Visual "ize"
Every time we have an idea for something new, we dream about all the great possibilities that idea could hold. We always are thinking of something bigger and better that could take life to that next level and beyond. It’s exciting to think and dream about what “could be” but as Denzel Washington said, “Dreams without goals remain just dreams”. So, how do we get past the simple idea or dream and turn that into a goal? We have to take action on those thoughts and make them a reality. Stop thinking and start doing. When writing music, you never start by hearing the complete song in your head. You might first hear a simple melody or rhythm, but what makes that part really take shape is sitting down with your instrument and playing the melody. This is where the magic of creativity starts to happen. That simple tune begins to change and inspire more melodies that accompany the first, often changing into something completely different from the original notes. With enough effort, that melody can transform into a complete song with multiple parts, melodies, harmonies, and instruments. The key here is to take action. Add the “ize” to your vision. Pick up that guitar, brainstorm the ideas, write out the draft of that book. Taking action will often spark a fire that will help push us onward towards the next steps.
Here are some practical steps and software that have helped me and will hopefully help you to make that vision a reality.
1.Brainstorm
Start by simply dumping your thought on to some easily managed platform. Mind mapping software, to-do list, dictation, or a simple piece of paper and pen will do the trick. I personally use a task list in Trello or Apple tasks to capture random thoughts and vision notes. I will dictate to my task list as I’m sitting in traffic or having my morning coffee. Just putting down anything and everything that comes to mind that could be helpful.
2.Write it down
Getting those thoughts down is important. Just like playing the instrument, this is where things begin to manifest into a reality. There is something about putting the thoughts down that makes it more real. Remember to put the thoughts in a place that you check often so they are not buried and left alone for too long.
3.Strike while the iron is hot
Don’t let the ideas slip away. Sometimes a thought will come to me in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. Have your phone or note pad ready to grab the idea for later use. It may be an idea that doesn’t survive but that’s ok. We will work on cleaning up later. Like the example of songwriting, oftentimes, a melody is lost if it's not recorded quickly after it pops into your head. Use a simple tool so that the technology gets in the way of the idea. You have to act fast so use simple input tools for this step.
4.Talk to someone
Accountability is also huge in making a dream reality. Telling someone takes the idea off of a piece of paper and begins to manifest in a new way. You can ask a friend or colleague to check up on you, to help you with deadlines or just set time to talk more. Talking visions out helps us to think through possibilities, removing bad ideas and enhancing the good ones. So tell a friend and keep telling them.
5.Move to the next step
Don’t get stuck in the visualize phase. All of us are different and have the tendency to get stuck in different phases of this process. Visionaries spend all of their time thinking about what could be and very little “doing” while others will get stuck in the details as we will discuss later. Each step can be a hang-up and potential pitfall that we need to try and avoid so as to ensure that we get to the end of the goal. Van Gogh would paint the same flower petal over and over until it was perfect, making the paint extremely thick, rising from the canvas in almost three dimensions. The key is that Van Gogh continued to paint. He ultimately would finish the painting for all of us to enjoy.
Tools:
Trello
This is a great all-around tool that can help you all the way through the process. It is simple but very effective. Shareable and works great on iPad, iPhone, browser, and with the local Mac app.
Apple Tasks
Simple and effective. This is a great app to just jot down ideas in a list. Simple input allows you to take notes quickly and in order. You can also sync tasks across devices so they are accessible to every Apple device you have at your fingertips.
Apple Notes
Apple notes are easily accessed on all Apple devices and can have bulleted lists, drawings, images, or simple notes. I use this often to make a draft or show a friend an idea in a hurry.
MindNode
Mind mapping software can help with brainstorming and workflow of ideas. I usually reserve it for a little higher level hammering out of ideas. It can help you see patterns and priorities and how the entire vision connects. This can get in the way however because there can be a small learning curve to the software so don’t get stuck fighting the software when you just need to get the idea out.
“Paper” on iPad
This is a great app for sketching creative ideas. It is more robust with color and design for a more visually appealing idea.
Voice memos/ Garage band
For quickly capturing ideas you can use a simple voice memo or musical idea with garage band. Both apps are available on all Apple devices including iPad and even voice memo on the Mac with Mojave. Here are some practical steps and software that have helped me and will hopefully help you to make that vision a reality.