Getting Clear About Which Ideas to Explore Further
Generating ideas is easy, but determining which ideas are worth exploring further is more complicated. After all, you don’t want to waste your time and resources pursuing an idea that will never materialize.
So, how do you determine which ideas are worth exploring further? Let’s start with the following:
What motivates you? Is it financial gain, personal fulfillment, the desire to make a difference – or a combination of everything? Understanding your “WHY” is crucial because it helps assess if the idea aligns with your principles, morals, and values.
What are you willing to give up? Pursuing an idea requires sacrifice, possibly permanently. Are you ready, willing, and able to put in the hard work, time, and resources needed to make the vision a reality? Are you willing to take risks, face challenges, and overcome obstacles? You need to answer these important questions to determine whether an idea is worth exploring further.
What is your starting point? Do you have the skills, knowledge, and commitment to pursue the idea? If not, can you acquire them? Is the concept realistic based on your current situation? Again, being honest with yourself is crucial because it helps determine if you have what it takes to pursue the idea to completion.
Now, let’s look at each of these a little closer…
Understanding Your “Why”
Understanding the “why” behind an idea or goal is an important part of the process. When you know what motivates you, assessing whether an idea aligns with your values and beliefs is much easier. This alignment is important because pursuing a goal that conflicts with your values and beliefs can lead to dissatisfaction, frustration, and a lack of fulfillment.
For example, if starting a side hustle is your goal, you may need to ask yourself why you want to do it. Is it because you want to make a difference, or is it solely to make money? If your goal is only to make money, but the work conflicts with your values and beliefs, you may feel unfulfilled even if the business succeeds.
Whether an idea aligns with your values and beliefs requires introspection and self-awareness. You must understand what is important to you, what you stand for, and your willingness to compromise. When you know these things, making informed decisions about which ideas to pursue becomes much clearer.
Understanding your “WHY” also helps you stay motivated when pursuing a goal. If your goal aligns with your values and beliefs, you are more likely to be passionate and committed to achieving it. As a result, you will have a deeper sense of purpose and be more likely to overcome obstacles and challenges along the way.
Determine What You’re Willing to Give Up
Determining what you’re willing to give up as you work to make your goals a reality helps you decide whether an idea is worth exploring. Pursuing a goal requires sacrifice, and considering what you’re willing to give up before committing to it is vital.
The sacrifices required to achieve a goal are significant and, in some cases, permanent. For example, if you want to start your own business, you may need to give up your steady job, sacrifice your free time, and invest significant money to get started. You may also need to make personal sacrifices, such as postponing other important goals.
Always consider what you’re willing to give up before committing to a goal by asking yourself the question and truly answering it: What will I sacrifice, and what am I not willing to do to make this a reality? Is it Time, energy, or money? Or all three? Be realistic and honest about what you are willing to give up and what you are not. If you are unwilling to make the sacrifices required, it may be better to pursue a different goal.
However, it is also essential to remember that sacrifice is not always permanent. Sacrifices made to achieve a goal are most often temporary, while the rewards last a lifetime. For example, sacrificing your free time to start a business may lead to financial independence, eventually allowing you to have more free time.
Knowing that sacrifice is often required to achieve meaningful goals requires being realistic and honest with yourself. Making informed decisions about which goals to pursue, the sacrifices you are willing to make, and how you’ll achieve them will ensure your success.
Know Your Starting Point
Without knowing where you are, you cannot create a plan for how to get where you want to be. Without a solid plan, you’ll never reach your goals. When evaluating your starting point and your plan, it is again important to be brutally honest with yourself. As mentioned in many of my previous articles PLANNING is essential to all life-changing endeavors and Writing it Down is almost MANDATORY
Being honest with where you are now will help determine whether an idea is worth exploring. Evaluate your situation honestly and assess whether the idea is realistic based on your circumstances. For example:
- Do You Have Time?
Time is a significant factor to consider when evaluating an idea. Do you have the time to pursue the idea while fulfilling your current obligations? Do you have the flexibility to adjust your schedule to make time? If not, it’s likely time to reevaluate your priorities or postpone until you have more time available. - Do You Have the Skills?
Skills are another important factor to consider. Do you have the necessary skills to pursue an idea, or will you need to acquire new ones? If you need to develop new skills, do you have the time and resources to do so? If not, you may need to consider pursuing a different idea or finding a way to develop the necessary skills.
Do You Foresee Conflicts?
Commitments, such as family and work obligations, are crucial. Will pursuing the idea conflict with your current commitments? Can you manage both, and will you need to make sacrifices? If the idea conflicts with your obligations, you may need to postpone or adjust it to align with your current obligations.
Do You Know Enough?
Knowledge is another important factor to consider. Do you have the necessary knowledge to pursue the idea, or will you need to research and gain new knowledge? Can you access the required resources if you need to learn more?
Determining whether an idea is worth exploring further requires evaluating your current situation honestly and assessing whether the idea is realistic based on your current circumstances, such as time, skills, commitments, and knowledge. When you make informed decisions about what you’ll pursue, you’ll avoid wasting time and resources on unrealistic things.
Day 3 ‘Finding Clarity’ Evaluate Your Ideas Exercise
- Step 1: Write down the idea or goal you are considering or pursuing.
- Step 2: Evaluate your motivations for pursuing this idea or goal. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to pursue this?”
- Step 3: Assess whether the idea or goal aligns with your values and beliefs. Ask yourself, “Does this idea or goal conflict with what is important to me?”
- Step 4: Determine what sacrifices you’re willing to make to achieve this goal. Ask yourself the hard question, “What am I willing to give up in order to make this happen?”
- Step 5: Be honest with yourself about your current situation. Evaluate your time, skills, commitments, and knowledge. Ask yourself, “Is this idea or goal realistic based on my current situation?”
- Step 6: Reflect on your answers to the previous steps. Based on your evaluation, decide whether the idea or goal is worth pursuing further or if you need to adjust.
- Step 7: Write a summary of your evaluation and your decision. This could include a statement on whether you will pursue the idea or goal, any adjustments you need to make, or why you have decided not to pursue it.
Write down your answers to these questions so you can use your answers to evaluate whether an idea is worth exploring further. Then, put a star next to your Top 3 ideas and set aside. In a couple of days, you’ll pick just ONE of these ideas to focus on for the remainder of this challenge.
