The Top 10 Ways to Ruin a Good Idea

Ideas are cheap. In fact, they’re abundant and free. You can have a new one every thirty seconds if you like.

But good ideas? They’re more rare, and though they might not cost money, they usually require some work.

The trouble is it’s hard to distinguish the good from the bad fresh out of the starting gate. It’s not always easy to determine which one will win the race, let alone finish it.

What’s even more troubling is the reality that good ideas are often ruined. They get lost, discarded, broken, and mishandled. It can be a perilous journey from conception to implementation, so it’s good to be aware of the many splintered ways you can botch up your brainchild.

To help you avoid this tragedy, I’ve put together what I consider to be:

The Top Ten Ways to Ruin a Good Idea

1. Dismiss it.

First impressions are everything, some say, but they’re often wrong. Meet an otherwise wonderful person when they’re having a very bad day and you can easily misjudge them. Meet them when you’re having a bad day and you can make the same error.

An idea is no different. Your first impression of it can be amiss. Make the effort to get to know your idea before you dismiss it. Over time, it will reveal its true strengths and weaknesses.

2. Forget it.

You can have an idea, get really excited about it, and then forget it. At the moment it arrives, you might not believe this. It’s just so brilliant, you think there’s no way you can forget it. But you can and often will if you fail to capture it.

You don’t have to get elaborate. Just jot it down.

Carry a pocket notebook for just such occasions, and if you find yourself without one, ask for a pen and a piece of paper or a napkin or whatever. Write it on your hand if you must, and transfer it somewhere safe before you wash up.

3. Hide it.

Maybe you’re afraid people will laugh at it. Maybe you’re afraid someone will steal it. But keeping an idea completely under wraps is a good way to kill it. Ideas need to breathe and move about. And though you may be brilliant, other people are too.

Sharing your idea with people you trust and respect can be a great way to further develop it. By discussing it, you discover what you understand and what you need to learn. You also gain the fresh perspectives and insights that other minds can provide.

4. Broadcast it.

I know I just told you to tell others about your idea, but don’t tell everyone.

Talking about a new idea with people who haven’t had one since the Carter administration is a bad strategy. New things scare these kinds of people and their first instinct is to swat them with a flat surface.

Also, talking too much about your idea before you do anything to act upon it can water it down, make it seem less real, and increase your doubts.

So, at least in the early stages, be selective. You can always go nationwide when the time is right.

5. Complicate it.

Evolution plays tricks on us. Our survival instincts lead us to be fearful even when it’s uncalled for, and scarcity is one of the things we fear the most.

We’re afraid we won’t have enough, won’t do enough, won’t be enough. And we can be plagued by the notion that our idea, as it stands, is not enough either.

We start adding things to it and tying things to it that really aren’t necessary. Before you know it, we’re overwhelmed. The idea that once turned us on is starting to burn us out, and we’d rather not deal with it anymore.

Keep your idea as simple as you can. You’re far more likely to stick with it.

6. Oversimplify it.

Ah, yes, another contradiction. You don’t want to complicate things, but you don’t want to oversimplify them either. You may have unrealistic expectations about what’s required to make your idea a reality.

Take blogging for instance. It’s not enough to write great posts. You have to find a way to get people to show up and read them. There are many ways to do this, but if you don’t employ any of them because you think great writing should be enough, you’ll be disappointed.

When you oversimplify and things don’t pan out, you might think your great idea was a lousy one. Take some time to research what’s necessary to give your idea the support it needs.

7. Rush it.

You want results and you want them yesterday. Your new idea thrills you so much, you can’t be bothered with waiting. But you can and you probably must.

Rushing your idea into the world can cause you to get sloppy and overlook a lot of important details. Opportunities for improvement and potential troubles are missed and one day you wake up to find your idea’s been involved in an accident and it’s in critical condition.

You can avoid this with a little patience. Good ideas deserve time and attention. Give yours all it needs.

8. Drag it.

It really is a bit of a tightrope walk (Just remember the rope is on the ground.). Go too fast and your idea might crash, but go too slow and it might never reach its destination.

There are good reasons to postpone action and bad ones. Bad ones include irrational fear, ignorance, and uncertainty. It’s important to build some controlled momentum to keep your idea on its course.

Find out what’s stalling you and think of ways you can get moving again. Your idea won’t wait forever.

9. Smother it.

A new, fresh idea is like a new lover and you may want to spend all your time with it. But just like in romance, you can smother a good thing.

Spend every waking hour with your new idea and you’ll lose perspective. You’ll forget to take care of your need for nutrition and exercise, rest and renewal, social interaction and play.

You and your idea need time apart. When you meet again, you’ll have even more energy, focus, and information to share with it.

10. Abandon it.

This is probably the number one way to ruin a good idea. We get fatigued, we lose our nerve, we give up hope.

But abandoning your idea can not only ruin it, but damage your faith in yourself as well. And often, if you’ll merely persist a while longer, you’ll get to see the results you’ve been working toward.

Don’t quit too soon. You can adjust your pace, seek new information, and even take a break. Each of these is usually a better alternative than quitting.

Here’s a Good Idea

Starting today, see yourself as a caretaker for good ideas. Feed them, nurture them, and most of all, protect them from harm and keep them from being ruined.

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Tagged as: creative thinking