5 Reasons Your Big Idea Might Fail and How to Overcome it

 

You’ve come up with an idea, and it’s the greatest idea you’ve ever came up with. You spend all of your time thinking about it. After spending a good amount of effort, you lose interest, and stop. Does this happen to you?

This is a common experience by many entrepreneurs. A lot of times it’s because of the five following thoughts that circle our brains:

1. “I’m not going anywhere.”
2. “I don’t know what to do next.”
3. “I don’t care anymore.”
4. “Maybe my idea isn’t so awesome after all.”
5. “People are doing something similar already, and it’s way better.”

If you ever have one or more of these thoughts in your head at the same time, your big idea could ultimately be just that – an idea. Here are some helpful ways to smash these thoughts out of your head and get yourself back on to being successful:

1. “I’m Not Going Anywhere.”

You’ve put in hours of work, but it doesn’t feel like anything is getting done. Maybe things are going wrong, or you just don’t have anything to show for your efforts. Here is what you can do:

• Create mini-goals: Turn your BIG goal into a bunch of smaller goals. This gives you the satisfaction of completion after each stage. As you finish a mini-goal you know that you’re one step closer to that much bigger goal. Think about it…how crappy would Call of Duty be if you had to play the game straight through without checkpoints? We get a sense of satisfaction after completing each mission, knowing we’re one step closer to saving the saving the world.

 

2. “I Don’t Know What to Do Next.”

You have an idea and you know what your goal is, but you just need to find a way to get there. There are a few things you can do to help you find some direction:

• Write Stuff Down (Got Some Paper?): Seeing things on paper organizes the thoughts in our head. Similar to mind mapping, you can visualize your ideas and easily branch off of them to see what your next step should be. You can also use a checklist. Writing steps down in order and crossing them off as you go is like having your own recipe for success.
• Research (Be More Informed):  We have huge amounts of information available right at our fingertips. If you run into a problem, just Google it! More than likely there is someone else in the world that has had a similar situation that has already been answered.
• Ask for Help (Only Dumb Question, Is the One Not Asked): There’s nothing wrong with asking for advice. Just be polite and ask.

 

3. “I Don’t Care Anymore. Why Bother?”

You’ve lost sight of why you are working so hard. When it comes to motivation, there are a number of ways to get it back:

• Back to Square One: Go back to when you first came up with your idea. Why was it so exciting to you? It had to be exciting for a reason, right?  You should never forget the original reasons why you started in the first place.
• Read A Book: Right now, I’m reading Yanik Silver’s Moonlighting on the Internet. I read it when I’m bored, and I’m usually back on the computer in no time.
• Break Time: It’s crazy how a short break can make you more productive in the long run. I usually check my Facebook to see what’s happening in the world.

4. “Maybe My Idea Isn’t So Awesome After All.”

It’s easy to believe that all of the hard work you are doing now will end up being for nothing. This is the thought that seems to pop into my head more so than any of the others. It’s a bummer, but here’s how you can rise above the occasion.

• Think Positive: Simple as that. What good will come from thinking that your idea sucks? NONE. After reading Michael Losier’s Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t, I really think that both consciously and subconsciously, people’s thoughts dictate the reality of their lives. Have positive thoughts, and positive things will happen to you.
• Sell Yourself to Yourself: If you sell yourself short, your idea will have no chance to succeed. Also tell yourself that you’re good at something and don’t let yourself or anyone else tell you different.

5.  “People are Doing Something Similar Already, and it’s Way Better.”

If you find your idea isn’t the most unique in the world and there are other’s like it in operation today, there’s no need to worry. It’s actually a great thing! That means your idea is a good idea, that other’s are already make money with.

Make it Better: If you’re worried about why people will come and visit your website, use your services or buy your products, understand that people will come to you because you have something more to offer than your competition. Maybe it’s the unique content or your take on something in your blog. If you’re exactly the same as the others, you’ll fail. If you offer something more or different, you’ll stand out and make some real money.