EP 278 From Idea to Progress: Turning Thoughts into Action
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Audio Only - All Participants: All right. Welcome back to the Bold Goal Crusher podcast. I'm your host, Sara Mayer. I'm here to help you crush your goals and everything that gets in the way and to live a life full of purpose and impact. So today we're tackling a crucial topic for everybody out there, how to move from an idea to a tangible process.
Audio Only - All Participants: We actually all have these moments of inspiration where a brilliant idea strikes us, but how often do these ideas really turn into reality? The difference between dreamers and doers lies in one word action. So today I'm going to walk you through the steps to transform your ideas into measurable progress.
Audio Only - All Participants: Before we jump in, I do have a great journal. You could go to sarahmayer. com. Favorite things. Check out my Amazon journals. This one is called driven to succeed, a goal oriented journal for high achievers. And it has some great journal prompts where you can choose a prompt [00:01:00] every day and write about your goals.
Audio Only - All Participants: So definitely check that out. It's a really great resource. small little book that you can toss in your purse. All right, so let's talk about the power of starting. So ideas are exciting. They're the spark that ignites our passion and creativity inside us, but that spark can easily fizzle out if it isn't followed by a action.
Audio Only - All Participants: And the first step in moving from idea to progress is simply to start. So you don't have to do everything all at once. You don't need to know every single step for the goal in order to get started. You just need to know the first couple of steps. So break down your idea into smaller manageable steps.
Audio Only - All Participants: And I like to have one journal, like this journal is all about one goal. It's a little bigger notebook, but I also can shove some papers in there and everything. [00:02:00] And one of the things I like to do is as things come to my mind or I get excited, but I'm not at that step, I still capture it in that notebook.
Audio Only - All Participants: And that's really important because I know I'll never forget that. It's like writing a book. You don't need to know what the cover is going to look like or who you're going to dedicate it to, or what you're going to say in the jacket until you've started the book, but you might have a great idea for that.
Audio Only - All Participants: So jot it down. So when you get to that step, you have all those ideas. So the first step. It starts small. The second step is overcoming that fear of imperfection. A common roadblock is the fear that you produce when you think it might not be perfect. So remember progress is better than perfection and your first version doesn't have to be flawless.
Audio Only - All Participants: It just has to exist. And then three, set a start date, put a date on your calendar. When you will take that first step, when you [00:03:00] will take the next step, when we will take the third step and the fourth step, and don't leave it up to chance or convenience, we put a lot of stuff on our calendar as appointments.
Audio Only - All Participants: And in reality, Many of the things don't lead us closer to our goals. It's time our goals make it on our calendar. And then it's all about planning with purpose. Once you've decided to start, it's time to put some structure around your idea. This is your planning with purpose. We're planning with purpose comes in.
Audio Only - All Participants: So a solid plan can be the bridge between your idea and your first signs of progress. That's the plan there. So first define your end goal. What does success look like? Be specific. The clearer your end goal, the easier it will be to create a roadmap to get there. And then you want to reverse engineer your steps.
Audio Only - All Participants: So think backward from your end goal and list maybe the major milestones that you need to hit along the way. Again, you don't need to know [00:04:00] every single step of your goal, just a loose blueprint for action. And then you want to prioritize your actions. Not all tasks are created equal. So you want to focus on the tasks that will have the most significant impact on moving your idea forward and avoid getting stuck in that busy work, if you will.
Audio Only - All Participants: And then we talked about it. It's got to be on your calendar. Block some time on your schedule. Allocate specific times in your calendar to work on these prioritized actions. And protect this time as if it were a meeting with maybe your most important client. Because it is now it's time to build momentum through action.
Audio Only - All Participants: So once you have a plan, the next step is to build the momentum and momentum is truly a powerful force that can keep you moving forward, even when motivation wanes. So the first thing take consistent action, even small actions when taken [00:05:00] consistently compound over time, it's like pushing a boulder. Once you get it rolling, it's much easier to keep it moving.
Audio Only - All Participants: Two, celebrate small wins. I'm all about celebrating so many times we are not sure what to do. And then we finally do it. And then we're like on to the next, no, we need to celebrate those wins. Each step you take is a victory. So celebrating those wins keeps you motivated and also reinforces the habits of taking action.
Audio Only - All Participants: Learn and adapt. That's why I love a good notebook. Like I have some things in here where I ask myself, what did I learn? What did I do? What did I do from learning? Not everything will go according to plan and that's okay. Use setbacks as learning opportunities and adjust your actions and keep moving forward.
Audio Only - All Participants: And then it's all about getting accountability partners. We talked about that on two episodes. So to go [00:06:00] find someone who can hold you accountable, share your progress with them. And it's amazing how much more motivated you feel when you know someone is checking in tools, use some tools to turn these into action.
Audio Only - All Participants: So there are many tools out there that can help you manage the transition. We talked about this on the last episode, but it bears repeating. Digital tools like Asana, Notion, Monday, I use Asana are great for mapping out steps, deadlines, and tracking progress. You might consider a mind map if you're in the brainstorming phase.
Audio Only - All Participants: I have a mind map actually in my little planner here. And you might mind things out, or you could use a tool like mind master or X mind to help you visually organize your ideas and see how they all connect. And then of course, habit tracker. I have a great habit tracker. This many different covers, but if you're watching on YouTube, you can see that and the inside.
Audio Only - All Participants: This is a great way. You [00:07:00] can also use some apps like streaks habitua. or some simple habit trackers that help you maintain that consistent consistency. And then don't forget about journaling. Don't underestimate the power of a simple journal to jot down daily progress and reflections and next steps.
Audio Only - All Participants: Sometimes pen and paper are all you need. Now let's talk about the mindset of progress. The mindset you need to move forward from idea to progress is suit. It is super easy to get discouraged or lose focus, but having the right mindset can keep you on track. So first embrace the growth mindset. We've had a couple episodes on this podcast about growth mindset.
Audio Only - All Participants: So if you see challenge as an opportunity to grow, there's truly no such thing as failure. To be patient and persistent. Progress doesn't always happen overnight. So keep showing up even when it [00:08:00] feels like nothing is happening. This really keeps your end goal in mind and then visualize your success.
Audio Only - All Participants: Spend some time sitting in what it will feel like when you achieve your goal. This keeps your end vision clear and can also be a powerful motivator. So there you have it. Moving from idea to progress isn't just about having a great plan or perfect tools. It's about taking consistent, intentional action.
Audio Only - All Participants: And remember the journey from idea to progress is a marathon, not a sprint. So start small, stay focused and. Keep taking steps forward. Thank you for tuning into this episode of the bold goal crusher podcast. Make sure you smash that subscribe button. And if you are listening to me in audio and want to join on YouTube, feel free to jump over to YouTube, subscribe, and don't forget to share these episodes with your friends.
Audio Only - All Participants: All right, bold goal crushers. It's time to crush your goals and everything that gets in the way. [00:09:00] So you don't have to work double time. So let's get to it.
