Igniting Change: Transforming Ideas Into Reality
The exact number of thoughts that pass through one’s mind in a single day is incredible, with the National Science Foundation approximating over 70,000. As the mind continues to (or, in this day and age, attempts to) wander, the amount of ideas and mere fragments of ideas is unbelievable.
Yet, only a very small percentage of those ideas actually turn into a tangible product, a final project, or reality. Where’s the bridge between the two? How do you transform ideas into reality? From business models to new inventions, this article will outline a few ways you’ll be able to do just that.
- Let your mind wander
Most of our thoughts become interrupted before they fully form. Our minds get distracted, ideas get cut off, and individuals rarely circle back to them. Today, technology, notifications on cellular devices, and the inherent “busyness” that absorbs most of our lives takes over, forbidding our mind to fully wander, or pick out ideas that could be much further developed.
According to Canadian writer Chris Bailey, “It turns out that when we do work in front of a computer, especially when our phone is nearby, we focus on one thing for just 40 seconds before we switch to doing something else”.
By letting your ideas fully form (or at least develop into more than a passing thought), you’ll be one step closer to evolving your own projects! A possibility could turn into a scribble on a piece of paper, to a Word Document, to a business plan — if you let it.
2. Have faith (in your ideas, and yourself)
How can you expect someone to believe in your idea or your business plan if you yourself do not believe in it? Having faith in a concept that you stand behind is more than expecting it to succeed. It is researching, overcoming failure after failure, and believing that at some point, it will do well.
Sir James Dyson, creator of the Dyson vacuum, went through 5, 126 failed prototypes of his product before it succeeded, and devoted himself to the idea, through FAITH, for 15 years.
3. ASK!
You don’t know everything.
What’s more, because the world is always developing, evolving and changing, you will never know everything.
But your network can help.
Taking the crucial step of asking for a second opinion, for advice, or for a consultation on a particular idea can be transformative for a business model, a project, or anything else you think of! Speaking with industry professionals, mentors, or students with different academic backgrounds will aid you in transforming your ideas into reality.
If you don’t have a strong network, make it a priority to develop it (not only quantity wise, but quality wise as well — it’s key that you generate meaningful connections).
So, take it from James Dyson, Chris Bailey, and your own mind — let your ideas wander a little longer, and you could be one step closer to developing your own business or pursuing an entrepreneurial venture.
