How do you focus on your ideas?

[sugarlab]

I think a big thing that makes a great business owner is ideas: what new products/services to offer, how to improve customer service, marketing, etc. You have a vision for the business and what you want it to be. Sometimes though, we (and by we I really mean me, right now) can get stuck in idea mode and never actually move into action; especially those that are solo-preneuers or have a very small team. When you have so many ideas on the direction to take your business, how do you pick a path? When your ideas can be contradictory, how do you choose? 

[CareyJo]

Great question @sugarlab!!

I am a solo-preneuer and a dual-preneuer.  My husband and I own our businesses with no employees but I definitely have been ruminating on a dream for over 10 years and I completely agree - sometimes we get stuck in the idea stage and never take action.  I'm there.  Been here a loooooooooooooooooooong time.

Unfortunately, it's all on me.  I chose to waste all of that time, not knowing it was going to be all of that time.  Now, I'm realizing that I have legitimate obstacles in front of me:  I'm aging, I'm not as physically able to do the work I could do 10 years ago, my husband wants to retire, etc.  How can I possibly think about pursuing a new dream this late in life.  I've been reminded by a couple people here in the Community to not let my age be a factor but it's hard because I have mobility issues that are a factor as well.

Part of me wishes that I could just leap - start tomorrow and go full bore without holding back.  The realistic part of me is pulling the reins back because we have a full time business that is BUSY and demanding of my time.  At this point in time, I need to either jump or let it go.

Now, when it comes to ideas in our current business, I'm the creative one.  My husband comes up with just a spark of an idea and my brain is off and running.  I tend to jump on those things and make them happen as quickly as possible.  I start with notes of what I'm doing and where I want to go with it and put a plan in place.  If it's doable, I move.  If it takes time, then I make steps along the way.  That's how I do all of my projects.  I've said it a million times - you cannot eat an elephant all in one bite.  Whether it's a new sewing project, planning an event, working with my mentee or working on Festival of Trees for the current year, I'm always taking little steps towards the end result.  I don't allow myself to do everything all at once or at the due date.  I shop for Christmas beginning on December 26th.  I work at it all year.  I have to.  We have 16 grandchildren.  I have birthdays all year.  I'm an event planner, so I spend a lot of time working towards and end goal and planning ahead.

My best answer to this question is making a plan, deciding what steps to take first and then doing them one at a time.

[sugarlab]

I wish I had a way to keep track of all of my projects. Like, the idea of being "type A" sounds lovely. Having everything organized, almost insanely. But my spicy ADHD brain just can't seem to tackle that. I'm grateful that I currently have a gal on my team who is good at staying organized and keeping the trains running, along with reigning me in when I get a little too creative. HAHA. But she's gone down to part time and will be leaving the business sometime this year. All good things for her but that does leave me to find the systems that work for me. 

[CareyJo]

I am definitely a mostly Type A person but I've mentored enough people to know that we have to find what works for us as individuals, even in our work.  You are 100% right about finding what works for you.  Think outside of the box, don't limit your creativeness in this pursuit and don't feel like you have to do what everyone else does.

Maybe think of a few things that you do in your creative state that help you - do you use a journal or notebook to log all of your ideas?  Do you hang up a million sticky notes on a wall?  What outlet do you use for your creativity?

Take that method and use it to create a new way of doing things, one step at a time, so you're not overwhelmed.  For example, if you use a journal or notebook, start by categorizing sections of it for areas of your business.  Use those sections to track what needs to get done by simply writing it down on a page, in any fashion you like.  You're making a list of sorts without actually making a list and using your creativity at the same time.  It can be sideways or all over the page, it doesn't have to be in order.

You can use any number of methods to help you track things without causing anxiety for your brain.  I call my house and leave myself messages so I don't forget because I'm driving.  I have notes on my phone as well as texts.  I have a work phone and a personal phone.  I text one or the other when I'm busy so that I can see it later.  I even sometimes send myself an email.

The other thing I would recommend in small amounts, is time blocking.  Set aside an appropriate amount of time for you to tackle one thing.  Whether that is 15 minutes or one hour, whatever works for you.  The shorter you keep that time, the more focused you will stay and accomplish your goal.  You will be less easily sidetracked if you know you've only got 15 minutes to get it done.  Then give yourself a mental break for 5 minutes.  Shift gears, get a drink, whatever.  Once you can establish doing time blocks in small increments, you can increase them over time.  The biggest benefit to this is not overwhelming your brain because you're not telling yourself you have 20 things to do and 8 hours to do them in.

I think if you find what works for you, you will be greatly successful!!

[JTPets]

I am an undiagnosed spicey brained individual, I have caffinee or other "herbs" and relax my brain - I remind myself I can only do what I can do and what I can do is enough!

Sometimes you are productive and other times you are in idea mode - but all of that time is important and allows us to do what we do which is more than the average joe.

If you can't focus on it to do it, it wasnt that important - the good ideas motivate you to focus on them - the other probaly offer little ROI in the end.

[sugarlab]

Hello fellow neurospicy! I was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago now. Stimulants do NOTHING for my brain but I'm constantly drinking caffeine in some form or another so I'm sure that helps. I actually told my mom (whom I suspect is where I got my ADHD) to start drinking more caffeine. She's been retired for some years now and even her doc has told her that her dopamine levels are down. I just asked her today if she's been drinking as much coffee as she used to when she was working full time and she isn't. Hoping that helps her for a long list of things. 

I do appreciate your comment about important versus not. I definitely use that to try to not be so hard on myself. I'm getting orders done, so it's not like I am completely in idea mode and unable to get stuff out the door. I know I need to do some goal setting and I think that should help focus me a bit. 

[doc_choc]

I have to stay focussed. There are always so many ideas whirling around in the brain box that I would need to tag an extra 30 years to my three score and ten! For me January, after a busy golden quarter is where I really have the most ideas. Can't do them all though. Good old pen and paper, write them down, prioritise as to those which are achievable, how much resource input is required and which is likely to offer ROI. Of these ideas there are also those which are likely to be more enjoyable to implement, but again got to keep your business head on and focus on the business improvement.

[ChickenRacer]

A long time ago, I had to make peace with the fact that I will have 50 ideas, I will try 10, and 1 might be good. I must admit, it's the main reason I feel I have to work for myself, if I hold to many of my idea-gams's in, it leads to frustration haah!

I guess I will never stop the process of ideas, as that keeps me motivated and interested. In fact I probabky spend a little too much time on them, but just have to think about them whilst performing the mundane.

Sometimes the failures are the ones I learn more from, so it's never being scared to have a crack.

In terms of choosing them, it's not jumping into them straight away, but seeing which ones keep forcing their way to the front of your mind for me.