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Buckminster Fuller (one of my heros) once said, “Real wealth is ideas + energy.”
Now, I may not know you, but I’ll bet you have an idea (or a lot of them) inside of you that you’re thinking of energizing and sharing with the world? And, I’ll bet you’re wondering if your idea (or ideas) will make an impact?
In this episode I share four criteria you can vet your idea against to determine whether or not it has the potential to make a big impact.
Doing this will give you a better sense of whether or not you should put energy into it.
Why is it so important to determine if your idea has the potential to make a big impact before you put a lot of energy into it?
Because ideas are the seeds of wealth. You want to make sure the seed you’re thinking of planting has the potential to reap a big harvest (i.e. make a big impact) before you plant it. The bigger the impact your idea makes, the more wealth that will be created for yourself and others.
The two best things about ideas are:
- They’re accessible by anyone. Ideas don’t discriminate. They don’t care if you’re rich or poor, happy or sad, good looking or average. They will come to anyone who is open and receptive to receiving them.
- There are an infinite number of them floating in the ether. All waiting to be picked, energized, and shared with the world.
It doesn’t matter that there have been some truly stellar ideas picked from the ether and already brought into the world (e.g. fire, the wheel, the internet).
There are still more stellar ideas available there. A lot more.
And, the ideas still in the ether are going to be a lot more exciting than even the most epic ideas we’ve seen so far.
Why? Because as our awareness and consciousness grows, so do the quality of our ideas. Because of this, the ideas that we’ll see in the future will just get better and better.
The future is indeed bright.
If your idea is good, it can make a huge impact. When this happens, it becomes a win/win for both you and those who benefit from your idea.
In a best case scenario, your idea changes the hearts and minds of anyone who comes into contact with it, including yourself.
It changes the way people live their lives and run their businesses.
Now, I realize, that the only tried and true way to know if your idea will make an impact or not is to energize it, and see how it’s received by others.
But, there’s a simpler way to vet you idea that doesn’t require putting a lot of energy into it.
And it takes just a few minutes.
Investing the time to do this will give you a good sense of whether or not your idea is worth energizing.
Here’s how to know if your idea has a good chance of making an impact:
An idea makes an impact when:
- There is a need or desire for the idea to be energized.
- The idea is energized by the right person.
- The idea is energized at the right time.
- The idea is energized in the right way.
When all four criteria are met, your idea stands a good chance of making an impact. And, in some cases, a big one.
4 Ways to tell if your idea has the potential to make a big impact
1 – Is there a need or a desire for your idea to be energized?
There has to be a market for your idea. Doing some market research on the front really pays off. This step is all about listening to people, tuning in to what their problems and pain points are and how you can solve them.
Remember what master marketer Seth Godin said, “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”
2 – Are you the right person to energize your idea?
Do you have the background (the knowledge and experience) to energize your idea better than, or as well as, anyone else?
This is where preparation meets planning.
Do you have a deep passion for the subject? Does it light your fire? Does it make you come alive? Is it in your heart?
Having a passion for your idea will keep you in the game long after the initial excitement has worn off. Passion will pull you through when times get tough.
Based on success stories of some of the biggest idea energizers on the planet, times will definitely get tough at some point. If you derive a strong enjoyment from everything about your idea, you’ll weather the storms of doubt and push on.
Would you energize your idea even if you didn’t make a dime, or it didn’t make an impact?
Look at the situation another way. Instead of asking whether you’re worthy of your idea, ask if your idea is worthy of you. This exercise can bring a lot of clarity to the situation.
3 – Is now the right time to energize your idea?
In my opinion, the time is always right for good ideas.
I’m convinced that if a good idea fails to make an impact, then it was one of the other four criteria that were not met.
Can you show people how your idea will make their lives better? Make them happier, healthier, or wealthier? If so, give it a shot!
After you’ve come up with a good idea that will enhance people’s lives, then it’s all about the marketing.
4 – Can you energize your idea in the right way?
A good idea that not introduced to others in the right way will probably fail. I like to keep the following in mind when I’m sharing a new idea with people.
I remember that they haven’t seen it before.
They aren’t intimately familiar with the idea like I am. So, I try to look at the idea with fresh eyes — just as they will be seeing it. It helps to come at it from their perspective.
Quote of the Week:
The same gut-sense is important in business, too. Yet so many people ignore the inner voice and end up trudging through their professional lives feeling unfulfilled. Instead of tuning in to their hearts, they follow the cacaphony of the chorus about what they’re supposed to be doing, or what is most prestigious, or what is the safest path. Well, I have news for you. Prestigious jobs can be boring and soul-deadening. And the safest, most conventional route doesn’t guarantee success, much less joy.
[This is how one of Donny’s guests knows when to trust her gut.] If you can imagine yourself in the future looking back and feeling sad that you didn’t go for it, that’s how you know.” ~ Excerpt from: The Big Idea: How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, From the AHA Moment to Your First Million, by Donny Deutsch
Resources Mentioned:
- The Big Idea: How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, From the AHA Moment to Your First Million: A great book for anyone with big ideas who want some valuable insight into what to do next.
Awesome Resources Created Just For You:
- Just Be It! – Improve your performance and your results in any area of your life quickly and easily!
- The Alchemy of Despair – 17 of the most effective techniques I’ve ever encountered for reclaiming your happiness!
- The Magic of Being – Teach your child how to develop their self-image in a fun, entertaining way!
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All the best – health, wealth, and success!
Mark
