I remember the lightning
bolt striking me. Morning had not yet dawned as I laid, jet-lagged
and wide awake in an unknown bedroom in Sofia, Bulgaria. My body
said sleep, while my brain said wake up. Suddenly, the idea to end
all ideas came charging through my brain. Neural pathways lit up as
the idea clearly unfolded and presented itself. This idea was so
striking, I jumped out of bed, fumbling through the dark room to find
my tiny travel journal and start writing. I wrote as fast as I
could, words spilling diagonally across the page as I attempted to
keep up with the cavalcade of ideas simultaneously spilling out of my
brain. Minutes later, satisfied that I had captured as much as I
could, I put the pen down and fell into a deep sleep. Hours later, I
laughed at the sideways scribbles. I also smiled. They were still
gold.
For the next two years, I
worked to bring this idea to life. This was, I believed, the perfect
idea; the one that would bring me artistic and financial success as
well as personal fulfillment. I set deadlines and met every one of
them. I did every task necessary - I researched, composed, arranged,
wrote dialogue, hired a marketing pro, edited, discussed with
trusted colleagues and even trudged through a snowstorm to meet with
a potential investor.
And then I stopped. No
matter what I tried, I could not get going. I thought I needed a
break. So I put the project aside for a month. I started up again,
ready to present my great big artistic idea to the world. And then I
stopped again.
This pattern continued for 6
months, which felt like an eternity. I was really frustrated with
myself. Here was this great idea, ready to go and I could not move.
What in the world was wrong with me?
Then, months later, sitting
on my favorite beach, another lightning bolt struck me. This one
showed me why I wasn't moving. I couldn't move. This project, as
fantastic as it was, was not the right idea for me. I had the
wrong set of skills to truly make it succeed. That's why I was
stuck. This was a great idea. But it was a great idea for someone
else.
Was this a waste of time?
Heck no. During those two years, I improved skills and gained a
tremendous amount of confidence. I also became much better at
recognizing which of the many ideas that float through my brain are
worth keeping. Would I do it again? Probably. Can I save you two
years of your life? Let's try.
Here's what I learned:
- Have a physical home for your ideas. A computer file, a journal or an audio file on your device. When you have an idea, stick it in there. Write or say everything; don't edit. Put it all down. This makes the idea real. It also frees up your brain so you can use the free space to continue developing the idea.
- Leave it alone. Once you've recorded as much of the idea as you can, step back. Don't think about it and don't discuss it. Not yet.
- Sleep on it. If it is back first thing in the morning, and I mean first thing, like right after putting your feet on the floor, it's definitely worth pursuing. If it comes in the first two hours, I still honor it. If it doesn't come back before lunch, I let it go.
- Does this idea excite and scare you at the same time? Can you not stop thinking about it? That's probably a good one.
- Okay, you've recorded the idea somewhere. You've left it alone. You've slept on it. You're still excited about it. Time to develop a plan of attack. Write down 10 steps that you need to take to bring this idea to life.
- Set a deadline. Be reasonable. Put the date in your calendar.
- Now discuss the idea, but with no more than two people – one you trust and one who has experience in the field in which the idea is centered. Listen to them.
- You don't have to act on every good idea immediately. That's why recording ideas somewhere is so helpful. If it comes up again, you can refer to the idea as you've already developed it.
Using these guidelines, I've developed a much
better filter for recognizing winning ideas that I enjoy having in my life. I'm also become much better at seeing ideas reach their full potential, and that,
Creataviters, feels really good.
UPDATE: I'm so close to my goal of adding 20 new readers to my Creatavita email list. If you've already signed, thank you!!!! If you haven't, please sign up! You will make me very happy if you do this simple act. Besides, you'll be receiving the benefits of Creatavita right in your inbox.
If you're on a computer, the signup form is at the top of the right hand column. If you're on a device, you have to scroll to the bottom of this post and click on view web version. A tiny hassle that has the potential to bring you the creative fulfillment you've been seeking.
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