Do you have "too many ideas"? People keep telling me this. What they really mean is that they have more ideas than they have time or focus or criteria for selection. "Too many ideas" is a good thing. It means you have enthusiasm and energy, but raw ideas can create writer's block. Here are the six steps to refine your gusher of "too many ideas" into business success.
1. Do a mind dump. List all your ideas writing in a journal or on your computer. As long as those ideas float around your mind, you can't let anything new come in or see how the ideas fit together.
2. Categorize the ideas. What goes together? Maybe one or more ideas go with more than one category. That's fine, too. List them wherever they go. A computer helps here, so you can copy and paste quickly. If you have mind mapping software, you can show all the relationships. If not, just make lists.
3. Develop the ideas and get more by writing every morning or evening in a journal. Write about anything that comes to mind. You can write one minute about your life and then *poof!*, blog, product, and service ideas will emerge. Writing frees up ideas and writing over times combines and shapes your ideas.
4. Use your business vision and business plan to shape and select your ideas. Do you have a vision for your business? If not, to get started, sit quietly, close your eyes, and take some slow deep breaths. Who do you want to serve? What problems do want to help them solve? What do you see for yourself in your business in five years? In ten? Whose business do you admire? Start writing and keep writing. Do some research. Write some more. Research some more. Your vision will evolve over time, and so will the details of your step-by-step plan.
5. Focus on developing the one idea that fits where you are in your business today. For example, if you don't have a website yet, then start there first, designing it to fit your vision. If you have a website, but you don't offer a gift for people who opt-in to your e-mail list, then start there with a short, but valuable e-book or video. If you have an opt-in gift, select another product that your community needs right now.
6. Persist Over Time. You'll win in your business like the tortoise in the fable, "The Tortoise and the Hare". "Slow but steady wins the race." When you keep writing down your ideas, they start to combine and take shape. You work on each product one at a time, and eventually your business grows into your vision--and beyond.
Questions for Reflection and Comment
Where are you in your business vision and plan?
After dumping all your ideas on paper, what are the top one or two that fit your business vision and plan?
What do you need to do today to get started writing an e-book, report, video, or other product based on that idea?
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Please also comment below and let me know the questions and concerns on your mind about this topic, as well as any tips that work for you.
Thank you !! These are awesome steps!! I will be more concscious of these steps and put them into practice, however, step number one hits me the most... For me, I always have a tremendous amount of ideas running upstairs which causes procrastination and confusion for me.. When I take those ideas and write them down, I will receive direction, clarity, and forward moving momentum.... Anthony Fazzary CPC
Anthony, I'm so glad that this article hits home for you. Personally, I'd drown in my ideas and never get anything done if I didn't have a system like this.
I've written several e-books and sold them for several years. In my business plan, e-books were a great first product but you can't sell them for very much. My most expensive one is $24.95. I make steady income each month from them, but it's rarely over $1,000. After that, I found that I needed to move to more expensive services and products. These can be coaching/consulting and courses. So I think you're right that you have to consider where you are in your business plan and vision.
Ellen,
I agree that ebooks can be a stepping stone for some people to want coaching, consulting, or courses. They may need to see the books or other small products to have the confidence in the provider. They provide credibility, too.
My steps, though, apply to any kind of product, service, or business idea. The thing is to get those ideas on paper so they can get out of your head. The good ones will keep coming up and developing.