Turn Ideas Into Action

Does your brain bounce with ideas? So many ideas in fact, you feel overwhelmed?

Maybe you have a unique idea for a book. Maybe you have lots of ideas stirring for a new marketing campaign. Or, maybe you have a fun idea for a family vacation.

There's a good reason why you have all of these great ideas—you're smart, creative, and talented!

So why haven't you acted on these ideas yet? Do you struggle with deciding which ideas to tackle first? Do you wonder how you'll ever find the time to see the idea through?

Whether they're for your professional life or for your personal life, don't let these ideas sit and collect dust. Rather, turn them into action!

Tips for turning your ideas into action:

1. Make a list. If you don't already have one, create a "master list of ideas." Create a separate list for work and personal life. Every time a new idea piques your interest, add it to the list.


2. Identify obstacles. Take a close look at your list and identify what has kept you from implementing the ideas. Is it lack of time, lack of resources, lack of confidence, etc.? Figure out how to break the obstacles.


3. Determine impact. From your master list, determine which idea could have an immediate positive impact on your job or your personal life. Work on this idea first.


4. Set a goal. Take the idea that you identified in #3 and set a specific goal. For example, maybe you want to implement a new training program by the end of the quarter.


5. Create a plan. Now that you have a goal in place, create a plan to achieve it. Break the plan into small, manageable tasks. The more tasks you can break it into, the quicker you can complete them. Seeing this progress will motivate you to keep plugging away!


6. Give effort. The more effort you contribute to your idea, the faster you'll accomplish it. If you contribute little effort, you'll see little accomplishment and your idea will remain just another idea.


7. Hold yourself accountable. Accountability will help you reach your goal. For example, in the "implement a new training program" example, you could share your plan with your boss. When he asks questions such as "How is the planning coming along?" or "When will the training take place?" you may get annoyed, but he'll encourage you to keep working at it. After all, you don't want to let your boss down!


8. Stay motivated. It's not unusual to feel like you're burning out when working on a goal. If this happens, focus on the reason you thought of the idea and keep the end result in mind.


9. Take a bow! Once you've finished your goal, celebrate! What once was merely an idea is now a reality. Congratulations!


10. Start on your next idea. Your momentum is high now, so after a well-deserved break, start on your next idea!

Repeat these ten steps for each idea and they'll all become actions! So, what are you waiting for? Get started!