Inspired? One Key To Get You Off and Running!

Many people tell me that when they get an idea, their first thought is, “shit, what now?” It’s a natural reaction, as coming up with a new idea can be both exciting and nerve- racking.  After I tell them to grab a stiff drink and relax, I go into a list of “next steps.” One super important one is…

1 – Uninterrupted Time

This might sound obvious, right?  Plan some time to work on your idea.  Sure, makes sense.  However, when was the last time you actually sat down and blazed though something uninterrupted for an hour?  A text comes through, an email comes in, Netflix emails you about a new show you might like, and the next thing you know, you’re binge-watching House of Cards for six hours.  It happens.  Now more than ever there are a billion things vying for our attention.  As hard as it might be, you need to be disciplined and tune all that shit out.  Leave your phone in the next room and turn the ringer off. Close your email, shut the TV, board up the windows, lock the doors and just grind!  You’ll be glad you did.

yours in inspiration, dj

 

Inspired? Great! Don’t Tell a Soul!

I like to tell my readers that when inspiration hits, they shouldn’t tell a soul.  But this isn’t for the reason one might think.  I don’t say this because someone might steal their idea, rather, someone might try to talk them out of moving forward with it.  Quite honestly, I think that could be worse.

Think about it for a second.  How many times have you had an idea, told someone, and they immediately tried to poke holes in it?  Perhaps you are guilty of doing this yourself? It’s not that the person is trying to be malicious, but it happens…often.  Imagine Edison telling a friend that he had an idea for a machine that amplifies sound when you place a spinning, grooved disc on top.  What if his friend told him he was nuts and to stop wasting his time?  Or if someone told Jobs and Woz that their idea of selling personal computers was the dumbest thing they ever heard?

Next time inspiration strikes, tell no one.  Have confidence in yourself, do a little work, see if the idea is viable, make a bit of progress.  Then share your idea with the world.

yours in inspiration, dj

When Inspired, Failure is Not an Option!

Part of my appeal, from what I’ve been told, is that I’m a straight-shooter.  What I’ve learned over the years is that for the most part, people appreciate having messages delivered to them in a direct manner.  So when fans of my site tell me that they are scared to move forward with their idea because they might fail, I’m as blunt and as direct as possible when I tell them that failure is not an option.  There are usually some off-color words thrown in, but hey, that’s part of my charm.

As a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, my instructor tells us that there are two results from sparring (when you and a partner fight, testing your techniques).  Either we win or we learn.  If we win, great.  If we don’t win, we learn why.  Perhaps we should keep our arms closer to our bodies, we used too much muscle and not enough technique and we got tired, or we need to work on our sweeps a bit more.  Whatever the reason, we didn’t lose.  We didn’t fail.  We learned about what we did wrong and what needs to be adjusted in order for us to be successful next time around.

This concept of “winning or learning” can be applied off the mats as well.  When you are working on your idea, and something doesn’t work, you didn’t fail.  You learned something.  Maybe your current vendor is too expensive?  Maybe your marketing message isn’t hitting the mark?  Whatever the reason or reasons might be, don’t look at them as failing.  Look at them as learning.  Find a new vendor.  Re-think your marketing.

The only way you’re going to fail, is it you never try.  Now get off your ass, and go learn something!

yours in inspiration, dj

Inspired? Great! Make a plan!

There is nothing more exciting than being recognized on the street, and having people talk to me about their ideas.  It tickles me in my special place when we start discussing their idea and my new friend shares that she has a written plan for it.  The photo for this entry is from my site, and it is absolutely true.  I’ve had many, probably hundreds of ideas that have vanished into the ether because I took no action after thinking of it.

The first thing you should do when you have an idea is write it down.  Keep a journal. Thomas Edison had countless journals in which he wrote down all of his ideas.  Whether your brain works like an idea factory, or you recently came up with your very first idea, write them (it) down!

The next step is to map out what it’s going to take to get you there.  List three steps that you can put into action immediately with deadlines for each.  Now, get to work.

Next time I’ll talk about what to do next, which includes setting goals.

yours in inspiration, dj

Inspiration Just Hit. What Now?

I can’t tell you how many times people have come up to me after one of my talks and said, “D.J., I was in the shower and this idea just popped into my head.”  Replace the shower with any other random location and you get the idea.  My response is always something to the effect of, “that’s great, so what did you do next?”  More often than not, they did nothing.  Sometimes due to lack of desire or time, but mostly because they had no idea what to do next.

Now I’m not a business expert, but I can tell you what worked for me.  When I had the idea for my site, the first thing I did was think about what the domain name should be. Believe it or not, it took a few days to come up with the right one, but as soon as I did, I registered it.  Just like that, I was committed.  It validated the idea in my mind and it made it seem a bit more real.

No matter what your idea is, whether it be a new website, a product, a business, a charity, or whatever pops into your mind, do one thing.  Just one.  They say the first step is the hardest, but taking it will lead to the next, and the next, and the next.  Before you know it, your idea is coming to life.  All because you took that first step.

yours in inspiration, dj

Why so “Blunt”?

The reason why so many people like my memes on Blunt Inspiration, is because they’re, well, blunt.  To me, they are honest interpretations of some great advice, written as if two friends were talking to each other.  In a word, they are “relatable.”

In my experience, after meeting thousands of people in hundreds of countries around the world, most would prefer to be spoken to in a direct, blunt manner.  They don’t need the fluff, they just want it straight.  So why does being blunt get a bad rap?  There is no scientific proof to back this up, but I think people have an inherent desire to be liked, and being blunt might lead to confrontation or hurt feelings.  Who knows?  Being blunt might not work for everyone, but it works for me.

 

yours in inspiration, dj

Will I Know When Inspiration Hits?

Another question I’m asked when meeting people is, “D.J., will I know when inspiration hits me?”  The answer is always, “yes.”  As I wrote about yesterday, inspiration takes on many forms and comes from many places.  It could be the book your reading, a word you overhear, looking in your child’s eyes, or a memory from 20 years ago.  There is no greater feeling than breaking through, and when inspiration hits, it is giving you permission to break through and create.  This is why when I tell people, “yes,” my follow-up to them is always, “when it does hit, what will you do about it?”   Often times they will smile back with no response, as this can certainly catch them off-guard.  Other times, I’ll hear their answers and they’ll talk about their projects, dreams, and ideas.  As we part ways, I leave them with the following.  “Inspiration will strike, it always does.  It might be immediate, or it might be months or years in the making.  Don’t waste this gift.  Take action and do one thing that will move you closer to your goals.”

yours in inspiration, dj

www.bluntinspiration.com

What is Inspiration?

One of the questions I’m asked most often is “what is inspiration?”  The first time I was asked was in Thailand in 1999.  I was on vacation, and truth be told, I didn’t know how to answer it.  I couldn’t tell you what I said, but I guarantee it wasn’t what I think it is today. What I’ve learned over the years, is that inspiration isn’t one thing, it isn’t two things. Inspiration comes in many forms, be it spiritual, physical or anything in between.  One never knows when inspiration might strike, and often, it’s unexpected both in form and delivery.

The answer, simply, is that inspiration is anything that moves you to action.  Whether that action is now being able to move forward on a current project, or to start an entirely new one, that little (or large) spark is all you need.  Don’t fight it.

“But, D.J., how do I recognize this inspiration?”  Good question.  Stay tuned my next post for the answer.  In the meantime, please remember to visit my site for some Blunt Inspiration.

yours in inspiration, dj