Sound familiar?

It should. The world is full of BIG ideas forever trapped in the minds of people too busy (or too undisciplined) to bring them into being. Admittedly, goal-setting might not sound so fun.

How many projects are floating around in your mind this very moment??

Two?

Three?

Ten?

Ten-thousand?

Research suggests more than 6,000 thoughts cross our minds each day. So how do we sift and shift those thoughts, taking them from mere whimsy to measurable progress?

Here, tips to put you on the right road.

Information Hoarding

Who has time to read these days? You do – if you’re serious about strategizing. Reading for information on what interests you is a really great way to get ideas and insight on how you should plan your next steps.  Thinking of launching a business? Get busy devouring books on how it’s done. Want to know how to establish a community action group? There are guides to get you going on that too.

And if you really don’t have the time for a page-turner, crank up a positively information-packed podcast and let the experts tell you what’s worked for them.

Brain Dump

This is the part where most of us get stuck. What’s a person to do with all this new found information?

Categorize it.

Once you’ve binged on all your favorite resources and come up with a gazillion ideas, it’s time to pick the ripest fruit. You’re harvesting good ideas here, so you may need to toss out some, or put them on the back burner for now.

This step takes discipline. So set some time aside to really whittle down your list, then move forward with a plan to help you accomplish your goals. When jotting down your thoughts, you may want to ask yourself:

• What will I need to start this project?

• How much time and money will it take?

• Are there people in my network I might be able to partner with on this project?

It’s a Date

Know what goals without action steps are called? Dreams.

Presumably, at this stage, you have a BIG idea and some thoughts on how to make it more tangible. This is where the rubber meets the road.

For many of us, the pursuit for perfection is what stalls our mission to greatness. One way to avoid this complete breakdown in progress is to set firm action dates. Take out your calendar and commit to completing items from your brain dump list – and be very specific about when you can expect to complete these tasks. If you know you need to register your business name with the state, schedule a date to complete the necessary paperwork. If you’re not sure how to make that happen, osmosis is not the answer. Contact the Small Business Administration, set up an appointment, and talk with an advisor about how to get started.

There are lots of resources to help you map out your goals. But all the tools in the world won’t work if you’re not seriously committed to seeing your plans take shape.

Think about what it must have been like to build some of the world’s greatest inventions, and the preparation it must have taken to see those plan through.

As new ideas swirl around and take shape in your mind, be patient with yourself and the process. Slow down if you must, but never stop. There’s momentum in even the smallest steps. Some of the best ideas take a long time to mature. Root to fruit doesn’t happen in a day, but the most important advice you can follow is to keep growing.

Remember, the way forward is, well – forward.

Get more tips for marketing success here.