Executing on Ideas

In my mind, no idea is worthless. However, an idea that can’t be executed will never be anything more than an idea. In order to actually do something with your ideas you need to be willing to make a few sacrifices and work to bring them to fruition.

Everyone has good (and bad) ideas, it’s what you do with them that matters.

I was talking to a friend a bit a week or so ago about all the great ideas she had. She’d said that she never felt like she had time to do anything about them and it bummed her out. I’ve seen this behavior many times in my life, and frankly, I’m sort of done feeling sorry for people who can’t ever get started on executing their ideas, especially those they get really excited about.

Having a good idea is special, it’s really a shame to hear about so many killer ideas and see… nothing. I always hate myself when I can’t get going on what I consider to be a good idea. Especially when, as it seems invariably happens, someone else does execute on the idea or something similar. I hate it when that happens.

The key to making your dreams reality is sacrifice and work. We all have things that suck up our time; our relationships, our hobbies, responsibilities etc. In order to have time to work on your ideas, some these things need to go away. Especially if you ever want to make it to the finish line. It’s one thing to start work on and idea, it’s quite another to actually finish what you started.

A creative mind works best when unencumbered, making your dreams reality takes work. If you have lots of good ideas, pick on and go for it. Save the rest for later.

I had an idea to start my own business. I sacrificed quite a bit to do that and I’m still working on it. Running a business has really put a damper on my creative mind and I’ve had to shelve lots of other great ideas for the biz. I also read less, don’t really have time for gaming anymore, watch much less television, etc. And, still, it’s not enough. I’m in a constant state of re-prioritization, in order to hold on to the things I consider most important in my life. Right now, that’s my business. Some day, when I decide that all the novel ideas are something I really want to do, I’ll probably let go of design and running a business altogether so I can focus on writing.

The Bottom Line

Ideas don’t come easy, and good can come out of even the worst ideas, it’s a shame to waste them. In order to execute on your ideas you have to be willing to work and sacrifice. Look at the things you hold dear and priorities. Where do they rank against achieving your dreams? Where do they rank against the reality of your ideas? If your ideas are worth it, let go of somethings and give yourself the chance to do something great.