The lull
Popular opinion states ideas are a dime and dozen and execution is what really matters. This article is proof of that paradigm.
Before putting fingers to the keyboard, preparing to take readers on a journey of personal opinion, there was an idea. The idea seemed to be a good one. It was an idea that sparked interest, rushing to fill that void amateur (and probably professional) writers often face, the lull.
The lull is the gap between starting a project and completion when feelings of anxiousness, paranoia, and skepticism about an idea set in. Merits questioned, expertise befuddled, and enthusiasm waned, the lull offers a lifeline in the form of a new idea.
New ideas are exciting. They offer limitless reach and promises of grandeur. They are more exciting, more invigorating, and more appealing than the lull of a current work in progress.
Following a new idea when stalled on another one is good when the destination changes, but jumping from idea to idea during the lull quickly leads to a trail of unfinished projects. A new idea is a lifeline, pulling people away from problems, but will never provide a way to reach the goal of completion. If a new idea in a lull is a lifeline, execution is the bridge.
Execution is crucial. Execution is not the plan or the quality of the idea, but the ability to work through the lull. It requires action. Is there a folder with unfinished drafts piling up? Finish them. Even if they never see the light of day, the sturdiness of an execution bridge comes from the security in knowing there are ways to overcome the lull.
This article is another brick in my execution bridge. Maybe it will resonate with others, maybe not. But it will strengthen my execution bridge and bring me closer to my goal.