Managing Your Big Idea So That It Doesn’t Eat Your Brain

Written by James - 37 Comments

“Good god. Not another blog…”

That was the first thought I had when I read the excited announcement on someone’s blog about another blog they’d created. It made me think of the other blog they had that they hadn’t maintained, not to mention the blog they were posting the announcement on.

“But it was such a great idea!!!…”

Yes, yes, I know. Chase the dream. Drop everything, quick! There’s a BIG IDEA happening, and we’d better do something about it fast – like, within the next 34.287 seconds before the whole blogosphere either discovers it too or moves on to the next BIG IDEA!

Ah, yes. And that next BIG IDEA is coming in exactly 14.756 seconds, so you’d better hold onto your pants, boys! It’s gonna blow your minds!

Not quite. Not even close. I may be too jaded or too much of a critical thinker, but when someone comes up with one of those BIG IDEAS, my first question is:

Why are you doing this?

Seriously. That’s the most crucial, integral and important question to answer before launching yet another blog, yet another business, yet another BIG IDEA into the world.

It’s even more important to ask questions of yourself if you already have one of those blogs, businesses or ideas sitting about collecting dust on the shelf. Why aren’t you paying attention to them first? Why are you leaping about from fad to fad? Do you believe your ship will come in – and in 12.842 seconds, no less?

Many people contact me to ask my thoughts on a new business idea or what direction they should take with their blog. I tell them exactly what I think, too. I point out the missing link, I ask the hard questions and I get people thinking.

(Apparently, thinking is becoming a lost art.)

My intention isn’t to deflate people or shoot down their ideas. Not at all. Each and every one of the people I shared my thoughts with have moved on to make better choices, get a more solid plan of action or drop a BIG IDEA that is just a damned waste of time (and it probably won’t bring in any money, either).

So I beg of you. Please. The next time you have one of those BIG IDEAS, and you suddenly want to leap off your chair, slap up a new template, create a site and roll it out the door, stop.

Take a deep breath. Take another. Don’t talk to anyone at all, either. You’ll only pick people who will get excited about your BIG IDEA and no one’s going to make any headway.

Just go for a walk alone and ask yourself, “Why the hell am I doing this?”

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