“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Here’s a simple math question for you.
5 frogs are sitting on a log.
4 of the frogs decide to jump off.
How many frogs are left?
Did you answer 1?
The correct answer is…
Five!
Because there is a huge difference between deciding and doing.
Can you recognize this from your own life? Maybe you decided to eat healthier, write a weekly blog post, learn a new language, or even post a daily comment on this challenge…
However, all of these decisions really mean nothing.
In order to make your dreams into reality, you need to take a step beyond making a decision… you need to implement.
Implementation simply means taking action in the direction of your dreams and goals.
This concept is so simple, yet most people do not get into the habit of implementing and the result is they do not achieve what they could have accomplished.
Making a habit of putting ideas and decisions into action, you give yourself the best chance to create your ideal life.
Remember: one average idea implemented is much better than 20 genius ideas that are saved for ‘some day’ or the right time.
When you have an idea or make a decision, get into the habit of taking action. Jump off the log and discover all of the amazing things you can accomplish.
Here are 10 top ideas to help you become a better implementer:
1. Get Clear on Your Motivation
If you’re not taking the action you know you should, ask yourself, “What’s stopping me from taking action?” Maybe you don’t really want this goal. Maybe it’s something you think you should do or want. Maybe it’s someone else’s dream. Ask yourself: Does this dream truly matter to me? Why do I want to pursue this goal?
2. Visualize Yourself Taking Action
When your goals are too vague, you will have a hard time making them happen. Getting a clear picture of your goals will clear your path forward. Close your eyes and imagine exactly what the life you want looks like. Get specific. Make sure you visualize yourself taking action.
3. Stop Waiting Until Conditions are Perfect
If you are waiting for everything to be perfect in order to get started, you will be waiting forever. There is no perfect time; there is only the present moment. You must act now and you can adjust as you move along.
4. Use The Speed of Implementation
Turn yourself into a master of implementation. A master implementer is someone who has an idea and moves forward with it immediately. Have you ever had a great idea, and then thought “I’ll do it a bit later”? Next time you have an idea, stop everything you do, get up, and go do it.
5. Stop Over-Thinking Things
When you overthink things, you may get paralysis of analysis. You obsess over how conditions aren’t perfect, question the amount of time you need to commit, or come up with a whole host of reasons why not to move forward. Stop it!
6. Act to Overcome Your Fear
Most of us get anxious before doing something new or important. However, once you get started that fear and anxiety disappear. Action is the best cure for fear. If you find yourself scared, become an implementer and see how you overcome your fear and build confidence.
7. Create an Environment for Success
Do you spend time with positive, action-oriented people? Do you put yourself in situations where you are inspired to take action? Do you have supportive people to talk with when things get tough? Create an environment where taking action is positively reinforced, and the people around you are actively pursuing their goals.
8. Eliminate What’s in Your Way
Have you ever turned on your computer to write an article only to start responding to emails, checking your social media feeds, and searching the internet? Eliminate all distractions and interruptions – so you have no excuse to procrastinate.
9. Remind Yourself to Focus
Write yourself reminders on pieces of paper and hang them everywhere: Your top priorities in life right now. Your most important goal or new habit for the next 30 days. A motto or quote you want to stay focused on and live by at this time in your life.
10. Add Fun and Celebration
Some tasks are boring or not much fun at all. Then try to add a bit of fun. Listen to energizing music or make it into a game or a friendly competition. And don’t forget to take a couple of minutes at the end of your day to think, appreciate and celebrate the actions you took that day. No matter how small the action may have been.
Now It’s YOUR Turn
For five minutes… come up with as many ideas as you can… what could YOU do to become a better implementer?
Let's Brainstorm
Please share your ideas (all of them or just one) in the comment box below… and let’s get WOWing.
Live fully, stay awesome,
Nisandeh Neta
Top Commenters – last 30 Days
Let's Brainstorm
Please share your ideas (all of them or just one) in the comment box below… and let’s get WOWing.
Live fully, stay awesome,
Nisandeh Neta
201 comments
1. Be honest about what you really want.
Is it a really good idea? Or do other people think it is? Or do you want is.
2. Make the goals inspiring but realistic
3. If you fail to succeed, make the goal a bit smaller.
4. Change is you do not reach the goal. Can be a small change, a big change. Or even the circumstances.
5. Accumulate the time you need for all of your goals. Especially is you need to practice a lot to achieve a skill.
6. Put nice reminders on your phone. Like nice pictures
7. Jave people arround you to hold you accountable.
8. Avoid people that tell you, you can’t do it.
9. Avoid people that have excuses all the time and or blame others for their failure.
10. Stop doing things that provide you from achieving your goal
94 comments
1. Small steps including testing before applying the approach to an entire campaign
2. Feel the love! If you are not feeling ready to do it maybe do something else
69 comments
It's all about taking the first step. Then tell yourself, is this "good enough' for now"? The first 70/80% is perfect. The rest comes later.
