Jonathan Jiang

Inspiration, ideas, and change are things that move us forward in our personal development.

1. First there is inspiration. 

You are inspired to do something or think in a certain way, possibly triggered by something you read, or heard, or saw, something a friend told you, or out of the blue.  An example is hearing that a someone has done something that you didn’t think was possible, like finishing an advanced degree, or even quitting their job.

2. Next is the idea.

The idea that you can embrace that inspiration and apply it to your own life.  Usually the inspiration is an opening door in your own mind about what is possible.  The idea, then, is the mind taking steps through that door to see how it can be realized.  Perhaps you are inspired to become healthier because a close friend is now becoming healthier and you think that it is also possible.  The idea then is how to go about doing it.  Eating right, exercising, changing your lifestyle, etc.

3. The last piece is change.

Change is the physical product of the ideas that you create to generate real results.  This is the outward result of the inspiration and ideas; taking what you think you will do and actually doing it.

Often these steps occur so quickly that it’s a seamless change that is almost effortless.  This is when there are no blocks between the three stages.  Easy things like deciding to take an exit off the highway to avoid traffic after watching someone else drive a mile down the shoulder.  After you see them do it, you decide that you too can do that, and then you turn the wheel and speed off onto a side road.

But harder goals, things that make more drastic and often lasting changes in ones life are usually beset by obstacles in the mind.  Each of the three steps of Inspiration, Idea, and Change, can be blocked.

Blocked Inspiration: Without this, nothing else can go forward.  Would you like to become a great pianist?  You cannot go down this path without sufficient inspiration.  You can take lessons and practice all you want, but without proper inspiration, this will fade away.  So whatever you wish to achieve, start with good inspiration.  Go watch a great pianist in concert, read stories of how people lose weight and change their lives, or talk to friends about how they have achieved their goals.

Blocked Ideas: Inspiration is not enough, you need to know how to take that and make it into a realizable plan of action.  This is where some research and homework comes in.  Learn about what you want to do after you are inspired.  You can’t become a great athlete or artist without the right practice and knowledge.  You can’t just stop eating food to lose weight, you’ll die.  Use the internet, library, and other people as resources to understand what is needed to get you where you want to go.  Once you know what you’re supposed to do, take this knowledge and make it into ideas for your own steps to take.

Blocked Change: This seems to me the simplest, yet most difficult step.  Taking an idea in your head and actually doing it is just a matter of, well… doing it.  But it’s so simple that, if you’re a procrastinator like me, you can easily put it off and say “I can do it whenever I feel like it”.  The harder stuff, like finding inspiration and gaining knowledge for your ideas, is already done.  This final step takes will and discipline and action.  Just do it already.  In fact, repeat step 1 and get inspired again until your insides are jumping to take action.

That’s it, easy as 1, 2, 3.  Repeat until you’ve conqured the world.

Need help?

43things.com is a great online tool to write down your goals and keep track of what you accomplished.  Once you get in the habit of accomplishing things, it gains momentum and keeps going.  Use it to keep yourself accountable and get inspiration and ideas from others.  Making things happen, of course, is still your responsibility.