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Your Idea is Worthless

It doesn’t matter how wonderful or brilliant or perfect your idea is. It’s worthless. Absolutely positively worthless…until you take action.

Back in the 70’s my father invented those diapers that can show when they’ve been, uh, “used”. He also invented a portable version of Kool-Aid that could be dropped into a glass of water instead of someone having to make an entire pitcher.

The trouble is, the ideas stayed in his head. He only talked about them AFTER they came to market and someone else made their millions. My dad’s an above average kind of guy. But in this respect, he’s normal like everyone else.

It’s happened to me too. I saw the dawn of internet video before most people could say “dot-com” (my degree is in computer science). Why didn’t I invent YouTube? I could have. But I didn’t. And I didn’t get millions of dollars when they sold to Google because the idea was only in my head.

So what do you do with those fabulous ideas?

1) Write Them Down – It isn’t real at all until you can see it. Put it on paper or in a computer file. Now it’s tangible.

2) Tell Someone About It – This is scary for most people. What if they laugh? Worse, what if they steal my idea? The truth is most people don’t have the energy to follow through on your idea. And if they do, it won’t be the same or as good as what you will do with it. You must find people who can shoot it down before you waste too much time and money, or who can help you refine the idea and make it happen. You’ll need accountability or you’ll give up when things get tough.

3) Get to Work – If the idea is going to survive and become a reality, it’s going to be a lot of hard work. Most people aren’t willing to do what it takes to be successful. Are you?

Don’t be most people and don’t look back years later with regret. Go make something happen!

Note: This article originally appeared in February 2010 issue of the Tri-City Review.

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Altitude Sickness and Sleep Deprivation for Business Success

It’s no secret that starting a business is a lot of work.  It’s a ton of work and it’s hard!  There are always too many things to do and too many distractions.  We love our DIY culture, but DIY is not the best (or fastest or cheapest) way to launch or grow your biz.

I know what is…and it involves meeting at 9,000 plus feet where the air is thinner and squeezing every minute out of an event!

This weekend I’m heading to the mountains of Colorado for a retreat of sorts.  A group of 20 or so like minded entrepreneurs—some with very different business ideas—meeting for an intense weekend of planning for 2010.  We’re different from the 9 to 5 crowd.  And this weekend will be more like 7 to midnight or later.

Here’s why Free Agent Academy events are the best place to learn how to launch and grow your business:

Proven Leaders
The events are led by Kevin Miller and Chuck Bowen.  Kevin is a former professional bike racer turned branding and positioning guru (he can put legs on your idea like no one else).  Chuck is a former business executive and is now one of the finest coaches in the world (he can put your idea into action).  Kevin and Chuck don’t always agree…which is perfect.  They do go together like peanut butter and chocolate. 

Interaction with Experts
But it gets better: they pull in other experts to be a part of the events: folks like 48 Days to the Work You Love author Dan Miller (Kevin’s dad), social media expert and Seth Godin’s SAMBA grad Jon Dale, and El Presidente of Saddleback Leather Dave Munson (who’s leather bags are the greatest in the known universe).  Other events may have bigger names of equal caliber, but I don’t know of any that provide the level of interaction and intimacy that FAA events do.

Caring Community
Event attendees come from all over the country.  They are at different stages in their businesses (from just having an idea to full-time enterprises) and come from various industry focuses.  Some are young and some are,…more experienced.  All have passion, and the passion is contagious.  Ideas and suggestions flow freely, and all are supportive and encouraging.  The event is just the opportunity to do what we do online in a concentrated form.  Every time I go I meet friends in person for the first time that I already know from our online interactions.

Faith and Fellowship
Free Agent Academy is not a faith-based organization and all are welcome, but because of the deep faith of the Millers the community has attracted some of the most committed Christians I know.  We share our faith freely, including our fears, needs, doubts, frustrations and set-backs.  In many ways, is what church is meant to be.

Extreme Value
So the event is $600 for active members.  Throw in airfare, lodging and food costs…and the price doubles.  But for one extended weekend I’m going to get advice and support from proven experts who are now friends amounting to about 30 hours of planning and coaching.  I’m going to be energized and have a plan for moving my business to the next level.  I’ll have new friends who aren’t social media “friends”—I’m talking about REAL friends you can laugh and cry with.  Value: Priceless

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The Laws of Successful Goals

My friend Victor Encinas outlined the 8 Laws of Successful Goal Setting as we were working on our Goal Victory Seminar. Here’s my take on it as a companion to my post yesterday about goal failure.

