As we all know, an idea without execution is little more than a waste of time. Similarly, executing on anything that doesn’t have a clear idea behind it (or in which you do not really believe) also represents a waste. So what’s the formula to make your ideas into something?
Ideas can come very easy. Big, small, difficult to describe or simple and straightforward. But as we know, ideas without execution really are not worth much.
So how do you move your one-in-a-million business idea into execution phase? You certainly need a strong objective to drive you (money should not be one!). The accepted wisdom is for you to find your passion first, then to build something.
A quest for passion.
Developing your passion strengthens your belief, and if you passionately believe in something you will be in a better position to “make” your idea real.
However, to find your passion might not be as straightforward as it sounds.
Especially for very curious people, who want to try a lot of different things and might find it difficult to choose. Or for those who have a very short attention span, or whom get bored very quickly (even of things they like very much…).
If you are one of them, you will need variety to keep you concentrated and sharp on what you do. So for you, a standard routine would be, for example, to “read-write-play guitar-watch a movie-surf the web”, sequentially or often simultaneously packed into a very short timeframe. The principle is, it’s the variety element that enhances each and every experience, and makes it whole at the same time.
An attention deficit can be a problem of course, especially if you want to embark on an entrepreneurial trajectory. As they say, you need to stick to things to make them happen.
The majority of entrepreneurs, however, are required to juggle as many balls as they can 24×7, so the ability to quickly shift your focus to different and often unrelated things might actually turn into an asset, and make the transition into execution somewhat less painful.
What is passion anyway?
How would you define passion? Is it to care deeply for something – a cause for example? Or is it the impulse to learn everything about it that turns it into your passion? And if you’re passionate about something, is it healthy to be driven to change it and run the risk of turning it into something that you don’t feel that passionate about anymore?
Once you’ve found your passion, it’s very important to expose it to and socialize it with as large a number of people as possible. They might not know it yet, but they might be as passionate as you are. I believe that this step alone will be the most important one in your quest.
Passion + Ideas + Focus = Making things!
Once you’ve found your passion, and you’ve come up with cool ideas, you need to give yourself enough time to focus and “make” those ideas into something tangible, even if it’s just a minimum viable product to start with. Unlike ingredients in a cake though, I believe you cannot reverse the equation and start with the idea or the focus. It has to be passion first.
Don’t be afraid of making things that break.
So if passion and belief are in place, you’re on the right path to “idea making”. Practice and iteration will make it easier for you to get going.
Interestingly, if you develop this habit, the idea making practice will in turn become the fundamental vehicle for your passions! Making stuff transforms the intangible into tangible, truer to others and even to you. The stuff you make becomes the token that gets passed around, that feeds back into the excitement and nurtures your belief.
So feed your ideas with passion, let them blossom and make them happen. And don’t be afraid of failures: those are only there to make you try harder the next time.
