5 Steps from Thought to Creation
Ever wake up in the middle of the night with thoughts and ideas that excite you? How do you go from thought to creation? These 5 steps will guide you along the way!
1. Visualization
With these thoughts and ideas we are able to "see" them in our minds. We can visualize exactly what the end product or outcome will look like. This is visualization! The word visualization scared me for a long time. I didn't realize that I visualize ALL. THE. TIME! As you see your ideas in your mind, you are visualizing! After choosing which idea you want to create (that is a whole different blog post!), it's time to make a plan.
2. Plan
Planning can seem daunting especially if what you want to create something you have never done before. The best way to plan is to create a list of what you think you need to do to move towards your idea. This plan does not have to be perfect or even complete. You need to decide where you are going to start and just get moving! If you don't know where to start, I can guarantee that you can find someone that has gone on this path before and can guide you or point you in the right direction. Reach out to that person and ask how they began. You can also find books or articles on the internet, listen to a podcast, watch a video. There is a wealth of information out there!
While creating the Anchor Planner, I had no idea how to start. I decided to give it a try in Google Docs. It looked absolutely silly but it was a start! As I was watching YouTube videos on creating planners, I realized I needed to be creating this planner in Adobe Indesign. I had no idea how to use this program. Again, I went to YouTube! I learned everything I needed to create a basic version of the planner. I, then, reached out to a professional graphic artist to add some artistic flare!
There is so much information out there. All you need to do is start searching!
Create your plan. This plan will not be exact step by step directions to get from start to finish. And that is completely OK and even expected.
Once you have a place to start, you GET. TO. WORK!
3. Work
After you have put together a plan, you WORK! Creating is hard work. It's not easy but it is rewarding! You will fail. And from this failure, you will learn and grow. Just keep working!
4. Revise
Periodically, you will need to evaluate and revise your plans. Sometimes we think we need to go in a certain direction but after our evaluations we realize that it is better to change the plan. I evaluate my plans every 30 days. Therefore, you are not getting farther and farther along the wrong road. I take a 30, 60 and then longer 90 day reflection. It is good to have these longer reflections to see the progress you have had over time. The work can be difficult and tedious and hard to see. However, with the 90 day reflection, you see more progress along that time period.
5. Work
Last, you keep on working. This process of visualization, plan, work, revise, and work is ongoing. You will continue to visualize so you know exactly what you want your outcome to be. You then follow your plan, revise your plan if needed and work! With time and perserverance you will create what you have envisioned!