Just go for it

Designer Dave Ashby explains why a good idea should always overcome inertia and why Nike’s world-famous strapline has it exactly right.

“It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little – do what you can.” 
Sydney Smith

Do you have an idea stored in your head? One that could be great if only you had the time to make it a reality? Whether it’s for a personal project, a commercial initiative, or a social experiment, you should just get out there and do it.

When you see a particularly creative project that inspires you, it’s usually a result of the creator making time to turn idea into reality, regardless of any reason why they ‘shouldn't’ make the time. "It'll cost money"… "My peers think it's a bad idea"… "I can't do it on my own"… "I don't have the time"... and so on.

Just because it's difficult or people don't understand your idea, doesn't mean you shouldn't even try. I’m sure we’ve all had a light-bulb moment during the day when an idea comes to us. But after a long shift at work, thoughts of making dinner, answering the phone, feeding the cat, or catching up on TV soon push it down the agenda. Before you know it, a week has passed and we reach the conclusion that "we don't have the time". 

It’s a scenario and cycle of thinking shared by creative thinkers and prospective gym-goers alike.

The truth is, we all have more time than we think. We just need to forget the distractions and barriers to action, and get going. A great idea is to turn off the TV, sit down and have an evening where you set yourself a goal and a deadline and just ‘make’. Once you've made a start on your idea it's much easier to improve or add to it. 

I personally spend most of my free time working on many different projects, which don’t pay and aren’t always ‘fun’, but do have goals and reasons why they’re worth doing. Of course, I still find time to relax too, with the dreaded TV my biggest distraction. 

It's very easy to sit down and switch off by switching the TV on, but three hours later, what have you achieved in your life? On the flip side, you could have been writing or drawing something for a project which, after three hours, might be complete and ready to start sharing with the world. After sharing what you did with the people and groups you know, it could well lead to new ideas and opportunities.

So the next time you’re struck by a flash of genius, don’t let the spark disappear. Give it time and energy to grow and you never know where it might lead.