Last night Melbourne hosted the world’s first 99u.com/local event. Three speakers – Gavin Aung Than, Amantha Imber and Jason Fox shared their road tested learning’s, insights and tips for making ideas happen.
My 5 key takeout’s from the night were:
Create an idea that is different in a space you can own
- Zig when everyone else is zagging
Create an idea that stands out and is unique. Don’t be afraid to join ideas together to create something new, or extend someone else’s thinking to create something new. Whatever your idea, make sure that it’s not simply better than or ‘me too’. Make your idea different and unique.
Have a good strategy for making good decisions
- Be clear on your values so that you can be clear on your decisions
It’s important to know what’s important to you so you can do the “right thing” – whatever that is for you. Decisions that are aligned to your values will feel right and motivate you to move ahead with certainty even when the way forward is unclear.
Do you know what your values are? Do what degree do they guide your decision making?
- Make big decisions in the morning
We make decisions all day. The more decisions you make in a day, the less likely they are to be good decisions as the day progresses. Make your big decisions in the morning when your thinking will be fresh and at its best. Set your day up to invest your ‘thinking time’ in the morning whenever possible.
When do you make your most important decisions?
Change your relationship with self-doubt
- Embrace doubt instead of wishing it away
It’s easy to think of self-doubt as something that gets in the way. Another perspective is that when you’re feeling doubtful, you’re probably stepping beyond your comfort zone which is a good thing. It’s useful to think of doubt with this lens: doubt grows knowledge because we consider alternatives; doubt makes us evaluate ideas and make them stronger; doubt makes us better leaders because we keep on learning and growing.
- Start now – don’t wait
Get out of your comfort zone and do the thing now. If you wait to get it right or when you’re certain of the outcome, the opportunity might pass you by. Start now and take the first step. Don’t be afraid of failure. Learn as you go and use your learning to guide your next step.
If you had to succeed, what would you be prepared to do?
Like anything, change starts with an idea. Success is only created through execution which inevitably involves challenge, setback and perseverance. The juice is in the learning along the way and the experience of ‘making it happen’. What ideas have you been putting off that you will now put into action? What ideas can you start cultivating so that when the time is right, you can bring to life? What does your ‘ideas bank’ look like right now?
