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