Last week, I came clean and confessed that sometimes…ideas can get the best of me.

Ideas can be a BIG distraction.

Overthinking.

Being stuck in a never-ending “idea loop” and never taking action.

In that scenario, your ideas are leading you – leaving you exhausted, unfulfilled and with no results.

It’s true: sometimes, I am undisciplined with my ideas.

But, sometimes, I stand up and lead my ideas through a system. A framework that gives me peace of mind, a sense of fulfillment and that helps me produce positive results in my life.

What does that even mean?

Moving from “idea” to “reality” takes leadership. If you want to see your idea succeed, it takes YOU leading YOURSELF (and eventually OTHERS) to make it happen.

I said that to a coaching client once, and he immediately replied, “That’s IMPOSSIBLE!”

Well, it can be very difficult…maybe nearly impossible to lead yourself.

And, to be frank, if you haven’t been able to lead yourself successfully before, you will probably need some help to develop self-leadership skills.

But, it’s not impossible.

So, what does it mean to lead my ideas?

It means:

• I take ownership for my ideas.  I don’t expect others to be more invested in my idea than I am.
• I don’t let my ideas lead me. I lead my ideas.
• I ruthlessly ignore ideas that don’t serve me. (Seriously, I’m a total jerk to my own toxic ideas: GET OUT OF MY LIFE, TOXIC IDEA!)
• I write interesting ideas down or use voice memos on my phone to capture them. Immediately. Because they will FLY away if I don’t!
• I schedule time to explore ideas that I’ve written down.
• I keep a list of questions to ask that help me evaluate my ideas critically.
• I reach out to trusted advisors if I need a fresh perspective or input on the viability of the idea.
• I choose which ideas I want to develop, and then I focus on developing them. “Shiny object syndrome” always tries to distract me. But, I use a little thing called discipline to stay focused.
• I don’t let my ideas hijack my life and lead me around by the nose. I trust that there is a constant flow of ideas and creativity available to me. I don’t need to be “on” all the time to make sure I don’t miss something.
• Finally, I shut my brain off when I’m tired and make sure I get plenty of rest…so that I have enough energy to work when it’s time to work.

Simply put, leading your ideas means standing up for yourself – for your creativity, your ability and your thoughts. It means being in charge of one of the most difficult spaces in the world – your own head.

You can’t lead your ideas without the key ingredient: YOU.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Are you in?