And dare to experiment when you're in doubt on how to proceed, or when it is not clear yet.
47 comments
My 5 minutes brainstorm led into one main point: FOCUS. Even when I am convinced to take a certain action, and visualized the beneficial end-result, I am distracted by encountering better ideas of other experts, such that the original action is shifted to longer term. I am going to solve this by writing down what I promised myself to do.
160 comments
Take small steps - and launch. Don't try to do everything at once.
Write weekly goals, and to-dos, then make daily ones and tick them off.
Braindump and make a plan with small steps. Small steps are doable.
Don't open too many screens...
Check your email only 2 times a day and try to get to inbox zero.
67 comments
This is what I like about my company. Internally we keep eachother accountable. This is ofcourse also part of our service to our clients. Focus on getting things done. Do it right the first time. In terms of actions it's simple; one, two, three, too many
160 comments
Forgot that one. I have an accountability partner. You feel bad if you didn't finish your weekly goals. I also learned to set more realistic goals with an accountability partner.
171 comments
Stop surfing internet for relaxation
Now is a good a time as ever! So do it immediately
write it down where it can be found!
Read it back every night before bed, and every morning as I wake up.
Enjoy the results
celebrate, I always forget that part.
rest and relax IN bed. That's when the ideas come.
Always always write it down IMMEDIATELY, good ideas are so simple to forget as well!
Ask a buddy to check if I did
Inspire a buddy do it as well
Make a good idea into a song and sing it on my bike on my way to the studio.
Surprise myself!
160 comments
I used to get my ideas in the bath, but I don't have one anymore. I will set up the jacuzzi soon again, then let the ideas come!
48 comments
For me, this was a bit of a struggle. Not anymore. I learned that my brain needs to be rewarded every day, so therefore I give myself tasks I know I can do every day. This keeps me motivated and in a good flow. When I experience flow, implementing is easier. I see with a lot of my clients that a big reason not to implement is the fear of failure. Once they discover making mistakes is a lot of fun, they start implementing. I take away the pressure and learn them how to do this themselves.
112 comments
Implementation is a challenge for me. I come up with ideas during inconvenient moments like driving a car. By the time I arrive on my destination the idea is gone or somewhere back on my mind and gradually disappears. Or I scribble it somewhere, find it back later and have no clue what I wanted to do with it or am able to read what I wrote.
What I implemented now to overcome is that I write it down asap, especially when I am talking with my buddy and later on put it in my notebook and look weekly to the growing list and at least implement one action. It starts working.
Furthermore, I make appointments with people that I will have finished something at a certain date. And that works great for me. I am someone who is very punctual with appointments.
Also the 'essential work' in the morning helps me to get things done. I set my intention for the day and at the same time tackle the obstacle(s) why I won't achieve my intention. In that way I removed the obstacle before it can get a hold of me.
After I have implemented something, especially when it looks scary to implement, I celebrate and realise that it was not such a big thing as I thought it was.
123 comments
I can really identify with getting best ideas while driving and then you can't even write them down. What worked for me for those times was using a voice recorder on my phone. It helped me so much in remembering those "brilliant" ideas I had. Many times when I would get home I would realise that it wasn't such a great idea but at least I had it.
Another thing that the voice recorder is great for is recording stuff that I realised I wanted to do and forgot or things that I said I'll do but did not go on my To-Do list and now suddenly became urgent...
112 comments
Thanks Vered for this great tip. Time for implementation for this useful use of your smartphone.
160 comments
I use an app braintoss. I also have it on my watch, so if I need to dump my brain, I can record it, and it will be sent to my email (with the recording and written text).
112 comments
Thanks Naomi. Braintoss, I will look into it for the smartphone. As I don't wear watches at all. 🙂
160 comments
You can use it on your phone as well. But sometimes a smart watch is handy when you get your ideas showering, like me 😛
175 comments
WOW I'm super enthusiastic about this topic! About 3 months ago I started working on my implementation skills. With this list I can take it to the next level. I find #4 'Speed of implementation' and #6 'Act to overcome fear' really powerful.
#7 'Create an environment for succes' is necessary but can be painful when you have to 'fire' people. I was working together with an illustrator that didn't deliver the quality I needed. I tried to stimulate her, hoping for improvement. She had talent, but not the drive. She quit, 2 months before the deadline. So, If you have to 'fire' people: DON'T WAIT TOO LONG because you want to be nice.
