When is the last time you went to a workshop or read an article and got a great idea about how to improve your RCIA process? Did you come away thinking, “Wow, we really have to try that!” And then didn’t?
When I first got into the publishing business, a prospective author called me to pitch a book idea. Only he wouldn’t tell me the idea. He claimed his idea was so revolutionary that “it would sell a million copies.” But he wouldn’t tell me what it was for fear he would lose control of the idea. Someone might steal the idea or take credit for it.
Ideas are easy; execution is hard
The truth is, ideas are easy. I have 20 or 30 ideas every day before lunch. What matters is execution. You can go to a hundred workshops and read the best insights from the top experts and still be no better off than you were before. The one thing that will improve your RCIA process is putting great ideas into action.
Why our ideas never launch
That seems obvious, but it is actually kind of hard to pull off. Those 20 or 30 ideas I have every day before lunch—almost none of them ever make it past lunch. Here are some of the reasons my ideas often don’t amount to much:
- I forget what I thought up
- I don’t have time to work on it
- The idea is too hard to pull off
- It wasn’t that great of an idea in the first place
- It was a great idea, but it doesn’t have much to do with my primary goals
- It’s a little crazy, and I’m worried what other people will think
- It’s a great idea; it’s worth the time; it’s doable; it fits my goals; people will love it; and I still don’t do it
It’s that last roadblock that hurts. The rest I can live with. For example, I have an idea that’s been on my to-do list for almost two years now. If I ever get it done, you’re going to love it. I’m surprised nobody ever thought of it before. But still, it sits there, mocking me, unfinished.
Today is the day to change your RCIA process
If you have ideas like that, why not change things today? Take just one idea. Write it down. And then break it down into smaller ideas. And then break those down into even smaller ideas. So now your great big wonderful idea is maybe 20 baby-bite-sized ideas. Then do just one of those bite-sized ideas a day for the next 20 days. Voilà! You’ve launched a great idea that’s going to greatly improve your RCIA process.
Walt Disney said, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." So, I have to go now. I just had an idea.
What’s your great idea?
Share your best ideas for improving the RCIA process below and inspire the rest of us to get started.
That’s so true. Ideas are so easy and execution is a bear! Especially if you’re already busy working in the program, finding time to work on the program seems impossible. I like your idea to break the project down into manageable, bite-sized chunks.
There’s also the suggestion from Getting Things Done for starting projects–outline the idea, the first steps, and the desired outcome, then figure out what the next action step is and take it. Sometimes you can get bogged down in specifics. You really only need to know the next action step to take before getting started. Then you can flesh it out as you go along.
Anyway, great post!
Thanks for the tip from GTD Marc. It’s a great system. I’ve used it for years.