Happy Monday, or whatever Monday you choose.
Creation does not happen in a vacuum. When we create something, it impacts others. Unless you live in a cave and never associate with other people, your creation changes you, and therefore your interactions with others are affected. Businesses get their charter from the state and part of the responsibility is to serve the public good and collective welfare. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
- What is in your creative pipeline?
- Why are you doing it?
- Are you clear on what you hope to accomplish?
- How will your idea affect others?
- Have you considered gathering other people’s perspectives?
I like to run ideas by my trusted inner circle for a sanity check and encourage them to play devil’s advocate. A second opinion allows me to anticipate potential blind spots and also reinforce that what I am trying to accomplish is a good thing.
But, and there is always a but - sometimes if we try and create new ideas in a vacuum, doubt and mistrust can creep in. I don’t know how many times I have almost talked myself out of moving forward. I stall my progress because I convince myself that my ideas are dumb or not innovative. I lose faith in my vision and sabotage my progress. Are you getting in the way of your success?
I embrace setbacks as my inner voice telling me to pause and reflect. In my own life, when I am having trouble moving forward, it is because I have not done the full due diligence on an aspect of my project. I have not done the work and thought through what I am doing or have not fully explored my feelings about the project in a rush to move forward. Sometimes it feels like I take two steps forward and one step back. I have learned to trust that it is part of the process and my learning. When things do not turn out as expected, what can I learn? Is there another angle that I have not considered? In my own business, it feels like I am not dreaming big enough. Are you settling in your life?
What’s next? Build on the momentum of what you have accomplished. You have a great idea; it got a green light by your trusted advisors, and analyzed and addressed setbacks. What are you doing to bring your concept to reality? What are your next steps? Are you ready to get out of your comfort zone? If not, what small action can you take? Sometimes the hardest step is just getting started. We have seen that setbacks are not failures, but opportunities to learn and adjust. If you stall, don’t hit the brakes. Coast until you can build up enough energy to start the engine.
I look forward to my success, will you join me? Will we celebrate the lifting of many boats? Dreams are great, but they are not going to come true unless we get to work.