Pursue your ideas

"Procrastination is the natural assassin of success..."

I am often frustrated by people talking about that 'great idea'
they have but never take action on. When someone else takes action
on a similar idea they complain that someone stole 'their idea'. We
discussed this in a previous newsletter but it is worth revisiting,
as I know there are some of you still caught up in that cycle.

This week I would like to Doug Sundheim's perspective on this issue
and some solutions. This was posted in his weekly newsletter -
Doug Sundheim's Weekly Success Tip.

Pursue Your Idea
"In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts;
they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty." 
-- Ralph
Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) from the essay Self Reliance

Consider This:
Works of genius don't come from great ideas. They come from guts.
It's true, you need a great idea in the first place - but that's
only 1% of the equation. The other 99% is action. Everyone has
great ideas. Very few people have the courage to bet on them. It
stings to see our own rejected thoughts in another's work of genius
because we realize that they had the courage to act...where we did
not.

When I work with clients, I keep a running a log of the ideas they
talk about wanting to pursue. The first time I hear them talk about
an idea I jot it down. The second time, I put a checkmark next to
it. The third time, if there's been no action, I highlight it and
make a request. I ask them nicely to never bring it up to me again
unless they intend to do something about it. This request usually
has a powerful impact. If forces them to confront their level of
commitment. And it forces them to get off the fence and make a
choice.

Try This:
1. Think of an idea you like to talk about pursuing, but haven't
        done much with yet.
2. Count the number of times you've spoken about it in the last
        year.

3. Keep a log of how many times you talk about it in the next 2
        months.

4. Sooner rather than later, give yourself an ultimatum - "I am
        going to do something or stop talking about it."

5. Whatever you do, don't keep talking about it without a
        commitment to action - it's futile...and exhausting.

(Shared from the WINNING Mindset newsletter by Brian Willis)