Entrepreneurs always have a lot of
great ideas that they are really passionate about. The challenge, of course, is to
loop and channel that passion into a concrete plan to bring the
idea to life.
As a busy professional, it can be difficult
to find the time to work on your passion projects. That's why
we asked Young Entrepreneur Council members for practical
approaches to channeling passion into execution. Here are their tips:
1. Be consistent.
Everyone is passionate about the
beginning. It is in the midst of executing their passion that the fire dies
outside. Why? Because we are not consistent – we lose hope in the process. In
consistency, there is new learning, there is progress, there is a higher
chance to perform better.
—Daisy Jing, Ban
2. Perform incremental moves.
As entrepreneurs, we tend to
catch up with what “it” looks like. The best way to channel your energy is to
remember that everything is a gradual movement. Start by taking the
first steps and setting clear short-term (one to two day) goals. It will help
build momentum, and by practicing consistency, you will execute on your
passionate ideas with enthusiasm.
—Dalip Jaggi, Vincit
3. Develop your resilience.
When you run your passion, you
have to be resilient. Unfortunately, not everything will go your way,
but you can't let that deter you from continuing. Remember that part
of the joy of becoming accomplished is acknowledging all the obstacles you
overcame.
—Rana Gujral, Behavioral Signals
4. Practice self-discipline.
You will need a certain level of
discipline when it comes to channeling passion into execution. You cannot simply
be driven to succeed. You need to know how to harness passion and transform
into a process or strategy. Objectively identify your passions,
then find ways to turn them into results. It's a fine line to balance, but
can be done.
—Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
5. Act now.
In my experience, if I become
passionate about something, I need to take action immediately. If I don't, I
think dead and end up not enjoying it as much as I should. If you
discover that you have a passion for something (in business or life), go for it
immediately. There is no reason to wait.
—Zach Binder, Bell + Ivy
6. Dive in and let things flow organically.
If there is something you want to
do, you must dive in without hesitation. Half the battle is sometimes
if you do that, you're well on your way to creating something
of value. Remember, you don't always need an elaborate plan and
some of the best experiences happen organically.
—Jared Atchison, WPForms
7. Ride the wave of your passion.
Passion and enthusiasm for various
activities can wax and wane over time. Your passion might peak in the morning
and gradually decrease in the afternoon (or vice versa). Or you might feel passion for a certain project for a few months and then
some free time. Be sure to sync your work with these
passion peaks.
—Matt Diggity, Diggity Marketing
8. Project the worst case.
It is important to know
how you project the growth of your idea. A fairly common trait of
entrepreneurs is a positive future outlook; otherwise you wouldn't accept the
risks inherent in starting a business. Taking the time to consider potential
pitfalls and obstacles is also a smart way to stay grounded, as well
more prepared to turn your passion into a thriving business.
—Charles Bogoian, Kenai Sports
9. Create a plan, but be flexible.
Creating a map or blueprint of how
executing your idea immediately makes it more realistic. You will probably
have to make changes along the way, but it's always best to have a plan to follow.
Otherwise, it remains a dream that you can keep pushing back.
—Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting
10. Write it down.
It's important to
enjoy your eureka moments when you have them. While you are
those wonderful and exciting ideas, grab a piece of paper and write everything
down. Later, come back with the determination to create a process
of these ideas. Organize them and make a plan out of them, completing the key steps
needed in between. Also note the potential results.
—Thomas Smale, FE International
11. Think realistically.
If you're trying to channel your
passion, start by thinking realistically. All the passion in the world doesn't matter if your goal is completely unrealistic. Create a manageable and
realistic goal environment, and start there. After completing a few small goals, you are
one step closer to completing a larger, yet still realistic task.
—John Turner, SeedProd LLC
12. Measure your results.
You can execute your passion by
defining and measuring every outcome. The more progress you see, the more excited you are
you will need to work towards that goal.
—Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media,
LLC
13. Find people who share the same passion
Bring your friends. Find
other people who share the same passion, build some accountability around that
passion, then execute it and celebrate the results.
—Jason Duff, LITTLE NATION
14. Don't be afraid to fail.
It's normal to be afraid to fail,
to be afraid of what others might say if you fail. At the start of my
entrepreneurial journey, I always doubted myself, thinking too much about
what others might think of me. But when I finally said to myself, What's the worst thing that can happen? this is
when all the success started rolling in. Go for it. Fail, then succeed.
—Fritz Colcol, ABN Circle
15. Let go of expectations.
If you really want to be able to
channel your passion into execution, you need to let go of your expectations.
Your expectations will keep you from being flexible, creating a plan, and
following through. If you are too obsessed with what you expect or desire
passions to pursue, you will be too afraid to act and you will miss
wonderful opportunities.
—Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
