Take A Whack At It

Let's check in with the Creative Whack Pack for some inspiration. Today's card is: Take A Whack At It. This is quite appropriate for this time of year!

Let's see what it says.

You can't hit a home run unless you step up to the plate. You can't catch fish unless you put your line into the water. You can't make your idea a reality unless you take a whack at it. If you want to be a singer, go sing. Sing in the shower. Sing for your friends. Join the choir. Audition for a musical.

As adman Carl Ally put it, "Either you let you life slip away by not doing the things you want to do, or you get up and do them."

How can you take a whack at your idea? What are the two most important things you can do to get going on your issue?

Comments

[Jen]

Thanks for the reminder - this is what I have been trying for the past couple of months. I can't be a writer again if I don't start writing again. That is what I have been trying to do - a bit every day.

[Saurabh Garg]

Hi,

I completely agree with that. Ever since I starte thinking (from July 2007), I have been thinking and thinking. Ishot down ideas evne before they see the light.

Year 2008, my mantra is do. No more strategy, no more design, no more research, plain old do.

There is one way tha I used to make sure that I actually do things. I made a list of things to be done and I posted it on my blog. I told everyone I know about it.

now every time I meet these people, they remind me. And hence I am more motivated to do it.

Regards,
SG

[Roger von Oech]

Jen and Saurabh: Good luck implementing your ideas in '08!

[Stephen Denny]

Here's a sub-headline for "take a whack at it":

"How many domains do you own going into 2008? And what are you going to do with them?"

[shelbey]

I have been regularly integrating "creative thinking exercises/innovation tools" (or whatever buzzterm--saw your successive post) into my writing classes. Really, most students are unfamiliar with them, and with divergent thinking in general. I try to give them specific questions, though, of 2 flavors--

--the theoretical ones, like "What if we had tails? How would that affect fashion, furniture design, etc? What about status?"

--the more realistic, like "Go back to your list of 50 things you want to do and lay out first steps for doing one of them. Mine your local resources. It's ok to think on the small scale to get started." Or perhaps topics that come up in our problem/solution unit-- "How could you apply this other solution to the given problem?" I'm still working on that one-- I'm finding it harder.

I started doing this when I realized that, as a part-timer at the college level, I have a lot of freedom as long as I reach the College's objectives. I had always wanted to take a class like that and I couldn't find one. SO I made one. I'm glad I got started after wondering about how to do it over a few years...My first couple of years, I cautiously implemented 1 or 2 things, but now it's just the fabric of my course. Tons of fun!

Stephen: do you think if domains were much more expensive to own it would spur people on to do something with them?

[Mary Richmond]

My big challenges for the year seem much smaller since I've started tackling them 15 minutes at a time. I have a tendency to look at the big picture and become overwhelmed. My husband keeps saying 'just start' and a good friend's mantra is "motion begets motion" and so I'm learning to just start. It's amazing what one can accomplish in 15 minutes and I'm often motivated to keep on moving forward. My creative brain is much happier when it has problems to solve and things to do so I'm getting a lot done but coming up with new and fun ideas at the same time. I'm not sure this really answers your question but just getting down to work is one thing and breaking things down to manageable tasks is the other one.

[Stephen Denny]

Shelbey: if a domain registration was $10K, yes. If $100, yes. If $99, probably not.

The interesting thing about domains is that they are the new real estate, and there are just as many speculators as there are tenants. So it's fair to think that people are looking at them as viable investments, either to turn or to develop.

You can Take a Whack at a low barrier to entry business in a day or so on the web - I'm wondering if/when it becomes mainstream for everybody to have a few running while they do their 'day job.'

[Roger von Oech]

Stephen: I actively use two of my domains (Creative Think and Creative Whack) and own four others.

Shelbey and Mary: Good advice!