Get It Out of Your Head

28 Aug Get It Out of Your Head

If you ask most entrepreneurs where they keep all of their ideas, they’ll likely say in their head.

Your brain is a beautiful machine, but if you’re only keeping your ideas in your head, you’re working against yourself.

When you’re able to write things down, not only do you remember them, but you’re taking that one critical step to making them 100% actionable.

About 20 years ago, I started regularly writing everything down, in what I call Interesting Thoughts or “IT” books. These “IT” books I’ve collected over the years and I read back through my most recent ones and older ones quite often. I’m always amazed at my creativity is sparked even more when I read through ideas that I tried and ones I’ve yet to try.

As a business owner, you’re constantly bombarded with challenges and if you are anything like me, you’re probably generating hundreds of new ideas every month. And, when you do not write your ideas down, you’re subconsciously filing them away never to be seen from again.

So, this week I challenge you to do three things…

1. Figure out an idea capturing system. It may be through using a Google doc or a voice recorder, or even having an idea journal in your car or next to your bed. The key is to have something you can consistently turn to, to get your ideas out of your head and, ideally, on paper.
2. Take time out every day to write. Whether you take 5 minutes every morning, 15 minutes at night, or an hour at the end of the week – make time to explore your ideas. Some of them may be immediately actionable, some may require you to do more research. Either way, you want to start putting actions with your ideas to see if you can make something happen.
3. Reflect and revise. Your thoughts can spur great action and success in your life and for your business. Go back every few months and review your ideas. Which ones did you act on and with what result? Which did you not act on that now you need to? I always like to give myself the task of finding at least one new idea each quarter to try. This way I’m constantly testing my ideas to see which ones may work and this helps me to generate even more practical and sometimes business-changing ideas in the future.

So, this week — dedicate time to getting your ideas down on paper and into action so you can be performing at your best.