A notebook of ideas is a classic symptom.
If you’ve ever bought domains ‘just because’ or have a string of unfinished projects then you’ve got it bad.
So, what exactly does this super bug do?
It turns us into idea magpies, collectors of shiny new projects. All the actions of creativity without the output or results.
It’s an easy habit to recognise. Firstly, the notebook gets filled. Secondly, a hive of research and activity. Thirdly, well – nothing happens.
That’s right. Nothing. All these ideas and no final product.
Enjoying the feeling of a new idea can be great. One to revert into, drop everything for, start work straight-away on, research, review, plan, analyse and investigate. However over time collecting ideas and not seeing results gets frustrating! It can be detrimental when you want to make progress but get distracted and move on too soon.
There’s a fine line between being interested in an idea because it has merit and becoming too precious over it because it came out of your head.
I’ve been working on fixing this habit for a while now in a way that doesn’t stop me being enthusiastic or curious. Day to day, I’ll still subconsciously pick out needs, wants & requirements trying to seek out a pain point. It only takes a few sentences to make my ears tune in… “If only there was a way to….” “What we really need is….” I can hear the synapses in my brain fizzing like a sparkler kicking into life on Bonfire night.
However I’ve learned it’s not my job to research it to within an inch of it’s life just minutes after discovery. This is a sure way to get weighed down in the detail. In the past I would work through the process until I hit unsurmountable “obstacles”. I’d catch myself worrying about scaling issues, legal problems and commitment worries concerning ideas I came up with 20 minutes before!
Not anymore though.
Some people entertain ideas;
others put them to work
Anon
There is in fact an easy way to turn this mindset into a Super Power! – A daily dose of action.
Add in focus, consistency and support and you’ll be unstoppable!
I’ve seen the most success with projects that I’ve just chipped away at. This blog was once an idea and now you’re reading it.
We are in an era where any great idea can be hashed together in basic form in just one caffeine fuelled night. There’s no excuse.
It’s time to make stuff…