Ideas. You’ve got ’em. There are a few small ones, a few silly ones, and some BIG ones waiting in there for you to figure it out. Sometimes they’re strokes of genius that hit us in the middle of the night and we have to sit up right then and start working on it.
Some of my best big ideas came to me when sleeping, or almost asleep. Something about the relaxation and the openness, my brain lets things float to the top that don’t otherwise have a chance to. My dog’s name, Huxley, came to my mind as I was falling asleep with him for the first night. Becoming a life coach struck me like a bolt of lightening one morning after a powerful late night conversation with a girlfriend. I woke up the next morning and WHAMO. That was that.
What to do next however, proved to be a long and confusing mystery. I found a coaching school which I love, that developed my skills. I became so passionate about what I was doing and how I could change the world, that I didn’t look too closely at the road in front of me. Being a trained coach is wonderful! Helping people live their dreams is amazing! Coaches are well paid! Why am I struggling so hard, and still so broke? It was a LOT of passion and not that much practical business awareness. I struggled, but I learned on the go. I’m a natural entrepreneur and have learned a lot through my last two plus years launching and continuing my own coaching business. Here are my best tips for making your big ideas happen, as learned through my own journey to realizing one of my biggest ideas – being a successful business owner changing lives in a positive and powerful way.
Be clear about what your big idea is
The trick is to not get too stuck in the details. What’s the BIG part of your big idea? Writing a book? Launching a business? Going to school? Think about 5-10 years down the road, what you want your life and idea to look and feel like. What’s the impact you want to have had? Don’t drill down too deep, and don’t latch on to the how’s yet – that’s for later. For now, make it big and make it clear.
Learn as much as you can
These days, there are all sorts of ways to learn everything. You can take a course at a college or junior college, read amazing blogs online, take a video course, watch how-to videos on youtube, the internet is really making the spread of knowledge and ideas faster and more robust than ever. Learn about what you’re up to, and how to get there. What are the specialized skills required? Learn them. For me to be a coach, I had to go to school. Then to be a business woman, I had to learn concretely, about online service oriented businesses. Not what my B.A. is in, but totally important to learn about if I’m going to have a successful business. I spent about a year soaking up every article or training online that I could find related to business building, website creation, marketing, and client enrollment.
Collaborate with your peers
Working by yourself too much is an easy way to fall down the rabbit hole of your mind, and not even realize you’re down there. Other people bring energy, ideas, perspective, and someone to talk with when the going gets tough. Now, you might not want to found your company with someone else, or take every single grad school course with the same person, but having shared interests and projects really goes a long way towards keeping your sanity and sense of humor.
Stick to it
That is really the main difference between people who make their big ideas happen, and those who don’t. Keep going. Even when it gets hard, even when you don’t know what’s next. Because all the people that peel off, that get defeated, that stop, that’s your competition melting away. Keep going and create your own path.
Following these steps, together with Rebecca Tracey of The Uncaged Life, I’m launching my most recent big idea Coaching Business Jumpstart: the no tears way to start your business out right, a one day intensive workshop for coaches to refine their focus (yes, you have to narrow it down to get big results) and jumpstart their business success today.
I learned quickly after coaching school ended that passion was not enough to pay my bills. After several years learning, doing programs and floundering, I’ve refined what I wish I had known when I’d started and created a really actionable workshop – complete with worksheets, live video calls, and live workshops of your work with Rebecca and I both working with you to craft the best content possible. If I had had these tools, support and knowledge earlier in my journey, it definitely would have short-circuited the learning curve. If you are a coach, an aspiring or established one, you need to check this out. If you’re not, then you need to follow these 4 steps to make your big ideas a reality, and tell me about it in the comments.
As part of our service, we’re hosting a free training on niche busting! Debunking the myths associated with the word ‘niche’ and what to call it instead. Curious? Sign on up to participate! It’s applicable to all service oriented professions, free, and really fun!
I’m Ellen, a career and life coach + decision making expert. You want me on your team. I teach you how to make impactful decisions, fast. I love working with people who are at a turning point in their lives who want to make the most of their life experience. My specialty is making the overwhelming become fun and attainable. Want to see how I can change your life? Book your free session here.
