How Do You Turn Accrued Thoughts into Action?

Every day brings along streams of experiences and reflections, triggering thoughts that probably might alter the course of our existence in the form of business ideas, financial ideas, or dreams to change people's lives. These are not just passive thoughts, but the sure sign of a mind willing not just to exist but to grow and forge progress. Conceiving ideas is great but then do I realize how important it is to not only collect such thoughts but also to form them into actionable items.

Some of the most lasting ideas which crossed my mind dealt with setting up small businesses of any kind. The idea of setting something material, which could grow and sustain itself, did not fail to excite me. It was now that I began to keep track of these ideas instead of letting them disappear. I picked up each idea and jotted it down. I then fleshed it out as much as possible. The thing is, I soon found gathering ideas was only a part of the task, and the real work was to choose what ideas to follow and how to turn it from mind to matter.

First, I put these ideas into order, from most feasible to less. I then grouped them based on time and resources that would be required to effect them: some could be put into practice almost immediately; others required serious time and investment in planning. I outlined those that could be done within a short timeframe. Sometimes starting small allows an individual to test the waters and gain momentum.

The approach made it easier for me to have an overview of where to start, rather than being overwhelmed by all the options at once. I then turned my attention to research: for each good idea, I researched others who had attempted to do something similar. Reading up with people that had gone before and understand what the lay of the land was like proved very useful. Understanding their various triumphs and failures was a valuable teacher.

If I had an idea that was completely new, I realized that it became important to study general industry trends, possible challenges, and where the potential for innovation existed. The conversion of thoughts into action is a continuous process. It's giving life to something you believe in and taking consistent steps to make it real. All the minor actions build up a big picture of some sort. What experiences have you faced in the transformation of your ideas into action? I'd love to hear how you have turned your accrued thoughts into reality.