Day 257: Begin With The End

How often do you just start when you have an idea in mind? A lot of times in life, we come up with thoughts and ideas that intrigue us and then without any other planning, we just jump in after it. Ideas are exciting and attractive, but before we begin to chase them there must be a period of time where we slow down and think it through.

Ideas are beautiful, for some they are rare and for others they are continuous. Everyone produces ideas at a different pace than others and that is completely alright. If we think there will always be an idea waiting for us, it's only a matter of time before we think of one. The problem with ideas, however, is that they are extremely tempting.

When we begin thinking of new ideas and plans, our hearts instantly want to chase after whatever this new venture is. All caution flies out the window and we often find our self running headfirst down a path without knowing what the destination will end up being. Ideas are beautiful, but they can be dangerous.

And yet, ideas are the spark of life and goals and dreams. Without them there will never be anything in life we want to chase after. Without the foundation of an idea, our lives would be incredibly boring. We need ideas in order to live life fully, but how do we have ideas without them running away with us?

The simple truth is that we must begin everything with the end in mind. Ideas can often seem like the end and a firm enough plan, but knowing exactly what the end is is complicated because we need to also know what steps will lead us towards the end. Working from the end to the beginning is the best way to take an idea and form it into a plan.

Any idea that you have that you feel passionate about is worth chasing, however, it is not worth chasing without first having a plan. Dissect your idea and study every angle. Often when you begin to do this you'll run into walls you hadn't thought about and will even discover other ideas that will help you along the way. Every great idea must first be made into a detailed plan before chased after. When you have a plan, you remove the instability of the idea and give yourself a higher chance of success.

Ideas are beautiful, but the beautiful must be backed with practical stability. Plans are vital in order to make your idea flourish. If you're ready to chase after something, be sure you know what direction to run in and where to place your next footfall. There will be barriers you hadn't thought about, but having that base plan gives you a head start. Begin with the end in mind.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt