How do you go from great Idea to finished product?
Simple, by activating that idea and turning it into a reality. By cutting down the big project into bite-sized chunks you can complete, your idea will travel from your head to the real world.
I wrote a book recently. It didn’t take me years, and the idea was not festering on the shelf for a decade. No. It took three weeks to write. I brought the first draft to life in under a month, and you can do the same with your idea. All you need to do is take that next step.
What idea do you have inside you right now that needs to come to life? Better yet, what idea do you have that has the potential to have a widespread impact? I’ll show you how to answer these questions below.
In the aforementioned book, I spoke at length about setting Destiny Goals. These goals are the ideas you have that will change the world around you. These are the goals and ideas that are just waiting to burst forth into the world, but you are responsible to bring them to fruition.
We need fewer battles of wit and more people willing to make a difference. We don’t need more ideas; we need more action. We desperately need people to get up off the couch and serve their communities, their churches, and their neighborhoods.
The best way to do this? To stop thinking and start doing.
Activating an idea isn’t rocket science, but yet it can feel unattainable. I’m not one of those radical thinkers that suggests you stop everything and push the chips all in and forget about reality. We all have responsibilities we need to consider beyond just our ideas.
What you want to hear (and don’t at the same time) is that the idea within isn’t waiting on any outside circumstance, it’s waiting for you to act.
Activating an idea is all about the mindset you have toward that idea. Sure, it may seem impossible to get clean water to every square inch of this planet, but is it? I don’t think so. Humans are clever, and between us there has to be a way to accomplish this.
Maybe your idea is the hairline crack that’s needed to break the dam?
Maybe your genius is what NASA needs to take the next step towards advanced space exploration?
Maybe your Grandma needs just one thank-you card this Holiday season to fill her with warmth and contentment?
I know I often limit my outside the box thinking by wondering what difference I could make, but the fact of the matter is that one smile can make someone’s day. If a smile can make someone’s day, then a great idea could vastly change the landscape of a culture!
The key is activation. An idea is worthless without it. All an idea does is sit up there in the clouds unbeknownst to anyone except your private journal.
The Three B’s of Idea Activation:
- Brainstorm all the ways the idea might come to fruition.
- Be flexible and willing to throw out a bad idea.
- Break it down into bite-sized chunks and do the first step
1) Brainstorm all Ways the Idea Might Come to Fruition
This first step is the “get outside your own head” step. Think of all the paths the idea could take. Ask yourself (or better yet, write this down…):
- What road blocks are in the way?
- What creative solutions can you come up with to get over the hump?
- What are the next steps?
- Is this, gulp… A good idea?
Brainstorming is a superpower. You may have never heard of Captain Brainstorm, but I am pretty sure she could beat both Thor and Iron Man in a battle royale. There is nothing as powerful for idea activation than breaking out the big guns and getting your brainstorm on.
Now, you don’t have to go as far as brainstorming on date night (raises hand) but you would do well to plan a session with someone close to you. Dreaming about what could be and then making plans to put things into action might just be one of the best experiences you can share with someone else.
Brainstorming is powerful because sometimes that hardest part about activating an idea is pulling it out of the netherworld and into the real world. When you capture a big idea and pull it into the possible, great things can and will happen.
2) Be Flexible and Willing to Throw out a Bad Idea
Sometimes after a brainstorming session what you thought was the next best idea was absolute garbage. This is normal and a good thing.
Think about the alternative for a second. The garbage idea would have ruminated in your thoughts for years if you hadn’t poured a dose of reality on it. Now, instead of letting an old idea die a painful death, you can learn to do this with more of your ideas early on to keep things fresh.
The idea you thought of yesterday won’t be as hard to let go of than the idea that’s been percolating for years!
There’s nothing worse than shedding the light on your brilliant idea that’s been in your head forever, only to find it won’t work. I’ve had my fair of experiences with this, as some ideas just won’t work in the real world.
The sooner you can say no to a bad idea the more room will be made for better ideas. Clear out the idea closet with some brainstorming magic and be ready to move forward with only great ideas.
*One caveat- often you don’t know for sure whether an idea is good or bad. If this happens err on the side of trying things out, but just be ready to pull the plug and pivot if it isn’t working. Don’t quit too soon (especially if you are getting close to activation) but a realistic mindset is important here too.
3) Break it Down Into Bite-Sized Chunks and do the First Step
You’ve brainstormed, determined your idea is brilliant, and now it’s time to break it down. List out all the steps you need to take to make things happen. Talk about each of those steps and the various challenges you will face. Get everything out there.
Now that you have the idea broken down into a process take the next step. This part is not an oversimplification of advice. We’ve all heard this, but how often do we actually follow it?
How often do you take the next step you know you need to take?
I think what prevents the first step is several types of fears:
- Fear of lost time: We don’t want to invest our time in a bad idea so how do you move past this? Do the steps above and your idea is more than likely NOT a bad idea. Things might not work out but at the very least you will learn something. It’s almost always better to err on the side of action and take a lesson from the school of hard knocks if need be.
- Fear of failure: This one is huge and often the most limiting. We don’t want to let others see us fall flat on our face. But this fear is misplaced. View failure as a learning block to your next success. I’ve failed countless times and have looked foolish often, but every single time I’ve failed I’ve learned one more way not to do something. Use failure as a building block.
- Fear of Change: We are programmed to seek comfort, but growth does not occur in times of comfort. We need to shake off the notion that we truly want to be comfortable because deep down we don’t. We don’t want to be comfortable because we will eventually lose meaning and purpose. Purpose is the lifeblood of a life well lived.
You can conquer these fears by taking that first step and experiencing new life. I want this so bad for you! I’ve seen the good that can come out of taking a deep breath and diving in.
Lives can be changed forever because you have the guts to do something most people only dream of: chasing your dream.
Don’t live a life of quiet desperation! Live a life you will look back at when you’re older and say “okay, you know what, well done me.” Don’t think for a second that your life doesn’t matter in the grand plan. Don’t ever feel stuck.
You were made for a bigger purpose and a Destiny. Take your ideas and make something of them!
Activate your idea today using these steps and let me know when you do. I’d love to hear your story and how you are changing the world!
-Jordan
PS: Go here to gain massive momentum towards your ideas in my latest book Volcanic Momentum.
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