Success Is Near

How many times have we discovered a truth, a new source of income, or a new idea, only to forget about it days later? I’m sure you’ve felt this at least once. And if you’re a creative person, I’m certain it happens to you all the time (because it’s physically impossible to bring every idea we get to life).

What seemed like a miracle solution yesterday may look silly or, at the very least, less promising today when seen from a different perspective. What is the real reason behind this spark phenomenon, as I’ve come to call it?

Two Possible Reasons

First: the idea is inherently weak, but we perceive it as promising due to a specific mood or impression.

Second: the idea is genuinely worthwhile, but a person, true to their nature, lets important life opportunities slip away because they require effort, time, and attention.

In my opinion, the second scenario is more common. Unfortunately, we spend most of our time in an unconscious state, making decisions automatically.

As I wrote earlier, our brain is incredibly lazy. If given a choice to act or not act, the brain will always choose “not act” as the default way to conserve energy. Therefore, ideas that suddenly strike us tend to remain just thoughts or fleeting dreams unless we take action immediately.

So What Should You Do?

I suggest the following five-point checklist to help you filter out a newly born idea and determine whether it’s worth pursuing — or whether it’s just a temporary illusion brought on by circumstances.

1. Wake up As I mentioned, most people spend their day in a kind of “waking sleep.” On one hand, this is understandable because we often make decisions mechanically. If the brain had to consciously decide every time how to walk to the local store, we wouldn’t be able to think about anything else.

Our task is to recognize the “spark moment” and not let it slip by.

2. Understand the independence of the idea from external factors At this stage, we need to honestly ask ourselves: where did this idea come from? Do I want to be 30 centimeters taller because I just watched an amazing basketball game? The example is exaggerated, of course, but it illustrates the point well — we should question how necessary, tangible, independent, and realistic the idea is.

It’s important to filter out what is imposed by the system and by those around us (buying a new TV, earning for a luxury apartment, or becoming a florist because your friend Petrovich thinks the tulips in the neighbor’s garden are growing well).

3. Assess the reality No, I’m not saying you should give up ideas like flying to Mars, breeding a new type of watermelon, or creating the next Google. We all understand that without people who once followed their hearts and created boldly, the world wouldn’t have many of its most vital products and services. That’s not what this is about.

The key is to ask yourself: do I have the inner strength to follow this through? Or better yet: has this idea inspired me so much that I’d be willing to spend the next 20 years working on it and still feel fulfilled even if I fail?

4. Take action Many know this principle: you need to start doing something toward a new goal within 72 hours of setting it. If you don’t, the chances of realizing it — or even beginning — become extremely low.

5. The one-week test In my view, this is the ideal amount of time that should pass from the moment you begin working toward your idea-turned-goal. It’s like buying an expensive trendy item — you might get it on impulse, but a week later you may wonder why.

Conclusion

This simple checklist can become your essential life companion and help you make decisions about creating new products, websites, apps, or even the future direction of a current project.

I’m confident this material will help you... today, when you’re deciding how to spend your next weekend.