i·de·a
/īˈdēə/
- Concept, thought, visualization, mental picture - A thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action - The aim or purpose
IDEAS are the foundation of so many things. Great businesses, movements, non-profits, and beneath those things: problems solved, needs met, and people served.
It starts with ideas. And when we do the work that matters - we make space for ideas to flourish. Because fresh ideas can lead to things that CHANGE peoples’ lives, literally.
What if Thomas Edison never had the idea for the lightbulb?
Alexander Graham Bell the telephone?
Henry Ford the car?
Steve Jobs the iPhone?
Gary Haugan and International Justice Mission?
Bob Goff Love Does?
What’s your idea? Are you making space for it to grow?
I have Kobi Yamada’s What Do You Do with an Idea for my 2 daughters - and its powerful. It inspires me every time I read it.
“I liked being with my idea. It made me feel more alive, like I could do anything. It encouraged me to think big…and then, to think bigger.
It shared its secrets with me. It showed me how to walk on my hands. Because, it said, it is good to have the ability to see things differently.
I don’t know how to describe it, but it went from being here to being everywhere. I wasn’t just a part of me anymore…it was now a part of everything.
And then, I realized what you do with an idea…
You change the world.”
I don’t want them to see limits, I only want them to see puzzles waiting to be solved. Waiting for you, waiting for me, waiting for all of us to walk in our identity (who we’ve been created to be) and go do it. Because we’ve each been given so many unique gifts that no one else has, and no one else would do it like we would.
So today - make space for IDEAS.
Wondering how?
Here's 5 ways you can start cultivating IDEAS on a regular basis right now:
1. Journaling. Cut out 5 minutes a day to put pen to paper, and write down ideas that you have that particular day, they can be big or small (all ideas are worth writing out), and practice the "habit" of ideating. When we write, we get clear, and this will allow you to start brainstorming around problems or repeated roadblocks you run into and potential solutions OR something you're passionate about and want to be a part of solving.
2. Outside Time. When I get outside, I come alive. I feel like there's no limit on my thinking....there's no ceiling (literally) only wide open spaces. There's something about being outside that really shifts your mindset. So take some time to just be intentional about being outside.
3. Social Media Fasting. We have so many voices coming at us all the time these days, so many that sometimes our own thoughts can get lost. I take a few days a week and block out social media, and I find that when I do that, new ideas come in and I'm able to capture those thoughts.
4. People. Being around friends and entrepreneurs fuels ideas, it provides a chance to "air" things out and talk through different ideas that are circulating in our brains. When people come together, iron can sharpen iron, one idea and fit into an idea from another, and this often leads to the best work we'll do.
5. Learning. Podcasts and reading books are my 2 favorite forms of learning, and every time I do these things, new ideas are sparked by the things that I read or things that I hear that may relate to a business that I'm working with or a challenge that I'm facing. Cultivating a lifestyle of learning is a great asset.
Set aside 5 minutes today and jot down some thoughts on what types of ideas you'd like to cultivate. Spend another 5 minutes a day ideating around those things, and you'll be amazed at the impact in your life and in the lives of those around you.