Implementation

The first idea you must understand if you want to be successful at implementing ideas is that your capacity for implementation is far, far less than most people imagine. Successfully implementing ideas is a very time and energy consuming process and it is impossible to act upon more than just a few ideas at any one time. This is why careful selection of ideas is important. Since you can only successfully implement a handful of the thousands of ideas you have at your disposal, you can't choose hastily.

There are two resources which you must tap, primarily, in order to implement ideas. These are focus and discipline. Focus is the resource of directing your conscious thoughts towards an idea and actions. Discipline is the resource you have for being able to move through pain or discomfort. Most people readily understand that discipline is often required in the pursuit of an idea, but frequently neglect the importance of focus. Focus is a precious resource and it is far easier to squander than discipline.

Whenever you are implementing a new idea, be it a habit, a goal or a skill you need to focus on the actions that create it. Focus is the primary resource you use in directing your actions. I have learned this lesson the hard way. I failed quite a few of my habit conditioning efforts simply because I didn't place enough focus in their realization. Even if an idea isn't painful and doesn't require any discipline, all ideas require some level of focus. Seeing as focus is the major limiting factor in the quantity of ideas you can implement, it is very important to understand how it is used.

Unlike money, energy or time, squandering focus doesn't give any feedback. We all know what it is like to feel tired, busy or poor, but diverted focus won't give you an emotional connection. Diverted focus only makes itself apparent when suddenly the idea we are trying to implement slips through our fingers or we forget about a goal we had set. Because diverted focus never produces any noticeable, negative response until it is too late, we must be careful in its usage.

The properties of focus are why I would suggest limiting your personal development implementation to less then you feel is possible. Spending your focus on just a few ideas rather than on many will ensure that a few good ideas become reality rather than dozens of ideas that fizzle out. It may seem bizarre to try and focus on doing less than you feel is possible, but this technique has allowed me to lock in place a lot of personal growth fairly rapidly. Instead of taking two steps forward and one step back, all of my energy is put in one direction while minimizing setbacks.

Just as focusing on fewer ideas can mean a better quality of implementation, being thorough in the implementation of an idea ensures a greater chance that your ideas will last. In our rapid pace world most people don't feel they have time to thoroughly explore one idea before moving to the next. Instead of full understanding they just want the gist of it. Instead of a solution they want a quick fix. Instead of hard work they just want to use fast and easy scheme.

If we are going to continue with our botany analogy for personal development, if your ideas are seeds, then implementation is actually growing the tree.

Source: www.scotthyoung.com