What happens when we fail to act on our ideas?
Ideothetic Flow
Hi!
I hope everyone had a great mid autumn festival.
One can never have too many new ideas. However, if we do not properly process our ideas and dreams, they can end up wearing us down and impede our progress. Jessica Abel explains the concept of Idea Debt in her article "Imagining your future project is holding you back".
This article looks at Idea Debt from a creative aspect; when we have an idea for a project but end up spending more time imagining the rewards from completing the project rather than actually working on it. It could also be the build up of an idealized vision of what the end of the project looks like, and being unable to work on it because you lack the skills or confidence to execute that over-perfect image. We might then end up spending time taking courses but never actually getting to work.
On a less creative angle, Idea Debt could set in when we keep imagining changing careers, starting a business, or a side hustle, but never taking that leap. It could also be that list of workplace or home improvements you never have time to work on, learning a new skill, or even a backlog of books, shows, or games to complete.
Regardless of what form Idea Debt takes, the result is similar. Firstly, our project never gets carried out, and we do not get to reap its benefits or lessons.
The more of such projects build up in our head, it wears us down. These ideas distract us from enjoying the present or from focusing on the work we have to do, as we constantly compare it with the "what ifs" of what life could look like if one of those projects did succeed the way we imagined them too. Eventually, the feeling of having all these undone "to-dos" can overwhelm, making us feel unaccomplished and unproductive.
I've experienced this in a few ways. Whenever I have a new idea on how to improve something in the legal department, I add this as an item on my to-do list. However, amidst all the work that I have to clear, there is never any time to get down to these other projects. The list of "lower priority" items keeps on growing, until it feels like it will never be completed. Yet the sight of these on my to-do list bring me stress whenever I see them.
Similarly, when trying to decide what to do with my life, there are so many ideas in my head which, in my fantasy world, seem likely to bring me happiness. At various times and often at the same time I have wanted to stay on as a lawyer, try my hand at finance, go into game design, own an online store, start a cafe, do something related to fish, play countless different games, start a newsletter (guess I actually got started on one). When pulled in so many directions of potential things to work on, I end up getting nothing done at all. Every project is haunted by thinking about whether I should be doing something else instead.
I think there is an element of FOMO here. With so many great sounding lives, each of which we get to vicariously live through different media sources, it is too easy to get caught up visualising having all of those lives at once. Yet, i will never finish all these ideas. At most I get to pick a handful. Till now I still struggle to accept this and get down to making that handful work.
One way I try to gain control over this is to start a someday/maybe list. This concept is found in David Allen's Getting Things Done productivity method. All potential projects can then be stored here. The name "someday/maybe" is important, it denotes that there is no pressing need to get it done, removing any guilt from failing to complete it. This acknowledges the thought in the mind and helps to take it out of the mind, and stored for future reference or inspiration when needed.
Regularly scan your mind and your to-do lists for anything that has not been acted on for long enough and either start on them immediately or move them into this list. Try not to review this list too often as well, only when there is a need to find a new project to start on, or some direction in life should we turn back here, and at most only to find one new project to work on.
Hope you have a great week ahead!
James
ABOUT
Ideothetic Flow is a fortnightly newsletter where I reflect on insights that I have found useful in rethinking life in a more realistic way.
Modern culture, media, and technology, for all their benefits, have distorted the view of a complete and happy life. The ideas I share are those which have helped me gain a deeper understanding of my own identity and circumstances, and inspire change towards a happier life, and I hope they will do the same for anyone else who reads this.
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