Welcome to our first podcast for the year 2015. I have missed you all, but I also needed to take out time to enhance what I am offering you. As far as I am concerned, you are the most important part of what I do and based on your feedback, we needed to make the experience of what we do even more memorable for you. I do hope you like our new feel and will be kind enough to share with your circle (friends and loved ones) what you enjoy on this page.

On today’s post, I want to speak about something I “suffer from” and have a few close friends who “suffer” from it too. I didn’t have a term for it until recently when someone referred to it as ‘Idea Diarrhoea’. So what is idea diarrhoea? It is the disease of a genius or creative soul. Because of how fast our creative juices flow, one is flooded on a constant and consistent basis with new ideas but never enough time to implement them.

Whenever I take the time to sit still and think through our operations one thing that almost always happens is I become overwhelmed with the many ways that what we are already doing can be enhanced. While having great ideas ought to be a plus, in our case if you are a creative person, it can be the reason why you never really finish anything.

Just when you seem to be getting into the groove of the last thing, it gives birth to an enhanced idea and if you have caught the idea diarrhoea disease, you find yourself quickly jumping on the band wagon with the new thing and most times abandoning what you were working on.

One of the things I see common with those who suffer from this disease is the fact that seeing new possibilities is easy for them. They are those who stand in front of the jungle and see an estate where others see trees. They are the ones who before the trees are even felled to begin the estate, begin to see so many other uses the land can be put to.

While these people can be great dreamers, this source of genius also becomes the curse that keeps them in one place. Because they are usually full of ideas and thrilled by them, the next new idea becomes the shiny object. And since in actual fact we can only do one thing well at a time, the new idea robs the last of its effectiveness and consequently, its impact.

So if you suffer from Idea Diarrhoea or the Shiny Object Syndrome, what should you do?

1. Recognise that not everything is meant for you.
Not every idea that occurs to you is meant for you.  Sometimes when our creative juices are flowing, we can be hit with a tsunami of ideas, however, an ability to discern which belongs to us can go a long way in keeping us on track.

2. Think through the ideas and ascertain which ones flow into what you are currently doing and the ones you need to pass on to others to work on.

3. Do a GPS (Goal Positioning System) to determine which of the new ideas should even be executed and when. This gives you the ability to discern what is for now and what you should file away. Those worth execution should be those that won’t distract you from what you are already doing, but rather enhance its effectiveness.

4. Stick to your Niche area. I have heard it said and I absolutely agree that the most successful businesses are those whose niche is focused, clear and as narrow as possible. You don’t want to be seen the jack of all trade master of none, do you?

5. Just because it is a great idea and it occurred to you doesn’t mean you have to execute it right away or even at all. Be wise how you commit to the new ideas that cross your to mind.

6. Recognise that sometimes a distraction isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it could be a good thing that showed up at the wrong time. Be guided!

7. Commit to finishing what you already started or whichever of the new ideas you decide to act on.

So, while idea diarrhoea will always be a constant reality in my life, I am committed to delivering those things I perceive to be God’s best for me, and I am going to hand those which are not to others to pursue regardless of how shiny they may seem.

Till next week, don’t forget that you are not alone. As long as you have your creative juices flowing, the tendency to catch ID is high. However if you can intentionally watch it and say “No”; you will be fine.

Tell me, have you been distracted by a new idea this year yet? How did you deal with it? Do leave a comment on my Face Book page here:

Discover Purpose, Live Powerful!

Bidemi

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We rate ability in men by what they finish, not by what they attempt”

Anonymous

 

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

You can buy Crash The ChatterBox by Steven Furtick here