A client of mine, Jack, has been entrepreneurially minded for his whole life. He’s an idea machine, and he’s constantly coming up with cool business ideas. He can’t help it — it’s just how his brain works.
Naturally, he’ll get excited about a new idea and want to share it with people. As soon as inspiration hits (which is frequently), he’ll text his brother or call his mom or tell the coworker on the other side of his cube.
Their reactions aren’t always what he’d hoped for. In fact, they’re usually pretty discouraging. They’ll ask a million questions about how it will work — questions he can’t yet answer, since he’s still working out the idea in his mind — or they’ll jump to all the reasons why it’s risky or impractical or straight-up impossible.
Usually, after these deflating conversations, Jack will feel less enthusiastic about the idea, and often he’ll end up abandoning it altogether.
When Jack came to coaching, he told me he was afraid he’s all ideas and no action. He was feeling like maybe he wasn’t cut out to be an entrepreneur after all, since he couldn’t seem to stick with an idea and make it a reality.
“Your problem isn’t that you have too many ideas, or you’re flaky, or you lack follow-through, or anything like that,” I told him. “Your problem is just that you share your ideas too soon, and with the wrong people.”
In this week’s blog, I’m making a case for why you should keep new ideas to yourself for a while, and how to know when it’s OK to share them with others.
LET’S GET 2019 OFF TO THE RIGHT START
The new year is right around the corner. Cue wide eyes and mild panic!
…Or not. Because hey, not every year needs to be a repeat of the last! You’d be amazed by how much can shift in just a few months with a little consistency, accountability, and a willingness to make change.
So if you’d like 2019 to be vastly different than 2018 (or 2017, or 2016…), then we’re happy to talk to about the prospect of 1-on-1 coaching.
Reach out to us here and we’ll talk it out together.
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