured out. I will help you figure it out so you can launch!

Explore your big idea

After you’ve written the ideas down, it’s then time to start exploring them. Sometimes you don’t know which of your ideas are the ones that will become the best ones until you explore them.

Some of the ideas will get you excited, and others will spark additional creativity. Now is not the time to start criticizing what you wrote down. Criticism will shut down your creative process. And that’s not what you want to do. Allow your creativity to flow freely so you can get your ideas out there.

Pull out your favorite 1-5 ideas, and write them on separate sheets of paper. Breakdown every thing you can think about that you want to do with that particular idea. Think about your end goal, what you need to learn in order to execute that idea, the people that you need on your team. Get creative about who this big idea is going to help, and who needs this in their life right now.

You will notice that I didn’t say pull out your best ideas. Often we don’t know what that is yet, so start with your favorite. You will be most excited to work on your favorite ideas. Your creativity will flourish when you think about those ideas. You will want to spend time fleshing those ideas out, because that’s where your genius lies. So, start with your favorite and work on that.

Pick your big idea

Once you’ve had a chance to explore your list of favorite ideas, it’s time to pick one to focus on and create.

You’re probably wondering, what if you pick the wrong one? Don’t worry! You’re not going to pick the wrong one. Whichever one you choose to start with, that’s the right one. And if you get started, and you realize later on that you feel stuck, and want to put the idea down, that’s fine too. The most important thing is to get started. You will learn and grow from the experience.

Take action

So, you’ve made the list of (or wrote down in a haphazard matter) your ideas. Taken the time to explore the ideas, and what exactly you are thinking about. And then you’ve chosen the big idea that you are going to focus on. Congratulations – you’ve actually done most of the work! You probably don’t believe me, but you’re at least half way to having your idea become a reality.

Now, it’s time to take action.

Start by breaking down your big idea into either the steps it will take to get to the execution, or smaller bite sized pieces. This will take some time. As you start to break it down, you’ll figure out more pieces of the puzzle. Don’t get overwhelmed. This is what happens with big ideas – they get pretty big!

But once you figure out how to break them down, you’ll be able to make them a reality. And you’ll be able to celebrate your wins along the way.

Taking action on your idea may require you to do some research. Don’t rush through it. Enjoy the process!

Sometimes we want to rush through to get to the end result. And then we get focused only on the end product, and we lose our interest in the big idea. Our idea becomes just something else to do, and get done with. That’s not what you want! You want to create something that you will be excited about working on, and refining, and pushing forward at a pace that doesn’t feel rushed. I want you to really focus on enjoying what you are creating.

Need a strategy session to get this done?  Let me help you! 

Enjoy your creation

We often think that our big ideas have to be Earth shattering in order for them to be meaningful, and purposeful. The truth is, your big idea can be something that impacts just the lives of the people around you, and it can be just as powerful as if it impacted the whole world.

Once you’ve taken your idea from conception to execution, you need to celebrate your success! You worked hard to achieve something. Your brain did a lot of thinking in order to get you to your victory. And even if it’s a small change in your own life that your idea creates, it will be beneficial to you in ways others won’t understand.

If you did the exercise above and came up with 5 ideas, when you execute one of them, you will have taught yourself that you can create something. Your brain will develop a road map for achievement. You will then be motivated to get started on your next idea. And I wouldn’t blame you one bit. Sometimes it just takes one big win, to see all that we can actually do.

Once your big idea is created, stop for a second and tell yourself that you did great work. Think back to when you first had the idea. It may have been days, months, or even years before. You may have even had to gather a whole team to make it happen. Perhaps you had to work late nights, after your day job, dinner, and putting the kids to bed. You made a commitment to your idea, and you showed up in a big way. I’m proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself.

Keep creating! Today, tomorrow, and always. Your big ideas are worth it!

With love,

P.S. – And perhaps your biggest idea is on it’s way.