THE PERFECT PLATFORM TO STAND ON

I wrote this in 1996 to describe how I experienced life as a big ideas thinker:

Thoughts explode in my mind while I am trying to sleep causing urges of insomnia.

Guilt collides into my being because of these exploding thoughts that I let turn into duds.

I remember feeling so disappointed in myself because I wouldn’t execute my ideas.  And of course, that disappointment would turn into guilt and shame. It was very difficult walking around with all of that,but for years I chose to live with this because I refused to do anything with all those ideas that I had in my head. As a reformed big ideas thinker, I realize that being realistic is important and having a plan is critical, but being afraid to take an initial risk is ridiculous. My fear kept me bound and caused my big ideas to turn into duds.

What I am learning now is that having an idea isn’t enough. You have to have the guts.You have to have the wherewithal. You have to have stamina. You have to have a lot more than just a love of generating ideas.  Here’s what else I’ve discovered that you have to have to push forward your ideas:

THE PERFECT PLATFORM TO STAND ON!

A PLATFORM. As much as I love shoes, I can honestly say that I’m not referring to my favorite type of shoes (besideswedges, of course) – platforms.  The platform I’m referring to here is a belief that you can stand on. It includesyour message, your principles, your values that you want communicate to others. When I wrote my first blog, I didn’trealize that I was establishing a platform that encouraged idea execution. I was just sharing my experiences pushing forward my ideas. As I continued to explore the concepts and ideas that I came across, I realized that idea execution was my platform. Everything that gonegirlgo stands for relates to this very topic. You may have noticed that some of my Facebook postings and Tweets focus on motivating others to execute their ideas. Having a platform has helped shape the direction of the movement. I am able to focus on a central theme in my work rather than a several themes which for me can be overwhelming.  If you want to learn more about establishing a platform you should check out Michael Hyatt and his book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.

A BIAS TOWARD ACTION.  ScottBelsky says “While you may enjoy generating brilliant ideas and imagining new possibilities, you must approach every occasion of creativity with a dose of skepticism and a bias toward action.” I must admit, I’m still developing in this area.  After years of not having a bias toward action, I will continue to say that there a few things that I need to unlearn so that I have a relentless bias toward action.  Here’s what I constantly tell myself - Keep working at it. Keep pursing organization. Keep demanding protection of your time. Keep reflecting on your behaviors. Keep trying to change. Keep honing your focus. Keep developing wherewithal. Keep connecting with others. Keep pushing forward. And of course, gonegirlgo.

A SOCIALMEDIA STRATEGY. I am a member of Generation X, roughly those of us who were born in the late 60’s through the early 80’s. We did not grow up with computers in the classroom. We weren’t even exposed to Myspace in high school like my own kids. Facebook became our social media tool of choice just a few years ago.  Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, but I’m a little late getting on the social media bandwagon. I actually fought against tweeting for 2 years!  Now, I see the potential social media has, especially as an informal learning tool. But I’m still perplexed. How do I wrap my head around so many different social media platforms? Which platform will serve my purpose? When do I have time to use any of these platforms? Because I am exploring how to develop an internet based business, I decided to secure a social media strategist. Matt’s been helping me sort it all out.

I’m on my way. I’m in no rush. I have a platform. I’m developing a relentless bias toward action. I’m considering ways to use social media. I’m pushing forward. And I’m grateful that I can, even now.

Peace 

WHAT'S ON MY HEART AND MY MIND

There are times when I wonder if people really know what this movement is about and do they really get it? My desire is to communicate with clarity and conviction that this movement is for a niche of women who need encouragement, support, resources, and tools to make their ideas happen.  Some may question "why women" or "why ideas"? Both of are connected to my story. If you go back and read my early posts, I think you'll get a sense of why I am so compelled to remain faithful to this niche. I believe that there are so many women out there like me who just need a little push.  A little word of encouragement.  A little spark.  A little peek into the unknown.  I hope these women are saying to themselves, “If Zoe is pushing forward her ideas then so can I.”

What started as a verbal affirmation is evolving into a conduit of support. As time goes by and the more I learn, I see this movement becoming more than what I ever thought it could be.  There’s just something about being in this mode of pushing ideas forward. I see possibilities. I see connections. I see things that I've never seen before.  This isn’t to say that I got it all together or have all the answers.  I get bogged down with my tendency to over analyze situations. I get distracted by my life. I get discouraged when things don’t go as planned.  I hate it when people are mean and find myself channeling Rodney King, “Can we all just get along?” (That’s a lot to carry, but I do and it gets heavy sometimes…anyway).  Despite these hurdles, there’s something that keeps me pushing forward. It’s inside of me and it won’t go away.

I don’t know why I started this post like this. It’s not what I intended to write about initially. I guess when you have something on your heart, no matter how hard you try to ignore that issue it’s bound to come out. Thanks for listening to what's on my heart. Now let me tell you what's on my mind.



THE 5 ESSENTIAL ACTIONS OF
CHALLENGE ME TO GROW



This post is really about a new tool that I found that really excites me. It’s a technique that can be used to address 2 of the Essential Actions of Challenge Me to Grow

• QUESTION THE IDEA
• MAP THE IDEA

It’s called Starbursting and it provides a framework for questioning your idea (or issue, problem, challenge, etc.).  The key to the technique is generating as many questions as you can about your idea without answering them. It’s supposed to help you understand the scope of your idea more fully. Learn more about the technique by clicking here: Starbursting - Brainstorming Techniques from MindTools.com.

I haven’t used it yet, but you know I will. And when I do, I will share my take on it. If you use it, please share your take too because I would love to hear how it helped you push your idea forward.

Peace