Change and Innovation: If You Have an Idea…..

Have you ever seen a great new successful idea and innovation – that you thought of some time ago?  It has happened to me many times, and is frustrating and disappointing to think about what seems to be a lost opportunity.

What gets in the way of acting on great ideas? Not enough time, money, connections or too many commitments, problems, or roadblocks? It is no accident that an idea that might have been a passing fancy or a regular rumination, has successfully come to life – through someone else.   Once we become consciously aware of a new idea, our intelligence has processed the millions of inputs leading us to our discovery. That discovery already has lots of things going for it, including our energy.

Bringing the idea from seed, to seedling, to concept, to product is a process that requires a subtle combination of thoughtful processes and action.

  • Believe in the Discovery

The next time you discover a new idea, give it some time to sink in before discarding it as crazy or misguided. Play with it, have fun, and see where it takes you.

  • Allow Time for the Idea to Develop

Timing is everything. Have the patience for the process associated with exploring the idea. Write the idea down, do some research, discuss it with creative and open-mined individuals, and begin to develop a plan for evaluating your idea.  Allot designated time for your creative process, even if only an hour or two per week.

  • Clear away Distractions

It is easy to fill your days and hours with activity. Eliminate any obvious distractions which keep you from moving forward with your idea. Think positive thoughts, associate with positive people, and read positive books. Consider Martin Seligman’s book, Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Change Your Life.

  • Embrace Risk Taking

Acknowledge that your idea might be rejected, laughed at, or viewed as a failure. Have the mental toughness to be gentle with you. Give yourself permission to dare to be different. As Benjamin Franklin has said, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

  • Remain Open

You will receive feedback and inputs along the way, provided you are open and listening. Remaining open is important to making mid-course modifications, refining your idea, and ushering in success.

  • Get Ready for Success

As important as believing in your discovery is belief in yourself. Accepting that you are worthy of success is critical to creating the environment to receive everything that goes along with success. This includes having the courage to ask for help, input, ideas, resources and support.

If You Have an Idea…Embrace it, Explore it, Follow it, and Share it. Yes, we do need another great idea, and many, many more.

Change & Innovation: If You Have an Idea… ©Change Create Transform

Back