Knowing the things that will derail your goal success rate are important. Defeating those things will only get you to zero though. To win and be truly successful in your goals, you have to follow these laws:

1) Put Goals in Writing
A written goal is tangible and real. Think Pinocchio after he became a real boy. We can lie to ourselves about losing weight or getting a new job or getting out of debt, but if we don’t write it down, we haven’t taken a single step in making it real. Written goals can be accomplished. Unwritten goals…aren’t really goals at all. You could call them dreams or wishes I guess, but that’s probably granting them more reality than what they are.

2) Be Realistic
A good goal is realistic. It can be achieved within the parameters in which this world exists. I cannot realistically set a goal to gain Jedi-like mind powers in order to win the lottery. Not going to happen. But I can have a goal to double my income in the next five years. Daunting goals are fun and challenging. Have some smaller ones to keep you motivated, but the BHAG‘s will inspire you.

3) Clarify Motivations
Why is this your goal? Your life has a purpose. Your goals should align with that purpose. Dream a big dream. Have an amazing vision. Just keep it lined up with your overall purpose. Otherwise, you may achieve your goals but miss the point altogether.

4) Have a Plan
Jesus told a story about a man who began to build a tower and became a laughing stock in town because he couldn’t finish it. He didn’t have a plan. He didn’t have the money or the bricks or the mortar or the tools. He didn’t just get sick and fail to finish; people wouldn’t mock him for that. He’d have had everything he needed if he had only had a plan. Hmmm, wouldn’t a plan ensure the first three laws were met before starting? There’s a reason architects use blueprints.

5) You Must Take Action
Let’s just say you’ve done well so far. You’ve written down your goals and they are realistic. You know your purpose and have the perfect, fool-proof plan. Except that if you fail to act, you fail. Period. Done. Game over. The fool failed to execute and the fool-proof plan was worthless.

6) Stay Focused
Remember that whole vision and purpose thing? Take your eyes off of that and it’ll ruin you. The thing about plans is that there really are no perfect plans. There are an infinite number of variables that have to be adjusted for, and any one of them can take you out of the game. But most can be overcome if you stay focused and remain true to your vision. Remember that ordinary light can be focused into a laser beam (or at least concentrated enough to burn ants). Focus will help you with #8.

7) Become Accountable
When you invite another human being into your goals, you’re valuing them and letting them value you. A true accountability partner will not only challenge you, they’ll help you. Remember, they’re investing a part of their life in you…and they want you to succeed! Don’t go it alone.

8) Must Follow Through
The sports analogies here are plentiful…but they’re right! A batter and a golfer have to finish their swings. A quarterback must finish their throw. A, uh…karate guy (?) has to see through the board in order to break it. Fight through the obstacles. If you get knocked down, get back up. (There’s a time and a place for quitting, but it’s not normally at the first sign of opposition.) If it’s a good and worthy goal that’s aligned with your purpose, you’ll have the energy to see it through.

Need some help discovering, documenting or achieving your goals? Join Victor Encinas and myself for our goals seminar starting January 13th. Just go to http://www.GoalVictory.com for details and to register. (BTW, the 10% discount has been extended through Jan 10th!)

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Overdoing It

My constant pursuit of perfection is both a blessing and a curse.

God designed me that way, and I’m more than okay with it. I certainly leverage the positive aspects of being a precisionist. But in some areas I need to do a better job of protecting myself from myself!

Working on the Goal Victory presentation over the last few weeks was incredibly enjoyable, and in spite of a few technical issues, the seminar was very successful. We were able to provide a lot of info in just an hour. The replay is available at GoalVictory.com if you want to check it out.

The preparation for the call was both energizing and exhausting. I poured so much effort into the presentation. For several nights I stayed up until 2 am working on it…and went to bed with a smile on my face. But once it was over, I crashed. I crashed hard. If something didn’t absolutely need to be done in the days following, I didn’t do it (hence the lack of posts).

There is a time and a place to surge, but you can’t do it indefinitely. Pacing is important. Going without sleep will only leave you productive for a short period of time.

A former boss and friend of mine is not a precisionist (not even close!). But he leverages different strengths to get things done and is very successful. He once told me “to not ruin good enough with perfect”. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

I need to hear that when I’m in the throes of perfecting things.

Now, I’m fully enthralled in the celebration of the holidays with my family. I won’t be working much for the next week. I hope you can find the time to put the rush of the holidays behind and simply enjoy the true reason for Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone! See you more in 2010!

James

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