What You Should Know About The Idea guy
We all know that person. They’ll stand over your shoulder after you’ve spent so much time trying to solve a problem and without even thinking twice, they’ll point out the solution to your problem. This will leave you thinking “why didn’t I think of that” The answer is plain and simple- you’re just not an idea guy:)
Now there is a reason why idea guys have such a bad rep. This is because most times, you will find that the ‘idea guy’ live mostly in their head and has nothing to show for his intelligence and creativity. This is because they forget about the implementation of their ideas. They get so wrapped up in their creative bubble that they forget that the ideas need to be executed.
There are a lot of reasons why the endless list of ideas that you’ve had never happen. It can be fear, the fear of not knowing what the outcome of the idea will be. Oftentimes, the idea guy is risk averse, so when he weighs the risk of executing his idea and his comfort zone, he’s more comfortable with not executing it.
Other reasons can be fear of what others may think, inconsistency or the plain fact that the idea is a bad idea. I once thought of this idea of opening a coffee shop/boutique/ thrift store/ vibey space in a certain location and the idea was so exciting to me but once I really sat down to think about it, there were so many holes in it from the fact that I don’t like coffee to the fact that the location I thought of would literally devastate for the business model.
An idea is plainly and simply just an idea. A mental representation of a thought, a figment of your imagination. They say a brilliant idea is worth nothing if not executed.
So how do you execute your ideas?
1. Think about it. If you’re an over thinker, this will be a strong suit for you. Weigh the pros and cons of your idea. Sleep on it and think more about it. To put it plainly, it’s important to note that some ideas are not worth executing, So think about it, ask yourself, is the idea worth investing, time, effort or money into. If you feel the need to do research or get more knowledge on it, do that.
2. Write it down. There’s a reason why one of the most revered religious books of all time literally says:
‘Write down your vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it’ Habakkuk 2:2.
You never want to be in a position where you think of something absolutely mind-blowing and forget. First and foremost, writing helps us not forget. It also helps us edit our ideas. If you’re an idea guy you would have realised that as much as rely on your brain for every small task, you know that there’s only so much your brain can process at any given time. Help your brain focus better by writing down your idea.
3. Start small. It’s very easy for us to be excited about our ideas and want to devote all our time , attention and resources to executing your amazing idea. The initial excitement dies down and you have yet another project that you started and did not finish. What am I saying? Starting big takes mad energy and attention and when the resistance is high, the chances of giving up will be high. If you want to make it work, start small. Divide idea into small, actionable steps to build momentum and prevent being overwhelmed.
The thing about ideas is that they come at anytime. I can’t come up with the number of times my silly little brain has come up with genius ideas only to forget about them minutes after. Quite maddening if you ask me. The bottom line about your ideas is that only you have the power to convert your ideas to reality.