Category Archives: do the work

the myth of the great idea

Posted by on May 7, 2012 No comments

I grew up believing that there are million dollar ideas. If I could just think of one and be there first that I could be living the good life! I thought that ideas were worth something. Of course we’re taught that romantic perspective of great ideas… You even hear people say, “I had that idea! I could have been a millionaire!”

It turns out great ideas don’t really do anything. A great or even EARTH SHATTERING idea will not make you wealthy.

What I didn’t understand was that a great idea requires so much more.

A great idea requires…
effective implementation.
a sustainable model.
a vision for it’s future.
relentless pursuit, in the face of extreme adversity.
the right people to grow and cultivate it.
and MORE.

I believe great ideas are extraordinarily overrated. Why? Because when you align yourself with the kind of work you can truly believe in, the kind of work that fills you to the core with real passion.

The last thing you need is a great idea.

implement now

Posted by on May 2, 2012 No comments

The biggest excuse I believe we commonly gift ourselves is in not implementing immediately because a variable isn’t perfect or “ready”. There are several paths to get to a finished product and overemphasis on quality (while important) usually deters most from ever getting anything finished.

It can be a bit of a catch-22. Our ambition seeks a high standard. We don’t want to deliver anything less than that ambition. The catch here is that there’s only one way to get to our real ambition. Volumes of work. I MEAN TONS OF TONS OF WORK. That means you have to be OK with implementing now and getting your work out there, ASAP. Especially if it’s not where you truly want it to be.

Most people that shy away from implementing are missing out on a lot. For one they aren’t honing their craft so they truly aren’t improving or at least improving at a quick pace. Secondly, ideas without action are theory. Your theory may seem amazing and grandiose; however, I assure you that without hard data and implementation of that theory – it’s really nothing.

I’d also like to suggest that your best ideas don’t come from sitting around thinking. They come from doing. If your canvas is blank, it’s probably a great time to start painting… now.

you will get knocked down

Posted by on April 25, 2012 No comments

No problem.

You’re going to eat shit. That’s fine.

It’s going to affect you. Ok.

No one is immune to this. We all feel and experience it. Lets talk about a few things NOT to do when this happens…

1. Don’t draw conclusions about yourself or your chances at getting to where you desire.
This is the WORST time to start chalking up reasons to quit or stop doing what you’re doing. That voice in your head is NOT your friend.

2. Get back in the game ASAP.
You’ll make yourself miserable the longer you delay getting back into action. Start doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING to get the wheels spinning in the right direction.

3. Don’t take it personally.
Remind yourself that it’s a privileged to live your life in the direction of your dreams. There’s always more work to do and endless amounts of growth to achieve. Don’t be too hard on yourself.