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 IN MY TREASURE-TROVE

I have been pushing forward this movement a little over six months. I still struggle with a few things. You know those self-imposed barriers that I have to unlearn before I can learn new habits?  Six months hasn't been long enough for me to overcome procrastination and follow-through, those biggies that I must continue to push out of my way.

I can say that I have learned a lot by connecting with people and being an avid explorer of the World Wide Web. There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t come across a cool resource, tool, or person.  So I thought I would share with you 5 GOLDEN NUGGETS that are in my treasure-trove.

1. The 99%  – In February, I goggled how to make your ideas happen and was led to this book, Making Ideas Happen. After I read the free portions of the book, I ordered it without hesitation. I was blown away by Scott Belsky and his ability to capture my thinking about pushing ideas forward. I clicked another link and ended up on The 99% - the think tank of Behance. The 99% is a treasure trove of articles, tips, and videos on topics that are relevant and meaningful to this movement. It’s definitely my #1, go to Web site.
2. The Action Method – It’s a tool created by Behance and explained extensively in Making Ideas Happen. Because I have so many projects on my plate, I need to maintain organization at all times. Once I step away from a system, I’m all out of whack. This is a system that works for me. (I just have to stick to using it.) As a matter of fact, I’m going to order the Action Journal  as soon as I’m done writing this post.
3. Diigo.com – I needed an online bookmarking tool to keep track of my web resources. I found a list of social bookmarking tools and checked them all out. Diigo stood out because it had very cool features like the ability to highlight text, take notes, upload images, connect with communities, and create groups. It was also easy to use. I created the gonegirlgo Virtual Resource Library (VRL) which currently contains over 75 web resources related to the movement and will be accessible only to Challenge Me to Grow participants this fall.
4. Blogs have become a necessary component of my personal learning network, especially in the area of social media and entrepreneurship. Keeping up with them is overwhelming at times because there’s so much to make meaning of. Every once in a while, I come across a blog written just for me. Today I came across this one by Matt Ruddman - How to Blog to Discover your Profitable Ideas. He’s got something here, at least something that I found valuable. I met Matt at a coaching showcase presented by the Cleveland Coach Federation. He’s a social media strategist and coach. He hosts a Social Media Call every Wednesday at 12 p.m. est. Trust me, he’s a go-to for all things social media.
5. This TEDTalk is one of my favorites. Eve Ensler, writer of the play, The Vagina Monologue, speaks eloquently about the power of being a girl. She suggests that “being a girl is so powerful that we had to train everyone not to be that.” She also shares the stories of girls from around the world who have overcome some overwhelming odds. This video is very befitting of this movement so I included it as a curriculum resource of Challenge Me to Grow.

In my past time, I create inspirational messages that define gonegirlgo. You may have noticed them if you are my Facebook friend or follow me on Twitter @zoelyf1. The one that I repeat to myself frequently is - How will you know unless you push forward and go? It’s so true.  I wouldn’t have found these 5 golden nuggets, if I hadn’t of embarked on this journey. I wonder what golden nuggets you will find when you embark on yours.

Peace