Previous posts have talked about making a commitment and turning your dreams into reality. Today, it’s time to leap into action! I will give you the first steps to capture your ideas and turn them into actionable goals. Before we get to your life goals, I’d like to talk a bit more about Idea Leaders and what differentiates them from the pack.
Are you an Idea Leader?
You can spot an Idea Leader from a mile away. Idea Leaders are the people who are known not only for their achievements, but also by their ability to follow through on their commitments. Idea Leaders hold themselves accountable. They act in the face of fear. They make their idea a reality. They don’t waffle. They stand their ground and let others shift around them. This may sound or feel scary in our “duck and cover your arse (CYA)” society, but I believe that playing it safe is the new risky.
It may sound counterintuitive, but there is unimaginable freedom in making a commitment and keeping it.
“Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose—and commit myself to—what is best for me.” — Paulo Coelho, The Zahir.
In commitment, you can have all of the views, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions flow through you and be a part of you. They do not magically disappear. But with commitment, you don’t have to be indecisive, let your doubts influence your actions, or defend your commitment. You just have to commit and then be willing to practice, practice, practic
So when I say commit to the idea, what does that look like as Practice 2: Commit? Let’s get started.
How to Capture an Idea and Write a Commitment Statement
Step 1: Capture one idea
You probably have thousands of ideas that you may want to see happen, and probably have captured quite a few in Practice 1: Anchor already. So if you haven’t completed your Steps to Success from Practice 1, take five minutes to write down all the ideas that immediately come to mind that you would like to make happen. Don’t overthink this. Just write down ideas. As mentioned in Practice 1: Anchor, this will become your Big Idea file.
Step 2: Create your commitment statement
In Step 2, from this point forward you’re going to keep a Mission to Million$ Journal that contains your commitments. To build this practice, you will pick one of those ideas to work with initially (you can always add more). You will next write out your commitment based on the idea you want to see happen.
So, looking at what you wrote down in Practice 1, what is the commitment you have to make to ensure the idea happens? These commitment statements are intended to capture the Big Ideas you want to make happen, and will be as diverse as you are yourself, in your interests, passions, hobbies, and pursuits.
Here are some sample commitment statements you can use to write your own:
Sample 1. I am committed to making Big Ideas happen in a way that supports people worldwide in being successful.
Sample 2. I am committed to finding my dream job.
Sample 3. I am committed to raising $10,000 for my favorite charity.
Sample 4. I am committed to being in the best shape of my life.
Step 3: Create five goals you will achieve to deliver on that commitment
The purpose of capturing the five goals is to get to a place where you can start taking action. Actions, discussed in Step 4, will evolve daily, as ideas are fluid in nature, and have to adapt as the wind shifts. If you are stuck on what goals to write around your ideas, sometimes it helps to think about the following areas:
Career/Co-workers – What do I want to do in my career around this idea?
Financial – Do I have any financial goals around the idea?
Education – What education do I require to deliver on this idea?
Family/Friends – How could I involve my friends and family in supporting me in this idea?
Creativity – What do I want to create with this idea?
Attitude – Who do I need to be to make this idea happen?
Physical – What things do I need to do to support myself physically to deliver on this idea?
Fulfillment – What do I want to get out of making this idea happen?
Public Service – Who do I want to benefit philanthropically with this idea?
This might seem like a lot to think about for just one goal, but it will help you clarify what kind of a commitment needs to be made to make your dream a reality. I’ll leave this with you to work on until next time when I explain how to write SMART goals and provide you with some Sample Goals to follow.
