Idea Success: Stretch, and Commit
(c) Sylvia Henderson. All rights reserved. www.IdeaSuccessNetwork.com

     Do you ever get an idea that scares the heck out of you to consider implementing? Typically it’s a “big idea” that scares us to think it could actually succeed, rather than the little ones we conjure every day. It’s that idea that we know will take a huge chunk of our time, energy, and money to bring to fruition that makes us stop in our tracks, over-think and micro-analyze, and more often than not, justify why we ultimately allow our window of opportunity to pass us by.

      Yet that idea nags us and stays in our heads, only to re-emerge and haunt us time and again. Ironically that’s the idea that will stretch us and possibly yield our greatest success or most rapid advancement if we get into action. And it’s the risk we perceive, to making the idea a reality at the expense of other seemingly more certain or safer commitments, that scares us.

      What if it doesn’t work? (Then I’ve wasted so much time, energy, or money.) What if I can’t get it done? (Then I’m a failure.) What if I succeed? (Then some people I know and habits I have may have to change.) If you haven’t guessed already, the words in parenthesis are from our voices in our heads.

      This is the very idea that will challenge us and cause us to commit our finite resources – time, money, and energy). We often reap our greatest rewards when we take our biggest risks. For me, my most-recent example is what I went through emotionally, mentally, and analytically to decide to apply to be an eWomenNetwork (eWN) radio host. I’m the farthest thing from shy and love the public eye (or ear in this case) so the idea of an audience listening to me regularly is exciting to me. Yet the opportunity involves a significant investment, and to commit to a weekly gig requiring hours of prep when my life and business are already on overload scares me a lot.

      So I did what I coach my clients and suggest you do when considering similarly huge ideas: perform a SWOT analysis on your idea.

      How? Take a sheet of paper and fold it into quarter sections. In one quadrant, list the strengths of your idea. My analysis for my eWN radio host idea consideration = visibility; wide reach; execute in my slippers at home; learn and hone new transferable speaking skills; I’m good at interviewing people.

      In the next quadrant, identify weaknesses—of your idea as well what you feel are your own. eWN radio host = 60minutes is a long time to hold people’s attention; can I find enough guests to interview; will I find sponsors.

     The third quadrant is your “opportunities” quadrant. eWN radio host = connect with authors, speakers, consultants, coaches, and experts whom I’d not otherwise know of or get to meet; expand my services to eWN; conference involvement at a higher level; spread my message to a wider network; help more people fulfill their dreams, improve relationships, prosper in their businesses, or succeed in their careers and professions.

     Fourth quadrant—threats. eWN radio host = take significant resources from other aspects of my business; listenership not as wide as I’d hope; technical glitches; perhaps I’m not “all that” I believe myself to be; program concept is not really what potential audience wants.

     I’m being transparent about the process I went through to ultimately decide to stretch myself and commit to applying to be a weekly radio host. I had more items in each quadrant, too. My ultimate “yes” was a result of seeing and deciding that the strengths of the idea as well as my own strengths, and the opportunities, far exceeded the weaknesses (which can be strengthened over time) and threats (which can be helped by reaching out to other people).

     And in the end—or rather at just the beginning in this case—eWN said “yes” to my being one of their first eWN Radio Host! We begin a huge journey together and I believe that stretching and committing to this big idea will create incredible results all around.

     My hope is that you’ve discovered—or reinforced for yourself—a process you can apply to making decisions about your own big ideas that scare you: the SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). Through my story you see how to use this decision tool to make your own stretch-and-commit decisions to make your big ideas your reality.

     The next time you have a big idea that scares you to dream of implementing…stretch and commit!

      Don’t stretch and commit alone! I will be your sounding board and confidential ear, as well as guide you through your decision process and help you develop your action strategy. Schedule a complimentary Idea Strategy Discovery Call with me (valued at $547.00) by going to . I have a limited number of slots available for these calls. By working in partnership with you, I can help you decide the direction you’ll take with your big idea or audacious dream / goal!

Sylvia Henderson