Steps to Making Ideas Actionable
Joan Baez said, “Action is the antidote to despair.” Making ideas actionable seems easy enough, but everyday life has a tendency of getting in the way. This is why it’s essential to follow a set of steps. When you make a plan, one that you work on regularly, you’ll be able to turn your ideas into something concrete.
Turning Ideas Into Action Takes Determination
Your brain is fantastic. It has all kinds of ideas. Some of your ideas are bound to be silly, while others are simply marvelous. You might even consider them transformational. Sometimes, when you allow yourself to sink into creative thinking, the ability to sit with your thoughts is all you can handle.
If you are having trouble turning your ideas into action, stop, and assess. Are you spending your time on something else? Use that time to develop a few of your improvement plans instead—schedule planning time. Even if you dedicate an hour a day toward putting an idea into action, you may gain the clarity you need to get started.
Avoid trying out a bunch of different ideas without thinking them through. Establish a clear direction from start to finish. That way, you’ll be able to move from one step to another and eventually see your idea come to fruition.
The Details Behind Putting Ideas Into Action
Putting an idea into action takes time. Visualize yourself performing your idea. Please go through it step by step so that you’ll know every action that you need to take to turn your idea into a reality.
Plan to build some prototype even if your idea isn’t something physical. Then, have someone you trust to view it. Tweak your prototype to include their recommendations and create your final product.
In Jon Spence’s book “Awesomely Simple,” he offers sage advice for those ready to take action on their ideas to improve their business. He recommends six main strategies, which include focusing on:
• Vision
• People
• Performance culture
• Communication
• Urgency
• Customer focus
Turning Ideas Into Reality Is Helped by Neuroscience
There’s a reason why the phrase “getting lost in thought” is a common one. It’s easy to stay in the thought process and never get around to turning ideas into reality. Avoid this by drawing inspiration from people who have had to overcome immense challenges; people like Cathy Hutchinson. She is famous for being “the woman who drank the coffee.”
Why is she famous for performing such a simple action? Cathy suffered from a stroke in 1996, one that paralyzed her and prevented her from speaking. Hutchinson decided to take part in a clinical trial arranged by BrainGate2 in 2012. During the trial, Cathy used a “brain-machine interface” to convert something that she was thinking into action.
To take a drink of her coffee, Cathy imagined that her right arm was moving. The brain machine-turned her thought into action, making her famous. You can follow her lead using the same technique of thinking your way into action.
Take Action on Your Ideas in the Workplace
If you’re ready to take action on your ideas in the workplace, then start by tuning into your passions and natural interests. Be sure to work on building strong relationships with your employees and clients.
Consider what your industry or company could do better and tweak your workplace ideas for improvement purposes. Prepare your company to grow, and don’t let yourself become mired down in endless planning. Perpetual planning will prevent you from taking action. Pick an end day, and move forward on your idea to meet your deadline.
Being afraid to fail holds people back. Remember, you’re likely to make mistakes. Accept them and move past them as they occur. Trust that your aspiration is more significant than your fear of trying something new and challenging. Turning ideas into action is how you’ll grow your business and make it something special.
Get Started
Dale Carnegie said, “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
If you know what you want to do but need a push getting started, then I am here to help you. The Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute helps business professionals develop ways to work smarter instead of harder. I’ll help you tap into your brilliant ideas and inspire you to take steps into making them a reality. To learn more, contact me at the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute today.