Out of my 5 minutes brainstorm came one thing not mentioned:
1. Create your physical environment for succes - Your workshop/office should be 'ready' for you bursting in with a new idea to implement. When my workshop and office are structured and tidied up, it's much easier to use speed of implementation and daily momentum. It may sound trivial, but it makes a huge difference for me.
576 comments
1. Don’t make it too hard. I once decided I wanted to workout every day. But in my rhythm with kids I don’t manage. So I made it into at least 5 times a week, ON AVERAGE. This way I can catch up in the week after. It’s easy for me to do in the week without kids so then I can do 5. I’m happy with that and it saves me from all the time being frustrated (and worse- blame the kids for my lousy planning 😂)
2. Find a buddy to share it with.
3. Make a specific goal. For the workouts: as soon as I have a goal (right now a triathlon and a marathon) it’s so much easier to do what is needed. Otherwise I won’t do it.
4. Make a planning when to do what. I’m writing a book. I want to launch it in sept. It means that I’ll need to be finished writing end of June so I plan what chapter I write in which week.
5. Start IMMEDIATELY. Doing the first step, no matter how small, makes a difference. I want a group of people proof reading the book, so I started with sending one person a message and put a few other things in place. Set things in motion.
6. To me the starting is never the problem. But doing it all the way to the end. So planning all the steps and put them in my agenda is crucial to finish what I need to do.
7. A small one but super effective: Put Alarms in your phone with the goal attached. Instead of an alarm saying “do your workout” it says “I run a trail marathon with ease while enjoying the nature till the end” (there’s no people cheering for me there so I needed another vision to excite me). Instead of writing it says “my bestselling book lies on the desk of the CEO of Mammoet”
328 comments
I love all your 10 tips and idea's.
The question that I can ask myself on #1 = Eye opener. and yes : I am going to implement that one!
Here are my idea's about implementation:
1: I always use M-G-S-P-I methode to get a clarity from scratch. Do I have the Right Mindset? Do I have the Right Goal? Did I choose the bes Strategy? AM I Planning it Right? and then My implementation plan always gets really easy and smooth.
2: When ever I am stuck: I have a 2 step process:
A) I do a braindump with every thing I think I need to do/implement
B) Then I run it by the "Eisenhover" Matrix to see which one I really NEED to Do Today/Now...
It makes my list once again shrink and clear
3: I visualise and give mezelf bonusses per week to implement at least 80% of my list. Every Sunday (My Implementation temple Day) I decide which things I want to implement as I pointed out above, and then I come up with a really great "Wortel" to keep me motivated.
4: I just announce it on my Daily Live show so that My audience keeps me Accountable. I even have a "Commitment of the week" Jingle in my Daily show that I encourage every live participant to commit openly and this works really great!
576 comments
The brain dump is a great idea! I do this in a specific way (just learned this super powerful tool from Nisandeh Neta : make a list: 10 ideas to make sure I will write every day when my kids have holiday. Then there is usually at least one good idea and that I put immediately into action.
328 comments
Yes yes yes @Gerdy and thanks for sharing this powerful tool. I am going to implement it extra this week as great things are happening this week! Thanks for sharing!
175 comments
"Commitment of the week" is brilliant! You turn something serious into a game 🙂
328 comments
yes definitly @Ine! It just works for every one and Every body know now that they just need to be there on Mondays and fridays to commit AND celebrate with each other. Great and Fun way to help and every one loves to play games!
111 comments
From my experience there is a difference between how to implement things that we don't like doing, but know we MUST do and implementing things that are new and scary.
The way I handle it is:
1. Those things that I REALLY don't like doing I first check if I can delegate it to another person that likes doing these things. If I can't find someone (within 2-3 days) that is able to do it - I dive in and try to finish it as fast as I can. I make kind of a competition with myself to see how quick I can finish it. If it's a big project that I don't like I break it down to bits and see how fast I can finish each "bite"... usually I finish it much quicker than. I expected.
2. For those things that scare me - I use a similar method but this time I ask myself - "what is the one step I can do TODAY that is still possible for me to do that still feels safe"
Usually I become aware that there are things that I'm scared implementing when they have been on my list of To-Do for over three weeks and I still didn't take the first step on them. That's when I know I'm scared of doing it. I then break it down to small steps which each one of them seem for me still "safe" and doesn't take too much effort or energy from me.
I guess the main thing that is important is making sure that each day i have some momentum
328 comments
@Bina : I love your distinction of implementation. Never thought about it actually.
So one question: How do you maintain your Daily momentum then? I can imagine if your day is fulled with "Scary" Implementation that It would be a hard work to get/stay motivated and get into the momentum/flow?
175 comments
Your way of identifying things that scare you is nice. I think there are many things that scare me I wasn't even aware of.