Your ideas are under BUT-arrest 🐣

A little walk, a flash of insight, and a wall that keeps our best ideas trapped

I was out taking a walk when a thought struck me.

Some of my best ideas come to me on these walks. Sometimes I even jot them down or leave myself a voice message so I can get back to them later.

And then, most often, that's the end of it.

The idea sits somewhere in my notes or voice messages, gathering digital dust. Every now and then, I might remember it and think about giving it a fresh lease of life. But then life happens, as it's wont to do, and the idea quietly slips out of sight.

It got me wondering: how many wonderful ideas have I had over the years that never saw the light of day? And why? What stopped me from acting on them?

Then came a little flash of insight.

Perhaps our ideas don't fail us. Perhaps we fail to give them a chance.

Think about it. A newborn idea is fragile. It has potential, but no momentum. Before it can find its feet and venture into the world, it runs into a wall of BUTs.

But I don't have time. But I can always get back to it later. But I have other things to deal with first. But I've had so many ideas that went nowhere; why should this one be any different?

Every BUT adds another brick. And before long, that fragile little idea finds itself trapped behind a wall it doesn't have the strength to climb.

So what's the way out?

Give the idea your attention. Give it a little energy. Take one small step.

Energy flows where attention goes. And sometimes, a little initial push is all it takes to set things in motion.

Once an idea starts moving, it can gather momentum, grow stronger, and eventually make its way into the world.

I decided to put this theory to the test.
Rather than let this particular idea join the long list of wonderful things I'd get around to someday, I'd act on it straight away.

And that's how a passing thought blossomed into a little visual story about an egg, a baby bird, and a wall of BUTs.

Here it is. A tiny story about breaking through, and perhaps a little nudge for one of your own ideas to finally spread its wings.

That first flash of possibility is intoxicating.

For a moment, you can see everything the idea might become.

It almost feels real already.

Then the inner committee meets.

But I’m not ready.
But I might fail.
But it’s been done before.

Each BUT becomes another brick. The wall grows; the idea stays put.

What if just one idea made it out?

Not every idea needs to change the world. But every promising idea deserves a fair chance to show us what it can become.

An idea can be full of promise and still go nowhere.

Potential is what it could do. Progress begins when you do something with it.

You don't need a perfect plan for the whole journey. You don't even need to know exactly how it'll work out.

You need a first move that gets the idea out of your head and into the real world.

Your first attempt doesn't have to be brilliant. It has to teach you something.

Try it. Notice what happens. Adjust. Try again.

That's how you give a promising idea a fighting chance.

Action gives you feedback. Feedback shapes the next action.

The idea stops being something you're merely imagining and becomes something you can learn from, improve and build on.

Potential starts turning into progress.

The goal was never to hatch an idea and admire it.

It's to give it a chance to live beyond your head, find its wings, and discover what it can become out in the world.

Some BUTs point to real problems worth solving. Fair enough.

But they shouldn't all get veto power. Question them, work around the useful ones, and don't mistake hesitation for a final verdict.

Make it concrete.

Which idea have you been putting off? What's one useful action small enough to take today?

Don't worry about the whole journey yet. Start there.

At some point, stop debating with every BUT.

You don't have to feel completely ready before you begin. Sometimes you find out what's possible only after you've made a move.

I'm Monojoy, visual storyteller @ Oddly Obvious.

I help turn ideas into clear, memorable visual stories using words, pictures and a little whimsy.

Consider me your partner in kicking BUTs.

Should another brilliant idea find itself under BUT-arrest, you may want some backup.
I’ve made a PDF of the slides for just such emergencies.

You can spring it from captivity right here on LinkedIn 🐣

Whimsically yours,

Monojoy​
Storyteller, Oddly Obvious​

Because good stories like good company: