I love ideas. Having them, talking about them, iterating them, turning them into reality. I’m also fast to jump into execution. Sometimes, I come up with something random, think it’s genius and start working out the details until I notice it’s evening, I haven’t eaten much, and my to-do list is completely unfinished. Many times, the idea isn’t even actually so great when the next morning arrives.
So, did I lose or gain something? I like to think of it as spending quality time with creativity. Once in a while, it’s okay to get lost in the creative cave and come out almost empty-handed. For some reason, a creative brain likes sh*t like that.
However, it’s also a fact that ideas often get in the way of finishing what I’ve started. They’re a distraction. Similar to procrastination but more fun. Which makes them very tempting. So, in the past decade, I’ve significantly improved my relationship with ideation. And as August tends to be one of my most creative months, I’ve really had to put these skills into practice.
In this month’s video post, I’ll share what I do when idea explosion hits me and tries to remove me from my path instead of helping me move on it.
This video is a continuation to what I started in July. I quite enjoyed spending time with you on video during the July Video Special. So, I thought I’d hit your inbox with a video once a month to share some key epiphanies from the past month.
If you spent July on holiday or only recently started following me, scroll to the end of this post to access my past videos.
Use these coaching questions to use when idea explosion strikes
To start with, keep a journal (or a dozen unfinished Notes on your phone) for all the ideas you get so they have a voice and a place. Make them feel valuable and thank your creative genius for giving them to you.
Is this idea aligned with my overall direction right now? Or is it trying to distract me from my path?
Is this idea mine or someone else’s, i.e. am I thinking I should do this because a) someone else is doing it b) someone else encouraged me do it or c) I’m looking for someone else’s approval by doing it?
Would it be possible for me to implement some version of this idea to a project I’m already committed to instead of starting something new?
How important is this idea for my overall wellbeing? Sometimes, we need to start a project because we’re bored. We’re looking for something to light us up and bring creativity to our other commitments. If this is the case, investigate what could be the most minimalistic version of this idea that you could do as a little side project without it taking up too much of your time.
If I let go of this idea now, will it come back? Recurrence is an excellent way to see which ideas are worth developing further. If it doesn’t leave you alone, maybe there’s something there for you to investigate. But put it on a timeline, six months from now is an okay time to start. Not everything needs to happen right now.
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Catch up on the previous video posts
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Thanks again for your time and presence.
Remember, hope is not given to us but created within and by us. So let’s use our ideas to fuel the type of growth we’d like to see in this world.
With the warmest wishes,
Aurora
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