Ok, so there are way more than just three traps that keep us stuck when it comes to turning ideas into something real. For the purposes of this post, we’ll stick to three of the most common ones and explore some ways to prevent ourselves falling in these traps, or things we can do to help get us out of them if we do get stuck in one!
stuck in the detail
This is where you get so bogged down in the detail you forget why and what you came here to do in the first place. A creative mind loves making connections and tackling problems but when you’re creating something new you will be confronted with all of the problems, all of the time. The challenge is deciding where to channel your creative energy so you don’t become dispersed and chaotic in an endless maze of problem solving!
An example of this would be… you have an event coming up that you want to let people know about. You have an idea to create some event flyers to give out locally so you can fill the event. You set about designing your flyer… then realise you need to get some new pictures done so you start researching photographers. You don’t have design skills so you sign up to an In Design tutorial. Maybe you can design a logo for your brand whilst you’re at it? But what colour palette to pick? You start a Pinterest board. Perhaps you tinker with your website too so that the website and the flyer will aesthetically look the same?
STOP!!
This is classic bogged down in the detail behaviour. The aim of the game was to let people know about your event so that the event fills up. The aim of the game was not to rebrand your entire business and become a pro at In Design. Whilst you’re lost in the vortex of desirable actions, you are losing valuable time telling people about the actual event. Desirable ideas will always crop up. it’s not that these ideas aren’t great, it’s that they aren’t great for NOW. Sure, sometimes a quick tutorial can help but you have to ensure it’s helping with the current objective and intention, instead of distracting you down a rabbit hole.
Unlock the key
Define the aim of the game before you start playing and keep reminding yourself of this as you go about your process.
Try the zoom in and zoom out method. Sometimes we get so inside of a small problem it becomes huge and we can’t see the wood from the trees. When we zoom out, we often see a work around or realise it’s perhaps not so much of a problem after all. Likewise, sometimes we can get so stuck trying to see the full picture, it can sometimes be helpful to stop trying to make sense of whole and simply focus in on the details we can make sense of.
Start a simple essential versus desirable checking system to help prioritise your actions. When ideas and actions come up, categorise them E for essential, D for desirable based on the aim of the game. Focus on the E’s first and foremost. You can dip into the D’s once the E’s have been ticked off.
2. stuck in the vision
This is of the opposite of the stuck in the detail trap. You can see it so (too?) clearly. It’ going to be amazing and it’s going to be just the way you see it, down to the finest detail. You get so attached to the end result there’s no way the first (or any!) step or stumble of play will ever live up to how you see it in your head. If we’re being cheeky, I’d call this ideas snobbery. You don’t want to get your hands dirty with the doing. At least not until you know for sure that you have exactly the right and perfect plan in place (Rock). But secretly, you do also know that there is no such thing as a perfect plan (Hard Place). So you’re stuck in your ideas tower, protecting that fancy, shiny thing from getting messy, going off in the wrong direction or worse still… from failing!
But up in your tower, those ideas aren’t actually real. And you aren’t a snob either. Plus, it’s no fun being stuck in a tower. The good news is, you aren’t stuck and you are free to walk out at anytime. You’re just scared because you’ve come more familiar with your tower than you have the walking part. You’ve let fear run the show and it has creating an imaginary tower and an imaginary lock. You aren’t even safe up there! Getting real means getting your hands dirty, embracing imperfection, making a mess and going with the flow... whichever way that flow ends up taking you and your idea. Fixating on the end result - the product - is to betray the creative process. You can’t skip the middle chunk of a creative process, just like you can’t skip the scary part. Fear is actually a good indicator as it means you care.
Unlock the key:
Remind yourself that in order to turn an idea into something real, you’re going to need to take it through a creative process. You too are also going to need to go through that creative process. Fear, uncertainty and mess are part of the process.
Instead of focusing on the wrapped up end result, try unpacking the elements that make up the full picture and playing around with those in a small and safe way. A bit like trying on clothes with no obligation to actually buy them yet - just see what fits and which ones you like wearing. There are clues hidden inside every idea of yours and sometimes you need to explore a series of clues before figuring out the answer.
If you have a very big idea or vision, try breaking it down into smaller, more manageable bite sized sections. Like a jigsaw puzzle when you focus on finding the edges, or all the bits with sky in. It doesn’t really matter about the order, just tackle it piece by piece. This way you won’t get lost or scared by the enormity of the idea.
3. stuck on the roadblocks
This is when you have an idea and you go into planning overdrive mode. You lay your idea map out and start focusing on all the possible blocks that will either delay or prevent you from getting where you and your idea are now to where you and your idea want to go. This is the equivalent of inviting Debbie Downer over. She’ll make sure there’s absolutely no party, not today and not tomorrow. Imagine as far forward on the horizon as you can. Debbie will be a few steps ahead of you picking holes in your already diminishing horizon.
An example of this would be… You’ve always had a dream of being your own boss, travelling the world and becoming a writer. Roadblock mapping would look like “I have lots of projects coming up at work that I’d like to do so now is not the right time to quit my job”, “I’d need to take time off to do a creative writing course”, “I need to write lots of content before I can get a publisher”, “I don’t have the money to take time off”, “I can’t go travelling next year because I have so and so’s wedding and it’s my sister’s 40th birthday”… and on and on. Money and time are classic blockers. Even if you do have the money and the time, chances are it will never feel like the right time.
Unlock the key:
Stop trying to map out the whole route and just get in the car and drive. There will be plenty of shortcuts that aren’t visible on your map but will appear on the journey. Once you start driving an idea forward, you’ll be amazed at the magic your momentum will start pulling in.
Start with where you are right now. Focus on the resources you do have. Start small. Take it one month, one week or even one day at a time. Five minutes is better than zero minutes. What small thing can you do this week that will bring your idea to life in the now?
Create your map as you go. Maps are created by someone who has already done the journey. No one can do your journey other than you, so you’re going to have to create your map as you go. Who said you needed to quit your job now? Who said you needed a publisher now? Who said you needed to do a course now? Someone else’s map may have said that and sure, you may want to pursue these things in the future but don’t let someone else’s map define or delay your journey.
Did any of these traps feel familiar to you? I can certainly spot a bit of myself in each one. Why and where do you tend to get stuck and what helps you to get unstuck? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments below.