Inspired? Five things you should do.

The faintest smell or glimpse can inspire me so easily, but what we do with that inspiration is what might change your life. I am guilty of losing the feeling before something manifests from that lovely, warm, exciting feeling. There is something we CAN do to preserve and capitalize on the fleeting blessing of inspiration.


1) STOP, in your tracks.
Pull over the car, end the phone call, take a break and write down all your thoughts. Even if they don't make any sense at the time, just write. This purging creates a trail of breadcrumbs that will bring you as close to that feeling of inspiration as you ever will get again. Don't get me wrong, you will find inspiration in other places and for other reasons but it is unlikely for it to strike the same place twice.

2) ORGANIZE your thoughts.
Do you ever write a to do list or grocery list? If you do, follow this format in organizing your thoughts. You want to do something that has worked for you in the past. For me, I list my to do items in a loop from my house and back and I always seems to mark them off the list. You can apply the same concept to direct you to the burgeoning of a brilliant idea!

3) TAKE a first step.
Do the easiest thing on the list first. Completing the first task will give a sense of accomplishment that will make you take the next step and the next step until you are one step from achieving the goal. For example, if your inspiration is to start a blog let the first step be to open a blogger account.

4) EDUCATE yourself.
Do your research. See what's out there - competition, similar ideas, negative press, anything. Don't let your findings deter you. Your inspiration was not ill-fated. Maybe there is a class you can take or a colleague who can advise you on the matter. Just keep working through your list until your idea evolves.

5) RINSE and repeat.
This is a process and it begins with starting over at those thoughts you wrote down initially. Take a look at what you were thinking when you first were inspired and compare it to your to do list. See how far you have come and be encouraged that your project is moving. Now revise the list and start honing in on the BIG IDEA!

Helping people figure out their true path is by far my favorite thing to do. If this can help anyone in any small way I have been successful! TY